Atlee on receiving criticism for glorification of violence in his films: “It is not to provoke anyone” : Bollywood News

With a career spanning over a decade, filmmaker Atlee Kumar has worked with the biggest of the stars and given several hits. In 2023, Shah Rukh Khan starrer Jawan, helmed by Atlee, crossed Rs. 1000 crores gross mark at the box office, globally. While Atlee gets praise for his works, he has also been criticised for violence in his films. Addressing the same, Atlee said that he has to show what's happening in reality as well.

Atlee on receiving criticism for glorification of violence in his films: “It is not to provoke anyone”

“Why does a news channel carry violent footage? To show the world the truth. Violence for what purpose? For example, in Jawan, we have read about farmers’ suicides a lot in newspapers. We may have passed the paper but as a filmmaker, I am also a media person. I am also a part of you. I have a voice. When I visually show how a farmer suicide is happening, and it gets stuck in your heart and it brings some change, so I am using my voice,” he said during ABP Conclave 2024.

“So, sometimes, violence is like a doctor’s injection. It is for the better cure; you can’t treat all ailments with tablets. That’s the reason we have violence. It is not to provoke anyone. For example, in my films, if a dog is being shot, a person who attacks animals is a criminal and a villain,” he explained.

“I want to teach the generation that if anyone does anything wrong to a dog or a pet, he is not a good human being. Unfortunately, all this falls in the caption of violence but it is the ‘bitter truth’,” he added.

He said, “Right from the beginning, as soon as you join school, it becomes a part of us and not just a subject. It is as much a part of us as games, beauty, and emotions are. We must openly speak and discuss politics. If it is hidden, I believe that’s not democracy.”