7 years of Babumoshai Bandookbaaz: Look back at Nawazuddin Siddiqui's controversial film and its aftermath

Examining the plot of the controversial thriller Babumoshai Bandookbaaz and the claims of misconduct surrounding it.

7 years of Babumoshai Bandookbaaz

Seven years ago, Nawazuddin Siddiqui featured in a controversial action-thriller film titled Babumoshai Bandookbaaz. Kushan Nandy's film, set in Uttar Pradesh, stars Bidita Bag as the female lead. The film faced its share of controversies during its release; however, Babumoshai Bandookbaaz's performance at the box office was ordinary. In case you are planning to revisit the film on OTT, it is currently streaming on ZEE5 (OTTplay Premium).

Plot overview and themes of Babumoshai Bandookbaaz

Two powerful politicians in Babumoshai Bandookbaaz hire a brutal and unscrupulous hitman to eliminate their opponents. Suspenseful plot twists keep viewers glued to their seats throughout the film. The action film explores themes of love, friendship, rivalry, betrayal, and ultimately, revenge. It's about two people who are deeply involved in politics and decide, in an effort to achieve peace, to lead different lives while dealing with their rivalries and betrayals. But the film's main protagonist, Babu (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), gets off to a rough start right away when he inadvertently destroys Jiji's alliances, which gets him in trouble with her. Bidita Bag portrays Fulwa, a cobbler who provides care for him during his injuries.

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Dubey hires Babu to eliminate Jiji and her allies, which leads to the blossoming of their love. Jatin Goswami's portrayal of Banke, a secondary contractor who idolises Babu, leads Babu to encounter him through a series of traumatic events. The shocking part comes when Banke admits that he was hired to murder Babu and then shoot him from the bridge onto a goods train.

After a lengthy period in a coma, Babu awakens and learns what transpired following his purported death. Once all the traitors have betrayed him, he will exact his revenge. As the film draws to a close, Babu has an unexpected meeting with Banke and Fulwa, who shock him by disclosing a slew of secrets, prompting him to vow vengeance.

In order to bring his character Babu to life, Siddiqui trained extensively with firearms and action scenes. Vishal Vittal, a cinematographer based in Prague, gave the film an international feel, while Ghalib Asad Bhopali, son of the renowned lyricist Asad Bhopali, provided sharp dialogue that injected the film with a dash of comedy and a dash of desi flavour and dialect. To capture the authentic flavor, the makers brought in a dialect coach for the shoot. The clothes and sets were meticulously researched to achieve a realistic appearance.

Chitrangada Singh's allegations of harassment during filming

However, during the filming of Babumoshai Bandookbaaz Chitrangada Singh recounted a terrifying incident she experienced in an interview with Dainik Bhaskar. Siddiqui allegedly imposed an intimate sequence on her.

During her time filming Babumoshai Bandookbaaz Chitrangda reportedly received an unexpected suggestion for a titillating scenario involving Siddiqui. The director reportedly told Chitrangada, "Apna petticoat uthao aur ragdo aapne aap ko (raise your petticoat and rub yourself)."

She proceeded to explain that by that point, tears were welling up in her eyes, but the director insisted on following his instructions because he was the film's director. It seemed obvious to her that it was merely exploitative, and she stormed out in a fit of rage.

According to Chitrangda, Siddiqui was also there but chose not to defend her. She added that the DOP (Director of Photography) and a female producer were there, but nobody stood up for her. Above all, during the film's initial press conference, they openly expressed their gratitude for her departure, stating that they had found a more suitable replacement.

As per Chitrangada, there was a day when Nawaz stated, "Humne toh do baar maza kar liye (I've already had fun twice)" at a film promotional event.

As the actor began to be chronically tardy to filming locations, Nandy's business partner at the time, Kiran Shroff, had previously stated that her claims were completely baseless. The director stated that Chitrangda had previously shot the intimate moments; therefore, there was no problem with them in his denial of the sexual harassment claims. He went on to say that she wanted certain changes made to the script because she had concerns about it, and her choice not to star in the film was her own.

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