Panaji:
My Friend Hitler garneredenough publicity, mostly negative, in the western media evenbefore shooting began but writer-actor Nalin Ranjan Singh saysthe film is not as much about The Fuhrer as it is aboutIndia's unique stand during World War II and Mahatma Gandhi'sideals.
Nalin, who is playing Joseph Goebbles, Hilter'spropaganda minister in the movie, says he spent almost threeyears researching for the subject but was not sure whether anIndian film on the German dictator will be received well.
"I always wanted to make a film on the two lettersthat Gandhiji wrote to Hitler and spent about two and halfyears researching on the subject but I was not sure that thefilm will be accepted by the audience.
"Then I saw our actors speaking in English in SlumdogMillionaire and I decided to go ahead with the project,"Nalin, who is also the co-producer of the film, told PTI.
"We were fighting British and so was Hitler. We couldhave easily taken his side to fight against the common enemybut it was Gandhiji who decided to stay away from it becauseof his strong belief in non-violence. He said we will fightour own war in our own way and history is a witness to howright he was. This film is about Gandhi's heroism and India'sunique stand at that time," Nalin added.
The project was first announced earlier this year withAnupam Kher as Hitler in the movie but the veteran actorbacked out of the project following protests by Jewishorganizations and his fans. Kher said that he decided to walkout of the project because it was making lot of peopleunhappy.
Veteran actor Raghubir Yadav finally stepped in toplay the lead. Asked about the negative controversy that thefilm garnered, Nalin said he respected Kher's decision andblamed the international media for misinterpreting the film'stheme.
"Western media misinterpreted our film and that's whyall this happened but the film was never about Hitler. It isour history but they did not understand it. They thought wewere glorifying Hitler but that is not the case," he added.
The film is complete and Nalin said they are planningto release it all over the world in Hindi, English, French,German, Arabic Tamil and Bengali.
"It will have one of the widest release for an Indianfilm on Hitler. Raghubir Yadav has given an award-winningperformance in it. He spent 10 days learning the mannerism ofHitler. He walked like him, talked like him and thought likehim. He is great in the movie," Nalin said.
It may be a bit hard to stomach the facts that thefilm will have usual song and dance numbers including a Holisequence but Nalin is confident that the film will manage towin audience.
"When our slumdogs can speak in English then why can'tHitler talk in Hindi. There are several movies on his life andin most of the Hollywood films he speaks English but we forgetthat he was a German. It is about time that Bollywood adaptedan international subject in its own way."
Nalin said that they recreated the war-time Berlin inIndia besides creating the India of 1940s. Historical figureslike Subhash Chandra Bose and Gandhi will also be there in thestory. The film has been directed by Rakesh Ranjan Kumar andproduced by Amrapali Media Vision.
Nalin, who is playing Joseph Goebbles, Hilter'spropaganda minister in the movie, says he spent almost threeyears researching for the subject but was not sure whether anIndian film on the German dictator will be received well.
"I always wanted to make a film on the two lettersthat Gandhiji wrote to Hitler and spent about two and halfyears researching on the subject but I was not sure that thefilm will be accepted by the audience.
"Then I saw our actors speaking in English in SlumdogMillionaire and I decided to go ahead with the project,"Nalin, who is also the co-producer of the film, told PTI.
"We were fighting British and so was Hitler. We couldhave easily taken his side to fight against the common enemybut it was Gandhiji who decided to stay away from it becauseof his strong belief in non-violence. He said we will fightour own war in our own way and history is a witness to howright he was. This film is about Gandhi's heroism and India'sunique stand at that time," Nalin added.
The project was first announced earlier this year withAnupam Kher as Hitler in the movie but the veteran actorbacked out of the project following protests by Jewishorganizations and his fans. Kher said that he decided to walkout of the project because it was making lot of peopleunhappy.
Veteran actor Raghubir Yadav finally stepped in toplay the lead. Asked about the negative controversy that thefilm garnered, Nalin said he respected Kher's decision andblamed the international media for misinterpreting the film'stheme.
"Western media misinterpreted our film and that's whyall this happened but the film was never about Hitler. It isour history but they did not understand it. They thought wewere glorifying Hitler but that is not the case," he added.
The film is complete and Nalin said they are planningto release it all over the world in Hindi, English, French,German, Arabic Tamil and Bengali.
"It will have one of the widest release for an Indianfilm on Hitler. Raghubir Yadav has given an award-winningperformance in it. He spent 10 days learning the mannerism ofHitler. He walked like him, talked like him and thought likehim. He is great in the movie," Nalin said.
It may be a bit hard to stomach the facts that thefilm will have usual song and dance numbers including a Holisequence but Nalin is confident that the film will manage towin audience.
"When our slumdogs can speak in English then why can'tHitler talk in Hindi. There are several movies on his life andin most of the Hollywood films he speaks English but we forgetthat he was a German. It is about time that Bollywood adaptedan international subject in its own way."
Nalin said that they recreated the war-time Berlin inIndia besides creating the India of 1940s. Historical figureslike Subhash Chandra Bose and Gandhi will also be there in thestory. The film has been directed by Rakesh Ranjan Kumar andproduced by Amrapali Media Vision.
