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Vishal Bharadwaj Defends On-Screen Violence, Cites Mahabharata & Society

Filmmaker Vishal Bharadwaj states he has no personal issue with the increasingly explicit violence in contemporary cinema. He argues that violence is ingrained in Indian DNA, drawing a direct parallel to the unimaginable scale of violence depicted in the Mahabharata. Bharadwaj also references the "poetic violence" of international auteurs like Quentin Tarantino and Wong Kar-wai as an aesthetic benchmark. He concludes that showing violence on screen is acceptable as it reflects the violence already prevalent in society.

Key Points: Vishal Bharadwaj on Cinema Violence & Mahabharata Influence

  • Violence in modern cinema
  • Mahabharata's graphic violence
  • Poetic violence in film
  • Reflection of societal violence
  • Aesthetic portrayal
3 min read

Vishal Bharadwaj has no problem with onscreen violence, says 'humari society me bhi exist karta hai'

Filmmaker Vishal Bharadwaj discusses the rise of explicit violence in films, drawing parallels with Mahabharata and filmmakers like Tarantino.

"humare DNA mein hai wo violence ka element - Vishal Bharadwaj"

Mumbai, February 22

In the last five to six years, cinema has changed dramatically. There has been a clear shift towards films driven by mass appeal and heightened violence. The success of projects like 'Animal', 'Marco', and 'Dhurandhar' indicates that the audience of today has high tolerance for violence, provided they are engaged by the story. But the question remains: how much violence is too much?

The same question was posed in front of Vishal Bharadwaj during his interview with ANI. Bharadwaj is known to showcase violence and blood shed with an aesthetic lens. Films like 'Maqbool', and 'Haider' had their share of 'mar dhaad', but it never stuck out like a sore thumb because of the engaging story.

Bharadwaj, whose latest release O'Romeo also features several violent scenes, said that on a personal level he has no issue with violence. He even cited the 'Mahabharata' to make his point.

"Normalise se zyada mujhe lag raha hai ki bahut explicit ho gaya hai violence which is fine for me, personally. I very often I say ki we are the race who is born out of Mahabharat. Aur Mahabharat ka jo violence hai wo unimaginable hai. aur itna graphic hai violence of Mahabharat ki jiski koi hadh nahi hai. Jismein jo killings hain aur jis ras ke saath aur pyaar ke saath usko original Mahabharat mein depict kiya gaya hai. So we are born out of that... humare DNA mein hai wo violence ka element. (The violence has become extremely explicit. Personally, I am fine with that. I often say that we are a civilization born out of the Mahabharata. And the scale of violence in the Mahabharata is unimaginable...that element of violence exists in our DNA.)

He also drew parallels with internationally acclaimed filmmakers like Wong Kar-wai and Quentin Tarantino, who are widely recognised for their distinctive and bold portrayal of violence in cinema.

"aur ek poetic violence ek cheez hoti hai. Jaise meri film mein bahut jagah references hain... jismein blood jaise udta hai paani ke andar...Toh wo uske bahut saare references hain. Ek Wong Kar-wai ki film hai... Wong Kar-wai ne jis tareeke se kiya hai, Tarantino ne jis tareeke se kiya hai. Toh wo bhi apne aap mein, you know, ek poetic violence hota hai. Aur meri film (O' Romeo) mein mere characters gangsters hain. They are not poets and not managers. So we have to show the violence. And if you are not talking in terms of the contemporary language of the contemporary filmmaking which is happening around you, then you start feeling dated. Par usmein aesthetics bhi rakhne ki zarurat hoti hai," Bhardwaj mentioned.

Bhardwaj also maintained that as long as cinema reflects the violence that is already present in society, its depiction on screen should not be considered problematic.

"Aur ek baat hai hamari society mein abhi jis tarah ka, jis level ka violence exist karta hai aur chal raha hai, toh usmein agar screen pe bhi dikh jaaye toh koi burai nahi hai. And it's an adult film (O' Romeo) (Also given the kind and level of violence that currently exists and continues in our society, there is nothing wrong if it is shown on screen as well)," he said.

Bhardwaj's 'O' Romeo' stars Shahid Kapoor and Triptii Dimri in lead roles. The film was released during Valentine's Week.

Apart from the lead pair, the movie also features Disha Patani, Vikrant Massey, Tamannaah Bhatia, Farida Jalal, Nana Patekar, Avinash Tiwary, Aruna Irani, Hussain Dalal, Resh Lamba, and Rahul Deshpande in pivotal roles. It is produced under the banner of Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
I agree with him to an extent, but comparing modern cinema to Mahabharata feels like a stretch. One is sacred literature with deep lessons, the other is entertainment. The problem is when violence becomes glamorized and gratuitous, influencing young minds. We need more responsibility from filmmakers. 🤔
V
Vikram M
Finally, a sensible take! Violence exists in our society, in our news every day. Why pretend it doesn't? Films like 'Haider' showed violence with purpose and beauty. It's the story that matters. If the story is weak and violence is just a crutch, that's the real issue.
S
Sarah B
As someone who loves both Indian and international cinema, his reference to Wong Kar-wai and Tarantino is spot on. "Poetic violence" is a real thing. It's not about the act itself, but how you frame it, the emotion behind it. Bharadwaj is a master of that.
R
Rohit P
Badiya baat hai! Our films were becoming too soft. Real life isn't soft. If society has violence, art should reflect it. As long as it's an A-rated film and adults are watching with understanding, what's the problem? Let artists create.
K
Kavya N
I respectfully disagree. Just because something exists in society or our mythology doesn't mean we should normalize its explicit depiction. There's a difference between showing and glorifying. The recent trend feels more like the latter. We're desensitizing ourselves, and that's worrying. 🙏

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