New Delhi/Kolkata, Jan 10 (UNI) The intellectuals and the ‘mass moviegoers’ both in the National Capital as well as in Kolkata have opined that the release of the much-awaited film ”The Tashkent Files,” based on the death of second prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri under ‘mysterious circumstances,’ should have been preponed from February to January, ”infusing more topicality.”
A cross-section of film buffs in Delhi and the ‘Cultural Capital,’ ahead of the death anniversary of late Shastri, observed ‘in unison’ that the makers of the film have ‘missed the topical angle’ by fixing the release in February 2019, instead of January, the latter being the month of passing away of the former Prime Minister.
Fifty-three years ago, on this day, Shastri died at Tashkent in Russia in 1966, hours after signing of ‘The Tashkent Agreement’ with the then Pakistan president Ayub Khan.
Some media reports, however, suggested that Shastri had signed the deal with Khan on late January 10, 1966 and died the next day.
Informatively, ”The Tashkent Agreement” had ended the war between India and Pakistan in August-September of 1965.
Asked to comment on the ‘demand ‘ of the intellectuals and moviegoers, social activist- turned-educationist Aanjan Chatterjee, residing in C R Park area of Delhi, said ”Yes, the release of the film would have been more topical, if it was fixed in January, instead of February this year.”
”Topicality is a salient feature of all creativities – be it literature, music, film making and others-and these should be taking into account before finalising unfolding of such creations,” Mr Chatterjee maintained.
To the query, Ms Rina Sengupta, lecturer of Political Science of the same place, said, ”There is no doubt of it that the ‘The Tashkent Files’ could have attract more viewers, if it was scheduled to release in January 2019 instead of next month.”
Ms Sengupta also opined that the film could have also been released on January 11 along with the scheduled release of another controversial film- ”The Accidental Prime Minister” in view of the ensuing parliamentary elections.
”I don’t understand why the makers of the film missed and ignored the topical points,” she quipped.
Booklover and upcoming singer Tanmoy Bose, in a jubilant mood in the run-up to the January 30 International Kolkata Book Fair (IKBF) in Kolkata, when asked, remarked ”To us, topicality is a major factor, to which we give priority in any respects. That way, it was not a good decision on part of the film makers to postpone the release of the political film to February.
”We can’t even think of organising the IKBF without the winter chill of January and hold it in the summer of
May-June,” Bose quipped.
Earlier, Mr Vivek Agnihotri, writer-director of The Tashkent File had informed that he was ‘encouraged’ by many people, including political stalwarts like late Atal Bihari Vajpayee and George Fernandes, who had expressed the ”need” for dealing with the ”mystery” behind Shastri’s death.
”A death mystery unsolved till date. Was it a heart attack or poison? The truth of the biggest coverup has been denied to his family and us,” the director said.
Mr Agnihotri further maintained ”Immediately after Shastri’s death, the family members of the former Prime Minister officially requested a post-mortem to the then acting Prime Minister Gulzarilal Nanda, but to no avail.”
The Tashkent Files, starring Naseeruddin Shah and Mithun Chakraborty in the lead stores, is slated to release in February, this year.