Voice of conviction

Nonika Singh

Finally, it’s out of the closet! While most makers present at the 48th edition of International Film Festival of India have maintained a stoic silence on the raging controversy over prime-time national preoccupation - the Padmavati issue, trust outspoken and fearless Madhur Bhandarkar to speak out without mincing words. 

Though his session was essentially about his experience with BRICS film festival where he represented India, when a query regarding Padmavati was thrown his way he simply took the bull by horns. And unlike others he took a stand, both in favour of Padmavati and his own film Indu Sarkar. 

Undeniably, issues related to Padmavati need to be resolved, indeed he is all for makers’ right of expression. However, rather pointedly he also enquires, “Where were these people when my film had come under the circle of censure? Why didn’t they who tweet with and without provocation every two minutes on issues of intolerance didn’t even care to make a 140-letter tweet?” 

So to Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar, both of whom he holds in high regard and who are speaking vociferously for Sanjay Leela Bhansali, with Shabana even demanding IFFI boycott to press matters, he has a contentious query. “Why didn’t they support me when I was at the receiving end, when my effigies were being burnt?” He strongly feels one can’t be selective in standing up for freedom of expression and that industry right now is fractured if not completely divided. Of course, making period films or with real people, he recalls, is never easy. 

Though Indu Sarkar wasn’t a biopic and only had Emergency as the backdrop, he had to insert a big disclaimer on how it had nothing to do with facts. People having issues with films isn’t a new phenomenon either and he recounts how there were problems with Singh Is King and then back in time even a song Mustafa Mustafa had to be changed to Dilruba Dilruba. He claims that he has always raised his voice and thrown his weight behind the members of his fraternity. Be it Kamal Hassan’s Vishwaroopam, makers of Udta Punjab and now Padmavati, he has never shied away from taking sides with his filmy brethren. In fact, he deems, “With an intelligent and capable man like Prasoon Joshi at the helm of the CBFC, I am positive that Padmavati will certainly see the light of the day sooner than expected.” But to all those who kept mum when a political party targeted his film… his questions won’t lose the sting or the bite.

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