Beneath the admirable gloss of The Lion King remake, there is an undercurrent of internalised classism. In his 2005 book, Maximum City, writer Suketu Mehta described Bihar as the ‘disaster’ of modern India. Recounting an anecdote about how a man from Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh – a famously violent city – made the gross generalization that ‘all Biharis are thieves’, Mehta wrote, “Bihar has an even worse reputation than Uttar Pradesh. Also read: The Lion King movie review: A monument to Hollywood excess; the greatest visual effects spectacle since AvatarBoth Thackerays have been accused of inciting violence against migrants, particularly those from Bihar and neighbouring Uttar Pradesh. In the Lion King, the hyenas are even described as ‘Chhapris’ in one scene.

Source: Hindustan Times July 19, 2019 14:48 UTC