While 2008 was relatively low key for Sanjay Suri with just a single release SORRY BHAI, 2009 is seeing two of his films releasing on back to back Fridays – FIRAAQ [20th March] and SIKANDAR [27th March]. Both the films move away from conventional Bollywood mainstream cinema with FIRAAQ looking back at the Gujarat riots and SIKANDAR taking audience into the troubled valley of Kashmir. One can’t help but ask a question, especially when it comes to FIRAAQ, which is – ‘Was it really required to bring back the memories of a dark and gloomy past like this?’

”If that was the case then no film would have been made on the partition, Bombay riots, Sikh riots, Kashmir or Punjab. As a child we are taught history; I am sure all history is not popcorn and entertainment”, comes a strong reply from Sanjay in defense of the film.

But at the end of the day, what’s the film trying to achieve?

”At the end of the day I am sure all filmmakers are trying to tell a story and each one has their point of view. FIRAAQ is engaging and is telling a human story which it successfully manages to do. It’s really up to the audiences what they carry back home. Some get satiated with fast food and some with fine cuisine; however both achieve a purpose”, says Sanjay while giving an analogy.

How about the entertainment quotient? Is FIRAAQ one of those films where one can declare that – ‘This wasn’t made for the purpose of entertaining people’?

”It depends upon how one defines entertainment”, Sanjay comments, ”If one does not have a palette for escapist popcorn films then even those don’t entertain. On the other hand, if one has a taste for films which are thought provoking, engrossing and real then the same become entertaining. But if you are looking at ”Mindless Entertainment”, then FIRAAQ is not the one for you”.

Credits: glamsham.com