The film Swatantratya Veer Savarkar hit the screens today. Producer Anand Pandit spoke to mid-day.com about why he decided to make the film that stars Randeep Hooda
Randeep Hooda in Swatantrya Veer Savarkar
The movie 'Swatrantya Veer Savarkar' has hit the theatres today. The film sees Randeep Hooda donning not only the hat of the much-debated freedom fighter but also that of a director for the first time. On the day of the release of the film, talking to mid-day.com, producer Anand Pandit says he is happy that people are liking the film especially the youth who he feels do not know much about Savarkar and his contribution to India's freedom struggle.
"Our history has been changed"
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For Anand Pandit, making 'Swatantrya Veer Savarkar' was like a dream, and the need to present this man's story to the world. "From my childhood, I heard a lot of things about Savarkar ji. As a youngster, I always thought that he was a great man. Nothing much has been said about him in our history. Our history is totally changed; it's not the true history. So I wanted to make a film on this, and there is no commercial aspect to this film."
"I just want to put the whole story of Savarkarji in the right perspective for today's and tomorrow's generation. So they can understand that who Savarkar is and what she did for our nation. So that is the purpose," he added.
For Pandit, this is also a very different film. As with other films, he is focused on the commercial aspects and the monetary but not with Veer Savarkar. "There is no intention of making money out of this film. With all other films that is the intention. Naturally it's a business, so I want to make money out of the film. But this film is completely different. It was my conviction, it was my dream to make a film on Savarkar ji".
Lauding leading man, Randeep Hooda's dedication to the portrayal of the character, he said, " Yes, you all know that he's a great actor. And a great method actor, I would say. Because he breathed the character. So as an actor, nobody had any doubt that he will do complete justice. But yes, this is his first directorial and people will be amazed at the way he has directed it."
Roadblocks in making the film:
The film was in the making for two years and the journey has not been an easy one. The film was initially meant to be directed by Mahesh Manjrekar who had to later drop out due to other commitments. Hooda then stepped into the directorial shoes and took the film forward. But Pandit is just happy that the film is out for people to watch and feels the roadblocks were not as big as the "issues faced by Savarkarji in his life".
However, he admits that making political films is a challenge in India today. "You get resistance from people who don't believe in that particular theory. And they try to build a roadblock or even some bureaucracy with vested interests try to create obstacles. You definitely get some kind of troubles, and roadblocks in the process," he shares.
Another issue that the film faced was with the censor board as it delayed the censor certificate of the film. When asked about the issue posed by the CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification), Pandit said he is still trying to understand the problem and does not want to make any comments. But said, "It should have been more efficient. That is what I would say. But we lost a lot of time in this film because of the uncertainty of the censor".
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