The searches for Turkish series Dirilis Ertugrul has exceeded the searches for Shah Rukh Khan on YouTube in India, claims the director of the show.
The popularity of the series in India soared exponentially in April this year, particularly among the Indian-Muslim community, who are confronting an increasingly hostile environment in the country in the past few years.
Riyaad Minty, the director of the show, shared the stats of search results of YouTube that showed the series outan Bollywood’s King Khan in India.
“Meanwhile in India – on YouTube there are more people searching for videos of Ertugrul than Shah Rukh Khan – sorry not sorry @iamsrk #ErugrulYouTubeRecord #ErtugrulGhazi,” wrote Minty in the tweet.
Meanwhile in India – on YouTube there are more people searching for videos of Ertugrul than Shah Rukh Khan – sorry not sorry @iamsrk #ErugrulYouTubeRecord #ErtugrulGhazi pic.twitter.com/Qa7QYPo14h
— Riyaad Minty (@Riy) May 14, 2020
The observers attributed the exceptional success of the Turkish series in India to the religious intolerance in the country that has increased during the successive governments of Bhartaya Janata Party, led by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.
Read more: Ertugrul taking Pakistan by storm
The Indian Muslims resonate with the story because it depicts their continuous struggle to live peacefully in the country amid the incessant assault on their religious freedom, life, and property from bigots and extremists.
The illustration of power and courage by the lead characters of Ertugrul in the face of persecution by enemies wooed the Indian audience. The show has achieved similar milestones in Pakistan as well.
The show’s popularity in India has irked the advocates of ruling parties who had accused Indian Muslims of forsaking their ‘Hindu Heritage’ and looking to Turks and Arab to address their identity crisis. The show was watched in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu Kashmir (IIOJK) with equal enthusiasm during pandemic coronavirus.
India's Muslims vs Modi: Dirilis Ertugrul and Israel's Fauda locked in fierce soft power battlehttps://t.co/xBGm7RqdLw pic.twitter.com/DONVezsIcI
— Yeni Şafak English (@yenisafakEN) July 16, 2020
According to the political commentators, the show gives relevant lessons to the besieged people of Jammu Kashmir. The Kashmiri youth believes the show has cultural, social, political and religious appeal.