Vicky Kaushal fans defend him after Twitter blames Chhaava for Nagpur violence: ‘Operating on zero brain cells’ | Bollywood-OxBig News Network

There was widespread criticism of the film, director Laxman Utekar, and actor Vicky Kaushal on social media. Many held them responsible for fanning hatred against Aurangzeb and, by extension, the minorities. On Twitter (now X), many criticised Vicky for ‘fanning hatred’ with the film, and some accused him of deliberately doing films ‘with majoritarian hatred’. However, fans of the actor have defended him, saying he is just being made the scapegoat.

‘Can’t blame an actor for a film’s tone’

Many took to Twitter (now X) to defend Vicky and his performance, while absolving him of any role in the communal tensions that followed. “The outrage over #Chaava is misplaced! Vicky Kaushal’s stunning portrayal of my Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj honors art! As liberals, we mustn’t scapegoat actors for doing their job brilliantly. Let’s celebrate cinema, not censor it or blame it,” read one tweet.

Another person wrote, “It’s truly sad to see what happened in Nagpur. Violence and unrest should never be the answer, no matter the trigger. But holding Vicky Kaushal responsible for the Nagpur violence is completely unfair and misdirected. He is an actor who portrayed a historical figure in Chhaava—a film that went through multiple approvals before release. If certain narratives in the movie have triggered strong reactions, the discussion should be around historical interpretation, public discourse, and governance, not on targeting an individual performer.”

Other fans of the actor were more brutal in their assessment of those blaming him. One simply tweeted: “Those blaming Vicky Kaushal for Nagpur violence are clearly operating on zero brain cells.”

‘Cinema is cinema, treat is as such’

A section of Twitter users said that the critics of Vicky and Chhaava were placing too much responsibility on what was essentially a work of art. “The Vicky Kaushal starrer Chhava has nothing to do with the ongoing Nagpur violence or the hate against Aurangzeb. Cinema is cinema; treat it as such,” read one tweet. Others advised to keep focus on the ones actually responsible. One person wrote, “Vicky Kaushal and the makers of #Chhaava are being blamed for the Nagpur riots. The planners and rioters are the only ones who should be blamed.”

Twitter feels protestors are missing film’s nuance

Many pointed out that the film did not demonise Aurangzeb and that Sambhaji was betrayed by his own people. “The recent violence in Nagpur is unfairly being blamed on Vicky Kaushal’s movie Chava. it actually shows that he was BETRAYED by his close aides (jealous and greedy), not by the Mughals. The story highlights internal betrayal and division among his own people,” read a tweet. Another added, “The way Vicky Kaushal is blamed, hated and targeted for playing a historical character, and a certain section insinuating the role led to Nagpur violence – that’s what is exactly wrong with people & mindset. Exactly that! No wonder Bollywood just focuses on poos and Poojas!”

All about Chhaava

Directed by Laxman Utekar, Chhaava is the biopic of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, who went toe-to-toe against the Mughal rule in the 17th century. Vicky Kaushal plays the Maratha ruler in the film, while Akshaye Khanna plays Emperor Aurangzeb. The film, which also stars Rashmika Mandanna, Divya Dutta, Ashutosh Rana, and Vineet Kumar Singh, received mixed to positive reviews but was a massive success at the box office. The film has collected ₹764 crore worldwide and ₹565 crore in India alone.