Controversy with Jana
Gana mana in ‘Rann
Ram Gopal Verma seems to
have a knack to attract controversies but the filmmaker’s latest attempt
to reinterpret the national anthem for the title track in his upcoming
film ‘Rann’ might open a pandora’s box for him.
“Jana gana mana rann hai.
Is rann mein zakhmi hua hai Bahrat ka bhaagya vidhaata” goes the lyric
of the title track of his upcoming film ‘Rann’.
The director in his own words
has included the lines of the national anthem to describe the “bad situation”
of the present day India.
Answering questions about
his decision to reinterpret the national anthem, Verma said that his attempt
should not be termed as unpatriotic.
“I have not tinkered with
the anthem or treated it in a disrespectful manner. The song is just a
medium to express the angst against the current situation in the country.
Please do not try to create a controversy where there is none,” Verma said
in a press conference here.
The lyrics of the title song
go like this: "Jana gana mana Rann hai, is rann mein zakhmi hua hai, bharat
ka bhaagya vidhaata, Punjab Sindh Gujarat Maratha...". Though the song
hasn't been released yet, chances are that it would create controversies.
But Varma is unfazed as he says he hasn't shown it in bad light.
"I have not tinkered with
the national anthem. Tinkering would be if I would have shown it in bad
light. I haven't done anything of this sort. Through this song, we are
talking about the disputes in the country but there were no intentions
to ridicule anything," Varma told reporters on Wednesday at a press conference
in the capital where the first look of Rann was unveiled.
The filmmaker, who has made
films like Rangeela, Satya, Company and Sarkar, is confident that no authority
would raise fingers at him for this.
"I think no one will have
a problem with it. It's something I felt in my heart and it was my idea
to place the song like this. It is based on the script of my film and I
don't think there's any offence in it. Yet, if there is a problem, we will
deal with that," he said.
Commenting on the same, actor
Amitabh Bachchan, who plays a pivotal role in the media-based film, said:
"I am sure that before doing something, the producers have taken adequate
legal actions. I have faith in them and I do believe that they have adhered
to the requirements (of using the national anthem)."
Rann is an attempt by Varma
to 'expose' the Indian media and apart from the Big B, it features actors
like Paresh Rawal, Rajat Kapoor, Riteish Deshmukh, Manisha Koirala, Purab
Kohli as well as Gul Panag.
Trailer: We have the Rann
first look right here!
Varma says his movie is based
on 15 years of his experience in the Indian film industry and focuses on
the "psychological aspect of the media business" rather than its "technical"
side.
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