KOZHIKODE: The producers of the film on Variamkunnath Kunahammad Haji, the leader of the Malabar rebellion of 1921, have announced that they will go ahead with the project through some of the key players had backed out from the movie.
It may be recalled that actor Prithiviraj Sukumaran and director Ashiq Abu had made it clear that they are opting out of the project. The decision to make the movie last year had kicked off a controversy after the Sangh Parivar alleged that it was an attempt to whitewash Haji, who led ‘the massacre of Hindus.’
In a press release issued on Friday, Compass Movies, the producers of the film, said that they are planning to take the film to the international arena. Sikandar, the managing director of the production house, said that the plan is to bring out the film in two parts to present the comprehensive history of the rebellion and the life of Haji on celluloid.
“A move in this direction is progressing and the revised information on the actors and the crew will be revealed at a later stage,” the release said.
Sikandar said that Compass Movies decided to launch the project five years ago. “We undertook the project fully realizing that doing a film on a revolutionary like Variamkunnath Kunahammad Haji will be full of challenges,” said the release.
It added that the Haji’s history is that a struggle against the British invasion and landlordism based on caste and the establishment of an independent state.
The artistic responsibility of making the movie was equally important like the political responsibility. “We insisted that the project should be fulfilled only by ensuing the high artistic standard and technical quality,” Sikandar said.
He added that the film was announced in on June 22, 2020 after coming into agreement with the best technicians and the actors in the Indian film industry. But unfortunately, Ashik Abu and Prithviraj decided to stay away from the project.
“We are issuing the release to inform about the future of the project as there are many speculations in the media,” the production house said.