Ishfaq-ul-Hassan
Srinagar: A Bollywood movie seemingly based on the life of slain Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru and his son Ghalib is all set to hit the silver screen.
Named ‘Gaalib’, the first look poster of the movie has been released a few days ago. Shot in Bhaderwah also known as Chota Kashmir, the film has Dipika Chikhalia, who played the role of Sita in the famous TV series ‘Ramayan’ in the eighties, in the lead.
“Poster release of my film Gaalib”, tweeted Dipika along with the first look poster late Sunday evening.
In the poster, Deepika is seen wearing a salwar suit with a scarf on her head.
Though the original names of the real-life characters have been changed, the movie is believed to be based on the life of Afzal Guru. Dipika’s character name in the movie is Shabana. Nikkhil Pitaley is playing the role of Ghalib in the movie.
As per reports, August schedule has been fixed for the release of the film but it could be delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Interestingly, a Twitter user commented on Dipika’s tweet: “Mata shri aap apni chavi na kharab karna kyuki hamesha apko sita mata ke roop me dekha hai Bachpan se…. (Please don’t spoil your image, we have always seen you as goddess sita from our childhood).”
The user was apparently commenting about her doing a movie based on the life of a Kashmiri, who was hanged after a controversial ruling.
To it Dipika replied: “I will not spoil my Image.”
Produced by Ghanshyam Patel and directed by Manoj Giri, the movie has been written by Dhiraj Mishra and Yashomati Devi. According to the Twitter profile of Dhiraj Mishra, he was initially a film journalist. Later he graduated to movie writing. According to his profile, he has written movies like ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisaan and Chapekar Brothers’.
“Aapke saath pehli aur shandaar film jeewan bar yaad karni wali hai. Ek khoobsoorat prayas ka sukhad anjam (This first film will be remembered for life. A happy ending to a beautiful effort,” said Mishra after Dipika tweeted the first look poster.
A few years back while shooting in Baderwah, Dipika had told media persons that she was playing the character of a militant’s wife.
“I am playing the role of militant’s wife. I have a son whose name is Ghalib. It is a general story about the sufferings of the militant’s family. Basically we fear a militant… we hate his family. They too are human beings. His wife and his child did not do any wrong,” she told media during shooting.
Afzal Guru was hanged and buried in Tihar Jail on February 9, 2013 after the then President Pranab Mukherjee rejected his mercy petition. Guru, along with deceased SAR Geelani, Showkat Guru, and his wife Afshan Guru were charged with planning the attack on the parliament on December 13, 2001.
Supreme Court later upheld the death sentence of Afzal Guru but acquitted SAR Geelani and Afshan. Showkat, hailing from Sopore, who was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment, was released after completing his jail term in 2011. After the apex court verdict Guru’s wife Tabasum and son Ghalib Guru met late president APJ Abdul Kalam and sought pardon for the parliament attack convict.
Afzal Guru had exposed DySP Davinder Singh’s role in the entire parliament attack conspiracy before his hanging.
Singh, who was posted in anti-hijacking wing at Srinagar Airport, was arrested along with Hizbul Mujahadeen commander Naveed Babu and Altaf when they were traveling in a car from the Shopian district of South Kashmir on January 11. Singh was trying to drive the Hizbul commanders out of the valley.
Singh, according to Afzal Guru, was the person who handed over Mohammad, one of the four slain attackers in parliament attack, to him. He was allegedly asked to arrange logistics for the parliament attackers in New Delhi.
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