I never said anything about Mangal Pandey: Yash Chopra

Mumbai, Sep 27 (IANS) Well-known filmmaker Yash Chopra, the distributor for "Mangal Pandey - The Rising", is upset over statements attributed to him saying that the 1857 Indian revolutionary was not a freedom fighter.

"It's very upsetting," says Chopra of the Sep 21 media report, which quoted his counsel as making the statement on his behalf during a hearing in the Delhi High Court on the film.

"Can you believe I'd say something like this? I have never said a word about Mangal Pandey to anyone. I've the highest regard for our freedom fighters and that includes Mangal Pandey," Chopra told IANS in an interview.

According to Chopra, though "Mangal Pandey" was the costliest film that Yashraj Films marketed, the distributing company had nothing to do with the film's content.

"If this is the outcome of supporting something politically and historically significant, then we at Yashraj Films might as well continue to believe in 'Bunty Aur Babli'," the filmmaker said in the interview.

Excerpts:

Your alleged statement about Mangal Pandey not being a freedom fighter has raised a hornet's nest.

Can you believe I'd say something like this? I have never said a word about Mangal Pandey to anyone. I'm no authority on historical matters. Why would I concern myself with something I've no knowledge of? I've the highest regard for our freedom fighters and that includes Mangal Pandey. If today we call ourselves a free country it's because of people like him.

Such unwarranted controversies must come as a blow to you?

"Mangal Pandey" is one of the costliest films we've marketed. But Yashraj Films had nothing to do with the film's content. We're only the distributor. The first time I saw "Mangal Pandey" was Aug 11 at INOX in Mumbai. How can people put such damaging words in my mouth? People who know me would never believe this!

It's very upsetting. There're people involved in the legal battle over "Mangal Pandey" - Ketan Mehta, Deepa Sahi, Bobby Bedi, Farrukh Dhondy, Rani Mukherjee, Aamir Khan - I am certainly not one of them. Mera kya issey lena dena (what have I to do with it)?

I had no say in its creation. I never attended a day's court session in Delhi about "Mangal Pandey". Where do I come into the picture? If this is the outcome of supporting something politically and historically significant, then we at Yashraj Films might as well continue to believe in "Bunty Aur Babli".

Now after "Mangal Pandey" you have another historical film "Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara" coming up for release?

That shouldn't get us into any controversy. It's a very emotional story of a father and daughter. We took on its marketing and distribution because it's produced by dear friend Anupam Kher. If we don't back a small and significant film such as this it would be totally lost in the crowd of big ones.

We're ready to withstand the lack of profits, as long as such films reach the right audience. Please don't punish us for believing in good cinema. We're backing "Maine Gandhi..." all the way because I truly believe in the Gandhian ideology. Even courtrooms have his picture on the wall. I hope we won't be discouraged from backing films like "Mangal Pandey", "Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara" and my "Veer-Zaara".

You sound upset.

If someone says or does wrong he should suffer for it. But I didn't utter one word against Mangal Pandey. Ketan Mehta and Aamir Khan made the film. I think they should be questioned about the rights and wrongs in it. If a film says 'Yash Chopra Presents' only then am I responsible. My film, whether good or bad, is my responsibility.

Have you lost money distributing "Mangal Pandey"?

See, we haven't recovered our costs in India. In Britain, we'd be losing money. There they released the film as "The Rising". Thereby the audience lost both the traditional Indian audience from Manchester and Southall, who thought it was an English-language film, and the potential British audience, who thought it was anti-British.

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Mangal Pandey - The Rising