‘Batwara 1947’, one of the year’s most eagerly awaited releases starring Sunny Deol, ended up with a mixed critical reception and a disappointing run at the box office. Shabana Azmi recently weighed in on the film’s underperformance, suggesting that audiences struggled to accept Sunny Deol as a Muslim character since it didn’t fit his familiar “action patriot” image. Now, director Rajkumar Santoshi also responded to her remarks.
Rajkumar Santoshi on ‘Batwara 1947’
In an interview with Variety India, Rajkumar dismissed Shabana’s theory, pointing out that even a superstar like Amitabh Bachchan has played Muslim characters in the past, citing his role in Coolie and the several Manmohan Desai films that featured Muslim heroes. He questioned, “It makes no sense to me. Amitabh Bachchan played a Muslim hero in ‘Coolie.’ So many of Manmohan Desai’s films had Muslim heroes. Are we at a point where we cannot accept a hero from the other community? We are sensible, good people, educated people. How are they saying there’s a big mistake in the film?”.In the same conversation, Rajkumar admitted that society today has grown noticeably more rigid and closed-minded. Reflecting on his 2001 film ‘Lajja’ and whether its segment drawing on the ‘Ramayana’ would find acceptance with contemporary audiences, he remarked, “We have become far less tolerant and inclusive as a people. You should look at the filmmaker’s intent and what the writer wants to say. I’m a Hindu. I go to the temple. My son’s name is Ram. I am not against any faith. But I want to take the best of every faith. Whatever the saints have tried to say about faith, it is always about equality. Hinduism has always been about inclusiveness, not exclusion.”
About ‘Batwara 1947’
In the film, Sunny Deol plays Sikandar Mirza, a man who, after being allotted a house following Partition, discovers a Hindu woman named Mai, played by Shabana Azmi, already living there. He then takes it upon himself to protect her from religious extremists in Pakistan.
