Totally against ban on any film and books: Bhandarkar

Mumbai: Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar, whose upcoming movie “Indu Sarkar” has Emergency as the backdrop, has said he does not endorse the idea of banning content in films and books. 

The film is based on the Emergency, a 21-month long period from 1975 to 1977, when then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi unilaterally had a state of emergency declared across the country.

The movie features actress Kirti Kulhari in the titular role of a poetess, who has speech problem, while Neil Nitin Mukesh will essay the role of politician Sanjay Gandhi. 

When asked if it would have been difficult to make the film when the Congress-led UPA government was in power, the filmmaker told reporters, “I don’t know, but it wasn’t planned that we are making the film because the NDA is in power or UPA. 

“For me banning any film or book is not done, specially when we talk about freedom of expression. I feel there should not be a ban on anything. Everybody has the right to interpret things in their own way,” he said. 

The director was speaking at the trailer launch of the film, here. 

Bhandarkar refutes that the intention of the film was to appease a political party and said if he wanted to impress the current government, he would have released the film closer to election. 

“I would’ve released the film before election if that was my intention. There are no elections before July 28 in any state. It (the film) is a very neutral point of view. If there is a ban, be it on ‘Black Friday’ or ‘Udta Punjab’, I don’t like it.” 

“Indu Sakar” is scheduled to release on July 28.