Senior actor Suhasini Mulay takes exception to trolling of ‘Ikkis’, support for ‘The Kashmir Files’
Mumbai: Veteran film actor Suhasini Mulay, who stars in late legend Dharmendra’s last movie ‘Ikkis’, has stood up for the movie, pointing at how critics in the current social circumstances uphold a movie like ‘The Kashmir Files’, but have been trolling ‘Ikkis’, which carries the message that war brings only bloodshed and trauma.
‘Ikkis’, directed by Sriram Raghavan, is an anti-war film at its heart, but continues to be trolled online and face severe criticism.
Speaking at the Gauhati Press Club, Mulay, who is known for her roles in Dil Chahta Hai, Lagaan, and Jodhaa Akbar, defended and praised the movie, stating that by no means did ‘Ikkis’ depict Pakistanis as ‘ghosts and demons’ but showed them as ‘humans’, according to a report in The Indian Express.
Comparing it to ‘The Kashmir Files’ and similar movies, the senior actor said that it was the impact of the present setup in society. “I was told by the scriptwriter that they were being trolled by the people. If you are in this society in this era, then you will be trolled. So, you don’t make such films. You make ‘The Kashmir Files’, you will get your entertainment tax waived,” she added, sharply.
Calling the current political cinema ideologically right-wing, Mulay said, “Religious dominance is the norm. There has been an incredible projection of violence, which we never saw earlier. And it is both mental and physical. There is also the huge question of ‘otherisation’ of indigenous people and minorities, not just Muslims, but all minorities.”
In a recent conversation with Scroll, filmmaker Sriram Raghavan spoke about the trolling since the release of ‘Ikkis’.
“I was completely surprised. There are all kinds of movies made by different kinds of people. I have made what is best for me, what we felt had the most heart, which would resonate. I am not pro this or pro that. I wanted people to come out with a certain feeling in their hearts. It’s a humane feeling,” the director said.
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Air India, IndiGo cancel some overseas flights as Iranian airspace closure impacts services
New Delhi (PTI): Air India and IndiGo on Thursday cancelled some of their overseas flights as the Iranian airspace closure impacted services.
Flights of Air India to the US and Europe, and services of IndiGo to CIS countries, Europe, and Turkey have been impacted, according to officials.
The two airlines, as well as SpiceJet, issued advisories saying that the airspace closure will impact some flights.
Tata Group-owned Air India cancelled at least three flights to the US, and certain services to Europe will face some delays due to the Iranian airspace closure, an official said.
At least three flights -- two from the national capital to New York and Newark, and one from Mumbai to New York -- have been cancelled, the official told PTI.
Flights of IndiGo to CIS countries, Europe, and Turkey have also been impacted.
Another official told PTI that flights to Tashkent (Uzbekistan), Almaty (Kazakhstan), Baku (Azerbaijan), and Tbilisi (Georgia) have been impacted, and some of the services have been cancelled.
These countries are part of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
Services to European cities and Istanbul (Turkey) have also been impacted due to the closure of the Iranian airspace.
The operational costs are expected to rise for the airlines as they will be forced to take longer routes, resulting in increased fuel consumption.
The Pakistan airspace closure is already pushing the expenses higher for Air India since the airline is taking longer routes for many of the West-bound flights.
In October last year, Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson said the estimated loss due to the Pakistan airspace closure is Rs 4,000 crore.
Meanwhile, Air India uses Iranian airspace for flights to the US and Europe, and the alternative option is to fly over Iraqi airspace.
Since using Iraq's airspace will mean a longer duration, the aircraft will not have enough fuel to operate some of the services to the US, the source said.
In a post on X, Air India said that due to the emerging situation in Iran, the subsequent closure of its airspace, and in view of the safety of our passengers, flights overflying the region are now using an alternative routing, which may lead to delays.
"Some Air India flights where currently rerouting is not possible are being cancelled," the airline said, and regretted the inconvenience caused to passengers due to this unforeseen disruption.
Separately, IndiGo, in a post on X, said that due to the sudden airspace closure by Iran, some of its international flights are impacted. "Our teams are working diligently to assess the situation and support affected customers by offering the best possible alternatives," it added.
SpiceJet also informed through a post on X that due to airspace closure in Iran, some of its flights may be affected.
There have been no SpiceJet flight cancellations due to the airspace issue so far, an official said.
Meanwhile, Air India on Thursday said its flight AI101, operating from Delhi to New York (JFK), was forced to return to Delhi shortly after takeoff due to the unexpected closure of Iranian airspace, which impacted its planned route.
"Upon landing in Delhi, the aircraft encountered a foreign object while taxiing in dense fog, resulting in damage to the right engine," it said in a statement.
Tensions are escalating between Iran and the US, and there are fears that the situation could lead to a military conflict.
