Chennai: Veteran cinematographer Rajiv Menon has said that a film like Bombay would be nearly impossible to make or release in the present-day climate without facing widespread backlash. In a recent interview with a YouTube channel, Menon expressed concern over the growing intolerance and heightened sensitivities surrounding religious issues in the country.
“If a film like Bombay were to be made and released today, we wouldn’t be able to estimate how many theatres might be set on fire,” he remarked, highlighting the drastic shift in public sentiment over the past three decades. Menon added that the socio-political environment has changed significantly since the 1990s and that religion has now become a major source of division.
He noted that the level of public tolerance has seen a marked decline over the past 25 to 30 years, making it increasingly difficult to handle subjects that deal with communal harmony or interfaith themes.
Bombay, directed by Mani Ratnam and released in 1995, featured Arvind Swamy and Manisha Koirala in lead roles. The film, which portrayed an interfaith romance against the backdrop of the 1992–93 Bombay riots, was both a critical and commercial success, but also drew controversy at the time for its sensitive content.