Vivek Agnihotri’s Sexist Tweets Resurface After Govt Appointment

Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri’s old misogynistic tweets reappear on social media after his appointment to the ICCR.

Vivek Agnihotri’s old sexist and misogynistic tweets resurface on social media after his appointment to ICCR.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter; modified by The Quint)

Several old tweets made by filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri began to resurface on social media after he was appointed as the new cultural representative of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). His appointment to the council was formalised by the ICCR president, Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, on Monday.

As soon as the news of Agnihotri’s appointment as the new cultural representative of ICCR came out, some of the filmmakers old sexist and misogynistic tweets (later deleted by him) began to resurface, questioning his selection to be a part of the government’s cultural body.

Agnihotri’s tweets include a distasteful rape joke featuring the Tata Nano and a dig at actor Swara Bhasker, asking her “Where is the placard - #MeTooProstituteNun?”, which he was forced to take down after Twitter locked the filmmaker's account for violating its rules in September 2018.

In her tweet, Swara Bhasker had slammed Kerala MLA PC George for making objectionable remarks against a nun demanding the arrest of a bishop who allegedly raped her. Agnihotri’s tweet was in response to Bhasker’s tweet condemning the MLA.

Agnihotri, who has directed films such as Chocolate, Hate Story and The Tashkent Files is also part of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The ICCR was founded in 1950 by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, independent India’s first Education Minister. Its objectives include formulation of policies for India’s external cultural relations, the fostering of cultural relations between India and other countries and to promote cultural exchanges.