The Saffron Controversy: The choices open to Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone's Pathaan

With many states threatening to ban the release of Shah Rukh Khan’s first film in four years, the producers seem to have very little option, except to digitally colour the offending bikini, or to remove the entire song from the film.While the marketing team at Yash Raj arrogantly insists that there are no plans to make any changes, the reality is otherwise.A close friend of producer Aditya Chopra reveals that Aditya “cannot afford any risks right now…not after the dismal boxoffice performance of their last two theatre releases Bunty Aur Babli 2 and Jayeshbhai Jordaar.”The film is also crucial to SRK’s career as he is back on screen in an all-new action avatar, after Zero in December 2018.Aditya Chopra’s friend says, “They are likely to remove the song completely as it(the song) has already been given ample coverage before release. With the release around the corner, Adi can’t afford a full-blown controversy.”Subhash K Jha is a Patna-based journalist. He has been writing about Bollywood for long enough to know the industry inside out.Read all the Latest News, Trending News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.