Dunki, a movie on ‘illegal immigration,’ was released on December 21. Unfortunately, on the very next day, December 22, news broke that a plane with 303 Indian passengers had been grounded in France, suspecting ‘human trafficking.’
Between box-office and Breaking News
A headline in the Indian Express read, “France grounds flight with 303 Indians over suspected ‘human trafficking’, India says probe on.” Another headline in Hindustan Times read, “France grounds Nicaragua-bound plane with 303 Indians for ‘human trafficking’.” One in The Times of India read, “France grounds plane carrying over 300 Indians for ‘human trafficking’.”
On the same day, the official handle of the Indian Embassy in Paris tweeted, “French authorities informed us of a plane w/ 303 people, mostly Indian origin, from Dubai to Nicaragua detained on a technical halt at a French airport. Embassy team has reached & obtained consular access. We are investigating the situation, also ensuring wellbeing of passengers.” Notably, there was no mention of ‘human trafficking’ in this official tweet.
As fate would have it, all this unfolded within 48 hours of the release of the Shah Rukh Khan starrer. Whether this plane detaining issue in Paris will become significant and hit international headlines, only time will tell.
Sensitivity, need of the hour
Bollywood PR guru Dale Bhagwagar was quick to take to social media, stating, “The plane grounding incident in France is a troublesome moment for us Indians. What I wonder is why some have jumped at the ‘suspected human trafficking’ angle in the news, even before there has been any official confirmation about it.”
The Bollywood publicity expert pointed out, “Though ‘illegal immigration’ and ‘human trafficking’ are two different issues, not everyone might thoroughly understand the difference. Thus, in case matters get confusing, it may be good if the filmmakers or the cast of Dunki consider issuing a statement or clarification to distinguish between the movie’s narrative and the recent plane grounding news.”
He added, “Plus, if the movie promotion continues amidst this, it should be done with great sensitivity, emphasizing the movie’s role in raising awareness, rather than it seeming to exploit any such news report for publicity.”
“As far as publicity goes, if you remember, My Name Is Khan had benefited from all the hype after an incident at an airport,” recalled the Bollywood publicist, but concluded, “This situation is much different.”
