Randeep Hooda reacted to criticism Swatantrya Veer Savarkar received, the film being called a propaganda film, that vilified Mahatma Gandhi.
Actor Randeep Hooda has turned director and producer for his upcoming biographical film Swatantrya Veer Savarkar. In the film, Randeep plays the titular role of Indian politician, activist and writer, Vinayak Damodar Savarakar, a leading figure in the Hindu Mahasabha. Earlier this month, the team released the theatrical trailer of the film, and Randeep earned praise for his efforts to get into the skin of the character. His physical transformation impressed netizens, but another section of internet users called the film propaganda, believed it to be vilifying Mahatma Gandhi and showing Congress in bad light.
Amid promotions, Randeep joins DNA India for an exclusive interaction. In the conversation, Randeep addresses the criticism and clarifies if the film is projecting Mahatma Gandhi in a bad light, "Gandhiji ke picture mein Savarkar the hi nahi. It's not that I'm vilifying Gandhiji at all. But it is a movie about Mr Savarkar, I've to put his point forth. There was no Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in the movie made by Richard Attenborough on Gandhi. I have gone about it very carefully. Gandhiji also made a few mistakes, and Mr Savarkar made a few mistakes, Bhagat Singh also made a few mistakes. Every stalwart of our Independence struggle didn't dislike anyone completely. They liked certain things about a person, and they differed from each other as well. Bhagat Singh differed from Gandhiji, and Gandhji differed from Subhash Chandra Bose. Subhash ji differed from someone else. So there were always disagreements, but they also had common grounds."
Randeep adds that after working on this film, he respected Gandhi more, "I also had some notions about Gandhi ji, but surprisingly, through reading about Savarkar, I read more about Gandhiji. And I respect him more while making this film. This is because I got to know more about him. There was no difference between what he said and what he did. He was a man of his word. He stuck to his guns. He galvanised the whole nation through his symbolism of dhoti and lathi and brought everyone together. Mr Gandhi and Mr Savarkar had mutual respect for each other, it's just that they had different ideologies. They both wanted the same thing- A free united India, but their approach was different."
Randeep also enlightens that Mahatma Gandhi helped Savarkar in filing the bail plea, "Gandhiji advised Dr Narayan Rao Sawarkar, who was Vinayak's younger brother, how to write a bail plea correctly. Gandhi said, 'He's writing too long. I know he's a writer, but he's writing too many things'. He said 'Just state the facts, take the case, keep it short'. He even gave articles in the newspaper that the Savarkar brothers should be released. He even said, 'Vinayank was a brave, intelligent, industrious man, who will be very helpful in the provincial government. Vinayak saw the evils of the British government before I did.
Randeep concludes, "I am not vilifying, but it is a movie about a guy who headlined the Armed Revolution. Of course, if there is an opposing thought, there will be a conflict, and this is what I have shown. In the film, they meet three times, and it's documented meeting what they said." Swatantrya Veer Savarkar will be released in the cinemas on March 22.
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 "Randeep Hooda as Swatantrya Veer Savarkar")
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