Deool Band director on Shah Rukh’s trolling for helping film: ‘Where’s Hindu-Muslim in this?’ | Bollywood News

4 min readNew DelhiJul 8, 2026 04:53 PM Just two weeks ago, Shah Rukh Khan made headlines after Marathi filmmaker-actor Pravin Tarde revealed that the superstar had waived off a Rs 42 lakh bill for the Digital Cinema Package (DCP) of Deool Band 2, helping the film secure a theatrical release. Since then, the film has gone on to gross nearly Rs 100 crore at the global box office. While many praised Shah Rukh’s gesture, a set of trolls questioned why a Muslim actor had helped release a film centred on a Hindu deity. Responding to the criticism, Tarde had a firm message: kindness needs to be acknowledged.
Speaking on the podcast Podkatta, Tarde said, “What is the Hindu-Muslim issue in this? He is a part of the film industry, and so am I. We approached his company seeking a discount because we only had Rs 12–13 lakh, while the bill was around Rs 43 lakh. Shah Rukh asked his team whether the film was good. They told him it was an excellent film, and he immediately instructed them to hand over the DCP, saying we could discuss the payment later.”
He added, “The film was ready for release, and we had to clear the dues. He simply said, ‘Give them the DCP first. We’ll sort out the bill later.’ Isn’t that greatness? If someone helps us with such a big heart, should we ignore that kindness because of caste or religion? We must acknowledge it.”
Tarde also made it clear that expressing gratitude towards Shah Rukh Khan had no bearing on his ideological beliefs.
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“As far as Hindutva is concerned, I don’t have to prove anything to anyone. Thanking Shah Rukh Khan has nothing to do with my Hindutva ideology. A good person is a good person.”
Earlier, in an interview with Abhijat Marathi Filmy, Tarde had shared how the gesture came about. “The bill came to Rs 42 lakh. We simply didn’t have that kind of money, nor did we know where to arrange it from. We approached Red Chillies and explained that ours was a Marathi film with a limited budget, but we wanted to give it a wide release.”Story continues below this ad
According to Tarde, Shah Rukh’s response was immediate. “He simply said, ‘Waive off their bill. It’s a Marathi film. Give them the DCP. We can sort out the payments later. If it’s a good film, let it release.’ They showed tremendous respect towards Marathi cinema. For him, the film was more important than the money. I credit all these people for the success of the film.”
However, his comments also triggered criticism from some quarters, with detractors accusing him of overshadowing the film’s regional identity highlighting the involvement of a Bollywood superstar.
Addressing the backlash, Tarde shared a note on Instagram. “I have been travelling across Maharashtra all this while, yet nobody seemed to notice me. But the moment I mentioned the name of a Bollywood star, everyone’s pens started moving. Some people had already tried hard to stop this film, but they couldn’t. So now, why fight it indirectly? This film has come this far without the backing of any so-called big names or influential figures. It has reached here because the effort behind it was honest and sincere. Thank you, everyone.”
He also quoted a line celebrated Marathi poet Vinda Karandikar, saying its essence was simple: one does not become bigger denying someone else the credit they deserve. “Whether it’s Pitya (the character in the film) or Shah Rukh Khan, it doesn’t matter. If someone has helped you, you should be able to acknowledge it openly and appreciate them publicly.”Story continues below this ad
Deool Band 2 has since crossed the Rs 100 crore mark at the global box office, emerging as the third highest-grossing Marathi film of all time after Raja Shivaji and Sairat.