If you think veteran actor Puneet Issar is only deft at playing negative shades, your opinion will change after reading this. For the man who played Duryodhana in BR Chopra’s Mahabharat three decades back in 1988 is co-producing a film, Sanghaar-The Massacre, that talks about Sanatan Dharma with his son Siddhant Issar as a lead and Puneet himself playing a pivotal role in it.
“Showing Hindus in a bad light, making fun of Sanatan Dharma has been a practice with filmmakers since long. No one ever protested against it. Over the years, this practice has only increased, which really pained me,” says Puneet, adding that the Palghar lynching of sadhus jolted him.
“Just as I was thinking about it, my son showed interest in making a film on the issue presenting Hindu side of the story and I jumped at it. I am so proud my 21-year-old initiated this project,” says Puneet. But lynching of sadhus and slaughter of cows is a very sensitive issue, it might evoke unpleasant reactions.
“That’s the reason we have made this film, to present the truth no one talks about. The mighty and the powerful, who have something to say on FB or tweet when even a small issue happens, have chosen to keep quiet. Imagine what would have happened if a ‘priest’ would have been lynched or a minister killed?” he asks.
Written and directed by Siddhant Issar, the film condemns lynching of sadhus and slaughtering of cows, proudly presenting the Hindu point of view.
“Sanatan Dharma is the most tolerant dharma. Its basic essence is Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam (the world is a family) so why should anyone put it in bad light,” he questions. The film’s poster and track, Sanghaar Kar, a tribute to the warrior spirit within each member of Hindu community, was released last evening in New Delhi. “The song, Bhagwa shaurya ka swaroop hai, aur gau humaari maa ka roop hai, is a shout out to each member of Sanatan Dharma to vociferously come out against any and every form of adharma in this Kalyug. It is a war cry,” says Puneet, adding,
“We believe in non-violence. Our religion tells us that non-violence is the supreme dharma but then to establish dharma, sometimes violence is needed; it then is good karma,” he says. The cast includes Gufi Paintal, Satyajeet Puri, Pramod Kumar, Ridhima Rakesh Bedi, Vijeyta Bharadwaaj , Shai lendra Shrivastav and Sagar Salunkey.
“Presently, we are in post-production. The film will be released on OTT platform i n about two months’ time,” informs Puneet.