Ahead of their forthcoming film Dharam Sankat Mein, Paresh Rawal and Annu Kapoor debunk the rumour that the movie targets any religion
Ever since the trailer of Dharam Sankat Mein released, there have been speculations on what the movie would be like. Many people believe that it is yet another movie based on religions in India. So when Annu Kapoor and Paresh Rawal were here to promote the film, their agenda was clear the air around the movie’s plot.
They requested the audience to not jump to conclusions without even watching the film. Annu Kapoor referred to Sunny leone’s movie Ek Paheli leela, which releases on the same date as Dharam Sankat Mein, and said, “See that poster and see our poster. I guarantee that people will keep seeing the poster but they will not get anything out of it But there is an important message that they will get from ours. In India, if someone wants to achieve success through fair means, it will take them years. But if one creates a controversy, they are plummeted into the spotlight.”
The movie traces the journey of Dharam Pal Trivedi (played by Rawal), who grows up thinking he is a Hindu only to find out that he was born to Muslim parents. Stuck in a dilemma he goes around in search of his real identity. Rawal explained that the subject has nothing to do with any particular religion but about finding the ultimate truth — that humanity is the highest religion of all.
He said, “If you try to explain this to people, you will not be taken seriously. That is why we have presented this message in a comic way. Oscar Wilde had once said that if you approach any subject that pinches, it is a wise way to address it with humour.”
Rawal and Kapoor will be seen on screen after more than two decades. Their last movie together was Sardar Patel. Kapoor who was last seen in The Shaukeens is happy to work with actors like Rawal and Naseeruddin Shah.
There was an incident during the shoot of the movie when some people from Raza Academy complained that Kapoor’s character, Mehmood, wears a cap similar to their guru’s. “Our costume department bought those caps from the market. Now if a cap like their guru’s is being sold in the market at throwaway prices then is it our faultIJ One should understand that these controversies are hollow and baseless. One should have solid ground before even going against something,” he concluded.
photo Sanjeev Kumar