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Avinash Kalla

Shyam Benegal's biopic attempts to stir memories of an enigmatic freedom fighter.

Shyam Benegal is a rare filmmaker, whose films are critically acclaimed and commercially viable too. His magic touch was evident in films like Ankur, Manthan and Nishant. With films on Jawaharlal Nehru (Bharat Ek Khoj) and Mahatma Gandhi (The Making Of The Mahatma) to his credit, Benegal has captured on celluloid another real-life hero, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

But why Bose? "Tell me what is your knowledge of Bose?" the director shoots back. The response fails to impress him. "That is a very broad overview; this ignorance about one of the great freedom fighters made me take up the subject."

A majority of people know him only as a freedom fighter who formed the Indian National Army, he says. "They are ignorant about the differences of opinion he had with Gandhi over his activities at the international level in the fight against British rule."

Benegal says that his film, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose — The Forgotten Hero, is close to reality. "A film cannot be made without an element of fiction. But we have done extensive research on Netaji before penning the script."

He thanks the Netaji Archive in New Delhi for their support. He also got additional inputs from Netaji's Japanese interpreter, who was with the INA leader during his visit to Japan.

It took Benegal one-and-a-half years to finalise the script. It was also a Herculean task finding the right cast. "I auditioned many actors to get the character right and Sachin Khedekar's looks came closest to Netaji's. He has worked very hard for the role," he says.

The toughest part was getting the logistics in place. "Re-creation of an era gone by is always a difficult task; it is especially challenging when you don't have back-up support. We don't have the structured facilities that are available to filmmakers in the West. But I am thankful to Sahara One for supporting me; this time around, I was not worried about the financial aspect."

The film has been shot in Uzbekistan, Myanmar and Germany to give it an authentic feel. "It wasn't possible to shoot in Afghanistan though," says Benegal, who even managed to shoot in the only `U-Boat' left from the hundreds made by Hitler.

It was a daunting task for his team to put together the weapons, costumes and other stuff used in Netaji's time, as many of these were destroyed or perished over time. "We managed with whatever was available and the efforts have paid off... with the film looking good on screen," says its director.

In the recent past, biographical films have sunk without a trace at the box office. What kind of response did he anticipate from the audience? "Box office results are not what I strive for; a good film is always appreciated and I hope I have made a good film," he says.

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