Aligarh director Hansal Mehta has expressed solidarity with students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) who are battling the “anti-national” tag. Mr. Mehta, the film’s lead actor Manoj Bajpayee, and other members of the crew, were on campus recently for a screening.
A special screening of Aligarh was organised at the Centre for Arts and Aesthetics on campus, after which the director, actor and writer — Apurva Asrani — engaged in a discussion with the students.
“I am with you in this struggle and I agree with your ‘azadi’, but you have to understand that certain responsibilities come with this ‘azadi’. You should use it responsibly,” Hansal Mehta told the students.
Mr. Bajpayee, who didn’t address the students, was asked for his opinion on the controversy. “It is wrong to raise anti-national slogans, but whether the same were raised here or not is a matter of investigation,” the actor said.
The discussion, which mostly revolved around the film’s subject, also cleared the air about the incident depicted in the film.
Answering a question about the film not being screened in Aligarh city, which is where Professor S.R. Siras lives in the film, Mr. Mehta said: “The fact that Aligarh is not screened in Aligarh shows that society is homophobic. Our film carried the hashtag ‘come out’. It is time to come out and talk. People are not ready to engage in a healthy debate.”
On being asked about the threat to the rickshaw puller’s life because of his identity being revealed in the film, writer Apurva Asrani said: “I would appreciate if people do their research about the rickshaw puller before saying something like this. The person in question has given 16 interviews to the press for being a victim. He spoke to us saying that he wants justice for himself and for Professor Siras. Clearly, his name being revealed by us has not landed him in a tight spot.”
Mr. Asrani added: “Did you believe everything that was shown in the media about Kanhaiya? So, do not believe everything that you see or read.”
Published - March 07, 2016 12:00 am IST
