At a time when everyone is eager to get the latest information relating to a current Bollywood star or special choreographed song featuring a Hollywood celebrity, filmmaker Harry Baweja wants us to go back to our history books with his ambitious film on Banda Singh Bahadur, released this Friday.
Having grown up listening to the heroic tales of Banda Singh Bahadur, Baweja could have easily taken the creative licence to give his personal inputs and emotional attachment with the man whose dedication for Guru Gobind Singh and protecting the Sikh faith was more important than his own life. While some admiration for the soldier saint must have inadvertently translated on to the screen, the filmmaker insists he has remained as authentic to the real life hero as he could.
“I believe in getting my facts rights. Even though Banda Singh Bahadur is a familiar figure, I went through all the books written on him including the Persian translations of his life. So I personally went to libraries in Jaipur and in other places to help me get authentic story. I did not want to leave history to books. If the film was on a Rajput figure, I would have to show the film to a body representing that community. As this film is on the Sikh Guru, I submitted the film to the Shiromani Gurdurwara Prabhandak Committee for clearance. It got the film screened from its Dharampracharak Committee, which maintains its library. It was necessary since the film is based on historical facts and religious beliefs.”
“I have made the film to spread awareness about this historical figure and enable the public to understand what happened during that period. This is continuation of the story from where I left last time in Chaar Sahibzaade . We have shown Banda Bahadur going to Nanded in Maharashtra and then leaving for Punjab to free it from the atrocities of the rulers,” says Baweja, while shedding light on the making of Chaar Sahibzaade: Rise of Banda Singh Bahadur, which released in Hindi, English and Punjabi this Friday .
He maintains that releasing the animation film on the historical figure had nothing to do with 300th martyrdom of the Sikh guru which was recently celebrated with great fanfare by those at the helm of affairs at Centre and States. “The film’s release with the recent martyrdom celebration across the country is purely coincidental. Timing was not planned keeping in mind the martyrdom.”
Sensitivity had to be borne in mind even while showing the real life story of the Sikh guru, who was brought from Lahore to Delhi in a cage and paraded across the city.
“Care has been taken in making this family film. I want children to watch it along with their parents. I have not gone beyond the subject and worked within the limitations. We do not want kid’s mind to get disturbed by visuals of blood and gore.
So I have shown the implication of what happened to Banda Bahadur after he was captured by the Mughals and brought to Delhi. Even in the earlier version ‘Chaar Sahibzaade’ we did not show spilling of blood. Not a spot of blood has been depicted this time too. A 12-year-old child cannot see eyes gouged out or limbs chopped off. We have send across the message to viewers but shown the film in a manner that both father and child can watch it together.”
How has he ensured that social harmony is maintained as showing a film on Banda Bahadur, who had undergone considerable torture and pain, could vitiate the social fabric?
“I think it is our intentions that matters a lot. We have ensured that Banda Singh Bahadur’s story is made clear to everybody yet the social fabric does not get disturbed. Visuals do not arouse passion yet tell story of Banda’s life.”
While making a historical, a filmmaker needs to maintain objectivity. Has been shown Banda Singh Bahadur’s enemies, in this case the Mughals? “We have to show history as it is. Look at the way there were uprisings by Shivaji, Rajputs and other rulers against the Mughals. Nevertheless I have not gone overboard and ensured that the film does not arouse passions and disturb communal harmony. Even my last film was appreciated by people of all faiths.”
Though the film take people to three centuries back, he has used technology to communicate with the audience. “Animation was chosen as a medium as the Sikh guru could not be portrayed by a film actor. Even voices have been kept anonymous and legal contracts have been signed by those who have given their voice overs so that they would not reveal their identities. I wanted no representation of anyone,” says the filmmaker, who did not want his project to get mired in controversy.
Baweja wants to show that the Indian animation is on par with Hollywood. “We make the scenes look visually so stunning that can match the best standards in the industry. We have raised the bar and made use of the same software which is utilised in American films to get that special affect.”
