Producer Bobby Bedi has dismissed reported objections by people of an Uttar Pradesh village to Indian revolutionary Mangal Pandey being shown as enjoying a nautch dance in his film "Mangal Pandey - The Rising".
To objections by The Mangal Pandey Memorial Committee of Ballia district's Nagwa village, where Pandey was born, Bedi said that neither the committee nor the people of the village had seen the film, reports Bollywood Trade.
He also ruled out any possibility of the film's screenings being disrupted by the committee.
The committee had earlier expressed displeasure over their village being sidelined in the making of the film with not a single scene canned there.
It had also raised objections to the character of Mangal Pandey as portrayed by the film.
"They cannot come to any conclusions about whether the film is for or against Mangal Pandey unless they see it," he said.
"As for not shooting in Nagwa, we had made it very clear from the outset that the film is based on an incident in 1857 in Barrackpore in Bengal (where the sepoy had revolted against the British) that made Mangal Pandey into a national hero and gave a new light to the freedom movement. We would have loved to shoot in Nagwa but it would not have made sense considering that it has nothing to do with the story-line," Bedi revealed.
Bedi has also dispelled any worry about the Indian audiences being unreceptive to the film due to it being a bio pic, following doubts raised by a section of the film trade.
{{/usCountry}}Bedi has also dispelled any worry about the Indian audiences being unreceptive to the film due to it being a bio pic, following doubts raised by a section of the film trade.
{{/usCountry}}"We have full confidence in the story and narrative of the film irrespective of the fact that it is a historical. The film is one of the biggest creative achievements where everything is perfectly in place, right from the scripting to the direction and Aamir Khan's laudable performance." he said.
"No other actor would have given that kind of time and involvement to a film as Aamir did," he said, adding that the price paid to Aamir (reported to be a whopping Rs.70 million) was worth every bit for the actor's contribution.
Bedi is reticent to talk about the budget of the film, which is said to have crossed Rs.500 million ($11.48 million).
"I have been reading that all kinds of figures have been floating about the budget of the film. The actual budget is five to six times less than the speculated one.
"Besides, I have practically recovered the investment on the film after its distributors and exhibitors have taken over. My main concern now is to see that it gets its due at the box-office.
"We are releasing the film with over 1,000 prints all over considering its tremendous pre-release anticipation," he said.
Bedi is planning to take a one-and-a-half year break before he starts work on his next project, a three-film series on "The Mahabharat", to be directed by Mani Ratnam. The proposed film is likely to see Aamir and Shah Rukh Khan coming together for the first time.
"That will begin some time in January 2007, so it's too premature to talk about it now. But, yes, I am definitely working with Aamir again," he smiles.