Guwahati: A remark by noted film maker Ram Gopal Varma on social media about actress-model turn BJP MLA Angoorlata Deka has created public outrage in Assam, with supporters of the newly elected BJP MLA lashing out at Varma.
Varma has not only been asked for an unconditional apology for his remarks but also described as to be a person of conservative thinking.
In fact controversy had started long ago when some people shared photographs of the film actress from her acting and modelling days online along with captions that range from vulgar to plain vicious.
On Tuesday, posting a picture of Angoorlata on Twitter, Varma wrote, "If MLA can look like this, Achche din aagaye hai..Thank you Angoorlataji,Thank you Modiji..1st time I love politics (sic)."
If MLA can look like this,Achche din aagaye hai..Thank you Angoorlataji,Thank you Modiji..1st time I love politics pic.twitter.com/WPzJgmnb13
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) May 24, 2016
Within seconds, the filmmaker was barraged by tweets with the hashtag #SaySorryRGV. "When u cant respect women then how can v respect u. #SaySorryRGV," tweeted a user Mr Anirudh Jain.
"Mr RGV learn to give respect to women," wrote Mr Prasenjit C Sarkar.
Varma however stood by his comment, stating that he was paying a compliment to her. “With regards to my comment on Angoorlataji, I was just paying a compliment to her. Since most MLAs don't look good it was such a change.”
With regards to my comment on Angoorlataji,I was just paying a compliment to her .since most MLA's don't look good it was such a change
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) May 25, 2016
My every compliment is taken as negative comment...I don't know if it's the lack of their English knowledge or their dumbness quotient
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) May 25, 2016
The clarification however provoked angry comments in return. Many noted artists from the film fraternity in Assam are also unhappy over the way the controversy has turned out.
Deka, a popular Assamese actor, won from Batadroba constituency against Congress veteran, Gautam Bora. She has worked in several Bengali and Assamese films and once portrayed Benazir Bhutto in Assamese mobile theatre.
The young actor joined BJP in 2015. She was one of the six women candidates fielded by the party in Assam and one of the two who won.
