Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s views on a wide variety of issues have been at the centre of the public discourse ever since Hindutva and cultural nationalism took the centre stage in Bhartiya politics following the emergence of the BJP as the most influential political party in the last decade or so. The Opposition and history writers have, unfortunately, resorted to intellectual dishonesty to quote Savarkar out of context deliberately. This is an injustice to Savarkar.
On the occasion of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s 138th birth anniversary, producer Sandeep Singh announced a biopic on the life of the freedom fighter. The film titled ‘Swatantra Veer Savarkar’ will be directed Mahesh Manjrekar. The team released the film’s first poster on Friday. Sharing the poster, Sandeep Singh wrote, “Azaadi ke itihas ki puri baat abhi janna baki hai! Miliye #SwatantraVeerSavarkar se bahut jald…. Veer Savarkar is revered and criticized in equal measure. He has been made into a polarising figure today but I feel that’s because people don’t know enough. No one can deny that he was an important part of our freedom struggle and our attempt is to present a peek into his life and journey (sic).”
Manjrekar said that he has forever been fascinated by the life and times of Veer Savarkar. “I believe he is a man who didn’t get his due in history. The fact that he evokes such strong emotion points to a life that must have impacted so many. As a director, I know it’s going to be a challenge but one that I want to take on,” he said in a statement. “Swatantra Veer Savarkar promises to change the narrative of the Indian freedom struggle and history,” Singh added in a statement. The film will be shot across London, the Andamans and Maharashtra. The final cast is yet to be disclosed.
