Click to play videoMumbai: Mahatma Gandhi and German dictator Adolf Hitler are two very different personalities, with two very different beliefs. But the two have something in common — both of them have continued to fascinate Bollywood and Hollywood for years.
So while the Mahatma has inspired films like Gandhi, Maine Gandhi Ko Nahi Mara, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, Gandhi, My Fatherand others, Hitler too has been portrayed on celluloid several times.
Biopic The Rise of the Evil and documentary Between Gandhi and Hitler, had the dictator as the protagonist.
And now, debutant Indian filmmaker Rakesh Ranjan, who's also greatly inspired by the two, is coming out with a film called Hail Hitler.
"Everyone has heard about Hitler, but no one knows his human side, personality and how he supported Indian army. So I just want to present the old forgotten history about Hitler to Indians,” Ranjan says.
The film’s producer and scriptwriter Nalin Singh says the idea is to bring out the contrast in ideologies.
"We are talking about the two greatest personalities of that era, the 1940s.The whole world was watching Mahatma Gandhi and Hitler. So I am bringing out the contrast in ideologies,” Singh says.
Bringing both Mahatma Gandhi and Adolf Hitler on the same platform is bound to attract controversy, but the filmmakers say that that not their intention.
"We are not going to pass any controversial statements. Our story is well researched. We are not going to add anything new. But then again, India is democracy where any one can raise an objection. So I feel the Left wing may have a problem because they were against the communists,” Ranjan says.
The film goes on the floors in January with a budget of Rs 1crore. The filmmakers have approached Ashutosh Rana, Neha Dhupia, Vinay Pathak, Anupam Kher and Pankaj Kapur for the film.
(With inputs from Sushant Mehta)
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