Did Arjun Kapoor actually say it was time for the film industry to speak up and give it back to those bad-mouthing it? To begin with, can anyone imagine differently wired filmmakers like Vivek Agnihotri and Anurag Kashyap talking in one voice? Who exactly was he going to give it back to? A faceless audience and anonymous social media users who don’t want to watch his films?

Arjun was always a filmi kid who oozed the confidence of the entitled. As a two-year-old, he was such a terror that when he’d visit Shabana Azmi’s house, they’d all scamper and say, “Boney ka beta aa gaya”, and mock-rush to save the breakables. He was everybody’s cute little brat. But the grown-up’s attitude isn’t cute, it’s cringey.

After Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, when TV channels went shrill calling Karan Johar and Mahesh Bhatt “dons” and “murderers”, one could debate in newsroom and challenge them. One could duel an identifiable foe out there. But if films fall like nine pins at the box office, does Arjun intend to go out into the public, roll up his sleeves and say, “You’d better watch our films or else...”? Or else, what Arjun?

Think rationally. It was always believed that Hindi films were majorly patronised by a minority community. Most times, producers would rather put off a release than come into theatres during Ramzan, when Muslims wouldn’t watch a film. So if it was about politics and boycotts alone, where was that audience for Laal Singh Chaddha?

Much of what’s been said about Aamir, SRK, Karan and clan has been vicious. The loose bandying of the word “boycott” has become a social joke too and will wane in intensity and impact. But a boycott is a peaceful protest, something Arjun himself does. Doesn’t he patronise certain journalists and not give interviews to others? It’s not the same as a ban, where people come together as a group to force everyone to follow their diktat. As far as I know, no ban has been enforced by any authority on any film. So who exactly is Arjun taking up cudgels with?

One understands the industry frustration as it wonders, who moved my cheese? For the first time in 50 years, there’s a tangible resentment in a section of the public against Hindi film actors. It’s strange because, in pre-Covid era, they became such insufferable demi-Gods that they almost became indispensable for all occasions; the media coveted their gyan on the Union budget too and the public lapped it up. It was believed content was secondary and the stars could draw the audience in on the strength of their names, they could call the shots in all spheres of life, they could say or do anything, ask for the moon and get it too.

Stardom peaked, celebrityhood became unimpeachable. It was unreal for human beings to be thus deified. So perhaps the downfall of stardom has been another form of the Malthusian theory where nature has taken over for a course correction.

It’s a time for deep introspection and a bit of humility. From Alia to Vijay Deverakonda, the “don’t watch us” swagger is only irking more people.

As a child, when Mahesh Bhatt had encountered unkind nastiness from his paternal grandmother, he’d sworn to himself that his only reply would be, success.

Karan has followed Mahesh’s maxim by going about his work after the bile poured on him in the aftermath of Sushant’s death. Taking it on the chin, he released films like Gunjan Saxena and Shershaah on OTT, hosted Bigg Boss and Koffee with Karan, put out movies like Jug Jugg Jeeyo and Liger without stones being pelted at him. Putting your head down and doing your best is the only way to answer an irrationally angry mob.

And, as the wise say, this too shall pass.

Bharathi S. Pradhan is a senior journalist and author