‘Dunkirk’ Being Criticized for Ignoring the Contributions of Indian Soldiers
Dunkirk has received critical acclaim and box office success domestically as well as in the foreign market. Rotten Tomatoes has given the film a 93% rating as it raked in over 50 million dollars in its opening weekend here in the United States. The film has found similar success in India both critically and financially, but it has proved to also be controversial in the country.
Christopher Nolan’s film does not depict Indian military personnel who did fight at the battle of Dunkirk. The omission of these characters has led some to deem the film historically inaccurate, as it was not just the British who fought in World War II, but it was the entirety of the British Empire which at the time included India.
History shows that 2.5 million soldiers from India fought in WWII. Specifically, there were four companies from the Royal Indian Army Service Corps present at the battle of Dunkirk. The record of the battle gives them high praise as being extremely organized and brave. Yet, they cannot be seen in the film.
While people are upset about the omission, others feel that it does not matter because the films focus is primarily on the common people rather than on the soldiers. The film’s purpose to highlight the bravery of the common man makes the omission less of an insult.
Dunkirk is currently showing world wide. What do you think? Does Christopher Nolan owe the country of India an apology for furthering Hollywood’s omission of Indian soldiers contributions in World War II, or is it not that big of a deal considering the films focus is on the common man’s contribution? Let us know in the comments section below.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
