The actor who plays the lead talked about the idea behind the film and shared, “Savarkar led an incredible life, and as I learned more about him while researching for my film, I came to admire him tremendously.” So it gives. It gives me immense pleasure to share a glimpse of our film on his 140th birthday.”
Taking to his Twitter handle, he wrote, “Most wanted Indian by British. Inspiration behind revolutionaries like – Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh and Khudiram Bose. Who was #VeerSavarkar? Watch his true story unfold! Presenting @RandeepHooda as #SwanantryaVeerSavarkar in Cinemas 2023.”
The various claims made in the teaser trailer have irked historians and even the Bose family. Chandra Kumar Bose, the late freedom fighter’s grandson took to his Twitter handle and slammed the director for ‘distorting’ history. “Sorry – The most wanted leader and freedom fighter was – #NetajiSubhash Chandra Bose. He was the only front-line leader who had ‘shoot on sight orders’ and laid down his life for the freedom of our country on 18th August 1945 Had sacrificed. If you respect Savarkar, please don’t distort history.
In his film, Hooda claimed that Bose and fellow freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh and Khudiram Bose were ‘inspired’ by Savarkar. Strongly condemning the tall claims made in the film, Bose said in an interview that his grandfather was inspired by Swami Vivekananda who was his mentor and Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das, who was his political mentor.
Describing Savarkar as a ‘great personality’, he clarified that the two men were ‘diametrically opposite’ and did not see why Netaji would follow Savarkarprinciples and ideology when in fact he ‘opposed’ them.
He even recalled Netaji’s writings which stated that nothing could be expected from Savarkar and Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the freedom movement against the British. He said that Netaji was a ‘secular leader’ and he opposed not only Savarkar’s ideology but also those who were ‘communal’.
He further said that the claims made by Hooda in the clip are ‘absolutely false’. He also requested Randeep to present the correct and true history of India’s freedom struggle. For misrepresenting history on screen, he said that ‘it would be a great injustice to the youth’.
Bose alleged that Hooda was trying to create a controversy so that his film would get some mileage, and said it was a crime to ‘misrepresent history’. Acknowledging that people have the right to present whatever they want, he said no one has the right to distort history.
The film directed and co-written by Randeep Hooda also stars Ankita LokhandeTo be released in theaters this year.