Here comes another personal life choice of a Bollywood celebrity that seems an attack on the Hindu nationalist identity of India for trolls. Bollywood couple Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan are the new victims of trolls and critics. Recently, the revelation about Kareena Kapoor baby name turned out to be the hot topic of discussion for the Indian public. Social media went crazy over the news that the Nawab family named their second child Jahangir.
It was Kareena’s father Randhir Kapoor who first disclosed the name of the newly born. Reportedly, he mentioned the name was Jeh but later, the mother revealed that her son is to be called Jahangir. The troll burst revealed that Indians are not handling it very well since both of Khan’s children are given Muslim names, reminiscent of the Muslim colonial era in the sub-continent.
Why Trolls and Critics are After Kareena Kapoor Baby?
On February 21st Khan and Kapoor broke the news about their second baby, upon which, the social media became flooded with memes regarding how Taimoor would feel about having a younger brother. Now that the world has recently come to know about Kareena Kapoor baby name, the memes along with harsh criticism are surfacing as expected. Perhaps accepting the marriage of Khan and Bebo was not the only tough thing to do for some people. They are having a hard time understanding the parents’ perspective behind giving both babies Muslim names. Some addressed that naming the firstborn after a Turkish King, Tamur, and second after a Mughal Emperor Jahangir is just absurd. The viewers are simply quoting the history by recalling the deed of Mughal and Turkish emperors against Hindus and associating it with the names of the Khan’s kids.
The critics expressing hatred towards the names of the stars’ kids might not be an outcome of hatred towards the colonial past in general. They might be having trouble with the Muslim colonial past, which is currently being reflected in the form of criticism against the Khan and Kareena’s babies’ names.
Taimoor, Jahangir and Political Reality of Right-Wing India
Kareena Kapoor baby name seemingly poked the hardliners of India since they expect to see the country purely as a Hindu nationalist state rather than a secular one. As a reference to the context, the right-wing ruling party is making efforts to rewriting the history of India by changing the names of streets and places in the country. For instance, Allahabad was renamed as Prayagraj, which came from the Sanskrit word “Pryagraja”. Ayodhya verdict that decided the fate of Babri Masjidt is another example of Hindu extremism as in 1992 more than 30 Hindus collectively demolished the mosque. Afterward, the court ordered to build of a Temple in that place and decided to provide a separate land to built a mosque for Muslims. Given the current circumstances and efforts of Indians to alter the state according to the Hindu religion, celebrities giving their babies Muslim names are just another way of reminding the right-wing Hindus about the chaotically historic events.
Is Saif Ali Khan Promoting the Patriarchal Stereotypes?
Previously, celebrities and fans blessed Saif Ali khan and Kareena baby until now. Aside from the fact that people are trolling Kareena Kapoor’s baby for having a Muslim identity, many are projecting that she has no right to naming her kids. The reason is that Khan is a Nawab and the names of his children are decided upon his will, Kareena Kapoor has not played any part in suggesting any Hindu names for her kids. The fans are wondering if the actor is not giving his lady equal rights.
