Deepika Padukone starrer Chhapaak has been surrounded with misinformation following the actresses' visit to Jawaharlal Nehru University campus in Delhi to express solidarity with students who were injured in a mob attack on January 5, 2020.
Several false and communal claims have surfaced on social media the most damaging being that the makers of the movie changed the religion of the acid attacker in the film to hide his Muslim identity.
This falsehood was amplified by right-wing magazine Swarajya earlier in the week but debunked by several fact-checkers including BOOM.
ALSO READ: Swarajya Peddles Misinformation About Deepika Padukone's Chhapaak
Chhapaak recounts the struggle of Laxmi Agarwal a survivor of an acid attack and her campaign for rights of acid attack victims. Agarwal was attacked by Naeem Khan, known as Guddu who was a family friend. Padukone shoulders the role of the protagonist - Malti.
BOOM watched the film as it released on Friday (January 10, 2020) and found that the plot theories floating on social media were unfounded and false.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Cast
Deepika Padukone - Malti (19) protagonist
Ankit Bisht as Rajesh (18) Malti's boyfriend
Vikrant Massey as Amol, journalist-turned-activist
Vishal Dahiya as Basheer Shaikh, the acid attacker
Below are the various false claims circulating on social media.
Click here to view an archive.
Click here to view, and here for an archive.
Theory 1: "Rajesh who is shown wearing a Tilak, does acid attack on Malti (sic)"
False
In the film, Rajesh (18) is the name of Malti's boyfriend in junior college and not the name of the accused. The acid attacker is named Basher Khan (30) aka Babbu.
The name "Bashir Khan" is taken six times in the movie aside from the name Babbu and and also during key scenes such as when the judge pronounces the verdict in court.
Rajesh is initially arrested by the police in the movie after Malti is attacked, but when she gains consciousness, she names Khan after which he is arrested and the case in the sessions court begins.
Additionally, the attacker in the movie is does not sport a tilak as claimed.
Theory 2: "Doctors say she has no hope of surviving but Malti's father pray in dargah & she survives (sic)"
False.
In the movie there is no such scene as mentioned. After Malti's attack her parents rush to the hospital on being informed and there is no scene where the doctor says that she has no hope of surviving.
Theory 3: "Her Hindu neighbors taunt her but she gets one Muslim friend who helps her to fight the case."
No 'Hindu' neighbors are shown taunting Malti in the movie as claimed and Malti is helped by her lawyer Archana Bajaj played by Madhurjeet Sarghi who helps her fight her case.