MATTER OF FACT, OR NOT?
The film fraternity’s perspective on how they balance facts and fiction in films
Be it a period drama, a biopic or a film based on real-life incidents, writers and directors often face the public’s ire for ‘distorting facts in the name of creative liberty’. Filmmakers’ teams often do their research, but fictional elements are sometimes added for entertainment value. Yet, films such as Jodhaa Akbar (2008), Mohenjo Daro (2016) and Airlift (2016) faced flak for having tweaked the facts.
Recently, film-maker Sanjay Leela Bhansali and his team were attacked by the Rajput Karni Sena while shooting for his film Padmavati in Jaipur, leading to outrage on social media. “If Bhansali wanted a dream sequence, what’s the problem? If a film is inspired by someone, one can add fictional elements without misinterpreting events. Historical facts, however, have to be kept intact,” says filmmaker Onir.
But how do you go about balancing fact and fiction in a period film? Film-maker Anurag Basu says, “If I were to make a historical film, I’ll get a historian to ensure accuracy. Yes, there is creative freedom, but one should not tamper with facts.” But isn’t a disclaimer about the inclusion of fictional elements enough? “It’s more for legal reasons,” says Basu. Trade analyst Komal Nahta says, “Anyway, nobody goes to watch a film thinking that it is going to educate them. Those who raise objections are just want their two minutes of fame.”
Actor and film-maker Piyush Mishra, however, is against those taking liberties in the name of creative freedom. “Amitabh Bachchan’s Deewar (2004) was based on prisoners of war in Pakistan, and it showed them getting back to their homes, but in reality, nobody did. We can’t do that for the sake of making a commercially viable film.” Mishra adds that a few films depict historical characters whose existence is questionable, like Anarkali. “But these things don’t matter to cinemagoers, a good film does,” he says.