British historian attacks RRR for casting English as villains, gets roundly rejected on social media: ‘Denying colonialism is a crime’
An article criticising SS Rajamouli's RRR for misrepresenting history and suggesting that it is racist is being roundly rejected on social media.
By: Entertainment Desk | New Delhi |
July 21, 2022 12:35:04 pm
Jr NTR and Ram Charan from an action scene of RRR. (Photo: RRRMovie/Twitter)
An article declaring that RRR is a reflection of ‘the nastiness of today’s India’, and that ‘Netflix should be ashamed for promoting it’, is drawing ridicule on social media. Published on The Spectator last weekend, the article is titled ‘What Netflix’s RRR gets wrong about the British Raj’ and pokes holes in the film’s historical accuracy, accusing it of misrepresenting facts and suggesting that similar films made about Nigerians or Hindus could be considered racist. The article is written by Rob Tombs, credited an author and emeritus professor in history at the University of Cambridge.
Directed by SS Rajamouli, RRR is tells the fictionalised story of two freedom fighters who never crossed paths in real life, but in the film develop a fast friendship as they take on the might of the British empire. Starring Jr NTR and Ram Charan, the film made over Rs 1100 crore during its theatrical run in India, but has become something of an oddity in the US, where it sold out screenings and attracted several big-name endorsements.
Also read |RRR: SS Rajamouli’s epic tests the limits of believability, but nothing is as far-fetched as Ram Charan’s character arc
But the Spectator writer wasn’t impressed. “To portray British officials and soldiers roaming the country casually committing crimes is a sign of absolute ignorance or of deliberate dishonesty,” a part of the article reads. The writer says that the film projects the English as the villains in ‘nationalist myths’ as an excuse for former colonies to ‘make up heroic stories about themselves’. The writer argued, “We (British) have played such an important role in the world over the last few centuries that we have accumulated enemies as well as friends. In many nationalist myths, we are cast in the role of villains. It’s a way that quite a few countries make up heroic stories about themselves.” He goes on to write, “That is no reason why we should accept these stories as true, or start apologising for things that did not happen.”
A professor at the Shawnee State University in Ohio, Dr Lavanya Vemsani, tweeted, “Needless to say, fans of the film #BritishBabu is upset that his nostalgia is being disturbed & Indians are awakening to the truth. Colonialist administration oppressed India in many ways, denying it is a crime.”
“The author of this piece is literally called rob tombs,” another person joked, making a reference at how the British pillaged India. “I read this so you didn’t have to and I can tell you: this entire white boy is in deep denial,” another person wrote, adding highlighted screengrabs from the article.
“You can always hate on the British Empire, it is always morally correct,” another Twitter user commented. “Watching RRR trigger white people is sometimes even more entertaining than watching RRR,” another person wrote.
Here are some more reactions:
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British historian attacks RRR for casting English as villains, gets roundly rejected on social media: ‘Denying colonialism is a crime’
An article criticising SS Rajamouli's RRR for misrepresenting history and suggesting that it is racist is being roundly rejected on social media.
