There’s news from last week about movie Swantantrya Veer Savarkar having some legal problems. The person in charge of acting and directing the movie, Randeep Hooda, said that his company, Randeep Hooda Films, is the only one that owns the rights to everything related to the movie. But the people who are making the movie, Anand Pandit and Sandeep Singh, disagree and are saying that Randeep Hooda took the parts of the movie without asking first.
In an interview, director Mahesh Manjrekar talked about a movie called Swantantrya Veer Savarkar. He was supposed to be in charge at first, but later he had to leave and Randeep Hooda took over. Mahesh Manjrekar said he left because Randeep Hooda was getting too involved, and he explained it using a story about a camel and an Arab chief in a desert storm. He said he had been connected to the movie for more than five years. He came up with the idea and talked to producers Sandeep Singh and Anand Pandit, who agreed to work on it. They discussed who should be the main actor and decided on Randeep Hooda after a test. Mahesh Manjrekar didn’t write the characters’ words, but he made the story. Sandeep Singh suggested they get someone else to write the words the characters say.
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Mahesh Manjrekar went on to say, “We had Utkarsh Naithani on board as a writer. He was very dedicated. I had a chat with him and mentioned that I didn’t need the credit for writing since he was contributing too. I offered him the credit, but the entire screenplay was my work. I’m not sure about the changes made after I left. However, the beginning, ending, and the pause in the movie were all my creation.”
He continued, “I met Randeep and noticed that he was genuinely committed and interested in the project. We had a few discussions. He read numerous books about the freedom struggle and World Wars, which intrigued me. We went through the first version of the script together. He had some concerns, which was alright. Even during the second version, he had a few objections. I told him that if this continued, it might cause issues in the film. He assured me that once the script was finalized, he wouldn’t raise any more questions.”
Mahesh Manjrekar added, “I don’t appreciate interference because I want to take responsibility for both the success and failure of the project. I don’t want to point fingers or complain in the future, saying ‘I followed someone’s advice and that’s why I failed’.”
Mahesh Manjrekar shared, “Randeep faced ongoing issues with the script. That’s when he and I went to Aamby Valley, near Lonavala in Maharashtra, and had extensive discussions. I was pleased that we eventually settled on a finalized script. However, new problems emerged once again. Randeep wanted to include figures like Hitler, the King of England, and the Prime Minister of England in the story. He also wanted to incorporate the episode of Lokmanya Tilak’s ‘Swaraj is my birthright and I’ll get it.’ I couldn’t understand how these elements were relevant to Savarkar’s biopic. I pointed out that we were making a biopic about Savarkar and used the example of how Richard Attenborough’s movie ‘Gandhi’ (1982) primarily focused on Mr. Gandhi himself. I even noted that Mr. Gandhi’s son wasn’t prominently shown in that film. I tried to convince Randeep that including these figures was unnecessary, but he remained unwavering in his stance. His extensive reading now seemed to be causing more challenges.”
Mahesh Manjrekar expressed his frustration over the inclusion of factually incorrect elements in the story. He recounted that Randeep Hooda wanted to add a scene featuring Bhagat Singh alongside Savarkar, which puzzled Mahesh Manjrekar as there was no factual basis for this. Another point of contention arose when Randeep Hooda suggested including prisoners from the 1857 mutiny in Andaman Jail. Mahesh Manjrekar questioned the feasibility of such a portrayal, but Randeep insisted, suggesting that these prisoners would have been around 90 years old during Savarkar’s imprisonment in the same jail.
The teaser for Swantantrya Veer Savarkar received criticism, particularly for a dialogue that stated, “Gandhiji bure nahin the. Lekin agar woh apni ahimsawaadi soch par ade nahin rehte, toh Bharat 35 saal pehle hi azaad ho jaata”. Many raised objections because Mahatma Gandhi returned to India only in 1915, and 35 years before India’s independence would have been 1912, during which the Father of the Nation was still in South Africa.
When asked about these issues, Mahesh Manjrekar responded by saying, “I’m not responsible for that dialogue. There were many aspects that I didn’t want in the film.”
Mahesh Manjrekar also recounted, “Randeep became excessively absorbed in the role. Every time I met him, he would be dressed as Savarkar. My intention was to communicate with Randeep, not Savarkar. I aimed to create a film about Savarkar, which made it difficult to have meaningful discussions.”
Mahesh Manjrekar also expressed concerns about how Randeep Hooda was sharing the writing credits with Utkarsh Naithani. He mentioned, “One day, Randeep informed me that he had written the dialogues. Surprisingly, even the writer didn’t object. He yielded to Randeep’s influence and allowed him to take credit.”
He went on to say, “Then he began suggesting how I should shoot scenes, advising on specific camera techniques like using dissolve transitions. I thought, ‘Is he now instructing me on filmmaking?’ I made it clear that I would direct the film according to my vision. I also came to understand that he was obstructing my work. I had a conversation with the producers, who have been understanding. I told them, ‘If both of us continue to be part of this film, it won’t progress. It’s a choice between either me or him in the film.’ Perhaps now they are realizing that their decision may have been misguided.”
He let out a sigh and continued, “The story was mine, and I had a specific approach to making the film. That’s why I brought the producers on board. I’m not questioning Randeep’s commitment, but there’s a distinction between dedication and fixation.”
Mahesh Manjrekar admitted that he had received an offer from another producer to create a movie about the freedom fighter. He explained, “Swantantrya Veer Savarkar faced obstacles and was delayed. A different producer approached me to make a film about Savarkar. There were no copyright concerns, and I could have completed it by now. However, I wasn’t willing to engage in underhanded tactics. Someone has treated me unfairly, but I didn’t want to do the same. Besides, Savarkar himself has been surrounded by numerous controversies in his life; there’s no need to add one more.”
Mahesh Manjrekar then raised objections to Randeep Hooda’s statement, “I have been to death and back for this film.” He expressed his frustration, saying, “Who instructed him to lose so much weight? If he’s required to play a dead person in the future, should he actually die? This claim is absurd! It’s fine to lose weight as part of preparation, but don’t assert that he could have died. No one compelled him to take such extreme measures.”
He commented, “I absolutely acknowledge Randeep’s complete dedication, giving him a perfect score of 100 out of 100 for sincerity. However, his excessive fixation became the downfall of the film for me. It’s possible that he might have crafted an exceptional movie.”
He went on, “I hope he has managed to create a strong film since Savarkar truly deserves a commendable portrayal. As Indians, we tend to be poor students of history, often accepting whatever information is presented to us. During my youth, I was intrigued by Savarkar, especially the story of his sea escape. But as we grew older, we were told that he apologized to the British. Many of us never looked into the reasons behind this action. I realized the need to clarify this aspect. No one can deny his contributions to the freedom struggle and the immense suffering he endured. My idea was to present his story as it unfolded and let people draw their own conclusions. In my screenplay, there was a scene where he expresses the desire to apologize. Subsequently, we would show why he arrived at that decision.”
There had been an earlier movie about the freedom fighter titled “Veer Savarkar,” released back in 2001, featuring Shailendra Gaur and directed by Ved Rahi. When inquired whether he might consider making a film about Savarkar in the future, perhaps a decade later, Mahesh Manjrekar responded, “Not likely. In 10 years, I could be retired or no longer here.”
About Swatantra Veer Savarkar
Swatantra Veer Savarkar is an upcoming Hindi movie. The movie is directed by Randeep Hooda and will feature Randeep Hooda, Amit Sial, Ankita Lokhande and R Bhakti Klein as lead characters.
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