Saif Ali Khan on 'boycott' culture: Sad that Bollywood has not shown unity

Actor Saif Ali Khan claims that those who are demanding a boycott of Hindi movies are using those films as a platform for their criticisms. Saif believes that the boycott trends' supporters are already not the "genuine audience."

Virtual demands for a boycott of the Hindi cinema industry have been made, with online trolling of movies starring Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar, Ranbir Kapoor, and Alia Bhatt among others.

Saif expressed disappointment at the Hindi film industry's lack of opposition to hate in an interview with CNBC-TV18. He said, “This section of the people, who I think are (boycotting) I am not sure if it’s the genuine audience. Using a soft target, for example a bad movie, to say, ‘Ok let’s ban this or cancel that’… I also think it is really sad that Bollywood has not shown unity. Until we have that ability to take that step, we will never really know the truth of how effective this boycott culture is."

Saif claims that artists are cautious and naturally keep a low profile when a movie's release is at stake. The actor believes that cancel culture is a global phenomena that is generally frightening. But it is just plainly easier to keep a low profile and get it out of the way when your movie is ready to come out and so many other people are on the line.

However, the actor is certain that boycott trends won't last forever because Indians will continue to go to movies for entertainment. Saif says that he doesn't believe that the individuals who are saying 'boycott boycott' are the audience. People enjoy their entertainment, and they enjoy watching movies, thus they won't refuse to do so believes the actor.

“We don’t really have much to do in our country, you can’t go for a walk in the park or take a quiet boat ride with your kids. Entertainment is limited in cities like ours, so movies is one of those things,” Saif Ali Khan added.

Meanwhile, Saif was last seen in Vikram Vedha with Hrithik Roshan. His upcoming film is Adipurush, which is directed by Om Raut. In the movie, he'll play Lankesh, the antagonist. Sunny Singh, Kriti Sanon, and Prabhas also star in the film.