Harinder Singh Sikka, who wrote the espionage story Calling Sehmat, on Monday criticised filmmaker Meghna Gulzar for “diminishing” the true spirit of his protagonist in her movie adaptation, Raazi.
“Calling Sehmat #Raazi ranks among the top books on espionage ever written, globally. It exposes Pakistan across border, hostile forces in Bollywood & a Punjab-based criminals within. Appointing Meghna Gulzar was my gravest misjudgment. Despite clear warnings, I failed to foresee how ideological bias would end up diminishing the true spirit of the protagonist,” Sikka posted on X.
The writer said his book was written two decades ago, but it is still popular across the world. He added that his other novels Vichhoda, Gobind and The Chabimaster are being adapted.
He accused Gulzar of giving a similar treatment to Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw’s biopic.
“The way Meghna Gulzar twisted the story through a leftist lens still pains me deeply…. Film on legendary Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw was no different. All the ugly #Congress acts of ill treating the Field Marshal were missing. What kind of mindset diminishes patriots by bending truth to suit an agenda?”
It is not for the first time that Sikka has voiced his disappointment with the 2018 film, a critical and commercial hit starring Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, Jaideep Ahlawat, Rajit Kapoor and Soni Razdan.
Gulzar, also known for directing films such as Talvar and Sam Bahadur, was praised for her sensitive direction and for not demonising her Pakistani characters.
When a user on X questioned Sikka for trusting Gulzar despite warnings, he replied, “Errors don’t always come from stupidity. They often come from underestimating how shrewd or deceitful someone can be.”
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Sikka also responded to another user who questioned him for expressing his disappointment following the mega success of Dhurandhar, also a spy drama set in Karachi’s Lyari town.
“Sir, I have been saying this for past many years, (sic) aware that the message doesn’t reach the masses in one go. Creating awareness so that the people don’t get defrauded,” he added.
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