RGV’s film on the 26/11 attacks was atrocious: Anupam Kher
Actor Anupam Kher believes that films, especially “made on true events”, work well only when the intention is right.
The 63-year-old, who will be seen in the international film, Hotel Mumbai — based on the 26/11 attacks, in Mumbai in 2008 — feels that Ram Gopal Varma’s (RGV) 2015 film The Attacks of 26/11, which was based on the same incident, failed to impress the audience because the filmmaker’s intention wasn’t right.
“I haven’t seen the film, but I have seen the trailer. And whatever I saw in the trailer, it looked atrocious, and I knew it won’t do well with the audience. Films, especially the ones based on true events, work well with the masses only when the intention is right,” Kher told us over the phone from New York, where he is currently shooting for the upcoming American TV show, New Amsterdam.
Illustrating his point, he adds, “One has to be sensitive about such issues. Our film, will be a sort of a tribute to the spirit of Mumbai, to the hotel and to the victims. One has to be extremely sensitive to such events, and that’s why I talk about the intention.”
He adds, “I have seen many movies made by the director (RGV) who directed the Attacks of 26/11. He has made some terrific films and I really admire him as a filmmaker. But, if your intention is not right, the film won’t work, no matter how great a filmmaker you are.”
Earlier, Kher was quoted as saying: “Great films on India are being made only by foreigners”. He says, “I didn’t mean to say that Indians can’t make films on India. Some very good films have been made by Indian directors on India.”
He explains, “What I did mean was that many films have been made on Gandhi, but one tends to only remember Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi. The reason is that the intention behind the film was right. It was not made to make money, but to tell the story of a man, who fought single-handedly... that’s why people still talk about it.”
Whatever I saw in the trailer (of RGV’s film on 26/11 attack), it looked atrocious, and I knew it won’t do well with the audience ANUPAM KHER ACTOR