In Sambhal's Kartikeya Mahadev temple, Holi was celebrated after 46 years on Thursday amid heightened security measures.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Sambhal fortified ahead of Holi.
00:11Mosques covered, security beefed up.
00:25Holi war erupts in West Bengal.
00:30Holi high alert across India.
01:00India has lost for 50 long years.
01:03Why? We'll tell you that.
01:05And much more over the course of the next half hour.
01:08And at 5.30, a special interview with actor John Abraham
01:13on a diplomat who literally snatched life from the jaws of death in Pakistan
01:20and rescued an Indian national.
01:22There's a new movie coming called The Diplomat.
01:24I'll tell you much more about it.
01:26But first as always, the headlines.
01:31Stalin government rejects the national symbol of rupee.
01:35Drops the official rupee symbol from budget.
01:37Never before rejection of a national currency symbol in the Tamil Nadu budget.
01:47DMK minister versus Tamil Nadu BJP chief in language war.
01:51Minister says will not accept free language push.
01:54Anna Malai asks what languages do PTR's sons study?
02:01Smuggling accused Rania Rao's statement accessed by India today.
02:07Rania doesn't reveal the identity of the kingpin.
02:10Says the man in white gown gave me gold at the airport.
02:14Heat even on Rania's father for helping aid his daughter.
02:23DMC versus BJP war of words over Holi celebrations
02:28at a UNESCO heritage site at Shanti Niketan.
02:32After Mamata Banerjee government's no Holi diktat,
02:35BJP hits out, calls it appeasement politics.
02:43Astronaut Sunita Williams return delayed again.
02:46Hydraulic systems issue delays.
02:48SpaceX launch return of astronauts delayed to Monday the 17th of March.
02:59And let me take you straight to Sambal in Uttar Pradesh,
03:03where after close to 50 years break, a hiatus of 46 long years,
03:09the Kartikeya Mahadev temple in Khaggu Sarai Sambal
03:14witnessed vibrant Holi celebrations on the 13th of March.
03:19The temple had remained closed since 1978.
03:24And why? Because there were horrific communal riots
03:29and Hindus were forced to leave.
03:32They were compelled to leave. The temple was shut down.
03:35It reopened now in December 2024.
03:38And for the first time after a gap of close to 50 years,
03:42there was massive. Watch those images.
03:45Significant Holi celebrations.
03:48And what a moment for locals in the area who celebrated Holi.
03:53It's a big statement of intent that has also been made.
03:57Remember what Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath told us
04:00at the India Today conclave. He said, we will take what is ours.
04:07The government is very clear and the significance of Sambal,
04:12a very Holi Hindu shrine, a teerth of the Kalki Avatar temple of Lord Vishnu.
04:20We get you more in this report.
04:43actively participated in the celebrations.
04:46The participants lauded the efforts of the police and local authorities
04:50in ensuring a secure environment.
04:56In a bid to ensure peace during the overlapping festivities of Holi
04:59and the Friday prayers in the month of Ramzan,
05:02the UP government took many measures.
05:05Ten mosques, including the Shahi Jama Masjid,
05:08were covered with tarpaulin to prevent any disturbances.
05:15Sambal administration has tightened the security on the ground.
05:18Currently, I am here behind the Shahi Jama Masjid,
05:21which became the epicenter of violence in the month of November last year.
05:25And as you can see in the visuals, you can see Uttar Pradesh police personals,
05:30RRF as well as PAC police personals are deployed on the ground to maintain peace.
05:36The police also conducted a flag march in Sambal
05:39where clashes occurred in November last year
05:42over a court-ordered survey of the Jama Masjid.
05:47As you can see behind me in the visuals, currently a flag march is taking place
05:50and ASP as well as circle officers are taking this flag march.
05:55And you can see in the visual, the Vajravan is also patrolling on the streets of Sambal
06:01and this is like a warning for the elements,
06:04those who will try to break law and order in the city.
06:08Meanwhile, the ASI team carried out measurements and assessments
06:12ahead of the planned whitewashing and renovation work of Shahi Jama Masjid.
06:18The ASI team has come from Meerut today
06:21and they are doing the measurements here.
06:24They are looking at where and how to do it.
06:27They are making all the estimates and we are helping them as you can see.
06:32There is no problem anywhere. The whitewashing will start very soon.
06:37The successful and peaceful celebration of Holi at the Kartikeya Mahadev Temple
06:42after nearly half a century highlights the local community's commitment to harmony.
06:48With Anmol Bali in Sambal, Bureau Report, India Today.
06:57And I quickly want to take you to Sambal where my colleague Anmol Bali now joins us with more.
07:02Anmol, we saw these images and we saw the singing of Aaj Baraj Mein Holi Hai.
07:09It just sounded marvellous. What's the situation right now?
07:14Is it calm? Is it peaceful? Why the deployment of so many police personnel?
07:19Gaurav, currently I am here at the Shankar Chowk and I will show you two visuals of Sambal.
07:26On one of my side I will show you hustling, bustling market
07:29because only one day is left for the mega Holi celebration.
07:32But on the other hand the administration has also tightened the security measures in the city.
07:37And I will also show you the other visuals where they have deployed heavy number of police forces on the ground.
07:44This is Shankar Chowk, one of the main area of Sambal.
07:48And today it was also seen that today police held a flag march on the streets of Sambal on the main route
07:54where we will see tomorrow the Holi procession will pass.
07:57They have deployed RRF as well as PAC, Uttar Pradesh police on the ground to maintain peace, law and order.
08:06And they have also requested peace and harmony.
08:08They are talking with the peace committees.
08:11Even they have covered the walls of the mosque, not only Shahi Jama Masjid but nine other mosques
08:16which will come on the way of the main Holi procession.
08:20All those walls are now covered.
08:22So you can see in the visuals, two visuals, one of hustling, bustling market
08:26and other of the security forces being deployed to control the situation if something arises.
08:31I will also show you they are keeping eye via CCTV cameras, they are keeping eye via drones.
08:35They are also monitoring the social media.
08:37They have detained several people, those who were trying to break law and order in the city.
08:42And while talking to India today, ACP explained that soon they will initiate action against those elements,
08:48those who will break law and order or try to hamper peace and harmony of Sambal.
08:52But Anwar, I want to understand, I want to understand from you,
08:56and you know, what are your police sources telling you?
08:58Is it the first time that a masjid, and you are telling us that there are about 10-12 mosques in the area
09:06where tarpaulin is being put on the wall outside.
09:10Is this being done for the first time or is it almost a standard operating procedure year after year?
09:21Gaurav, today it was seen that a team of ASI came to Shahi Jama Masjid
09:25and while talking to us, Zafar of Shahi Jama Masjid, Zafar Ali who is the president of Jama Masjid committee
09:33explained us that this is not the first time that they have covered the walls of masjid with plastic sheets.
09:39Last year also they did like this and they have been doing this for last many years to protect walls of the masjid.
09:44But yeah, when we talked with various of the locals, like some people were preparing for Holi Ka Dehen
09:49just few steps away from the Shahi Jama Masjid, when we asked them,
09:53is this the first time that you are burning or you are going to burn the Holi Ka,
09:59amid tight security, they said yeah, this is the very first time they are witnessing security like this.
10:05So locals have different opinion to the tight situation of security in the city.
10:10Okay, stay with me, we will continue this conversation because why is it,
10:15and this is a question that all must ponder, everyone must ponder,
10:20why is it that you need to conduct a flag march, Holi is the festival of colours,
10:25why is it that you need to put the police in place to ensure that the situation does not take a turn for the worse,
10:32you need to ensure that mosque walls are being covered with tarpaulin, why?
10:38We will discuss that in greater detail, but it's not just in Sambhal and it's not just in parts of Uttar Pradesh
10:43or Bengal or Bihar where a lot of security arrangements are being made.
10:48I also want to take you to the national capital in Delhi where ahead of Holi celebrations,
10:52the Delhi police carried out a flag march in the national capital in the world city area.
10:57Security has been stepped up in 100 plus locations that have been identified as sensitive and no, not for the first time.
11:09Senior police officers have conducted meetings with the local peace committees
11:13to ensure that communal harmony is maintained, that no misinformation.
11:18Do keep in mind that there are hostile elements within and beyond our borders
11:22who want to see communal disharmony in our country and they will spread rumours in this interconnected world
11:29where on social media platforms a lot of misinformation and disinformation and deliberate disinformation is spread.
11:36They may do something that could lead to disharmony and that is why not only are the police in place,
11:41they're also installing CCTV cameras, drones will be flying for surveillance
11:46and there are officers in plain clothes, police personnel in plain clothes amidst the crowds
11:51to ensure in case there are unruly elements that dealt with before the situation goes out of hand.
12:17As you can see, the police are marching on foot.
12:20You can see the police officers on all the bikes ahead of us.
12:23Apart from this, the police have also held regular meetings with the peace committee
12:28to ensure that there is no discussion of any kind.
12:32And this security is being done so that no mischief comes in between and ruins the atmosphere.
12:40The police say that security has been increased in Delhi on the day of Holi.
12:47We have carried out a lot of security measures here and you are right,
12:50both are sensitive and we have also held meetings with both of them
12:54and Ramzan and Holi will be celebrated in a very auspicious way.
12:58And I have complete hope that according to our arrangement,
13:00patrolling, picketing and positioning,
13:02according to the analysis that we have done in terms of sensitivity,
13:05we and the senior officers will also be present in the entire area.
13:08We will complete it in a very auspicious way.
13:38We are seeing as to how a large number of deployments have been done by Delhi police
13:42and they also held a series of meetings.
13:44They have met with various peace committees to ensure that no untoward incident takes place,
13:50no communal killer is given to this festival
13:53and not only flag march but also different other activities are also being carried out by Delhi police
13:59in the areas where we have mixed population.
14:03Also especially in the areas where the riots took place like Seelampuri and other parts of North East Delhi.
14:09At the same time, in Old Delhi, in Hausrani area and other parts of Delhi where there is mixed population,
14:14the deployment has been increased and tomorrow we will see a large number of police personnel on their toes.
14:20In fact, senior police officials will be there in various big sensitive areas in National Capital.
14:26You know, because of the riots that were orchestrated in the National Capital
14:30in the name of Citizenship Amendment Act, we do know Piyush, a spark neglected burns the house.
14:36In Uttar Pradesh, I am told around Sambal, more than 1000 people have been taken into preventive detention
14:41to ensure troublemakers are not on the streets.
14:44Is something like this also happening in Delhi?
14:46Well, as of now, the police has not detained anyone but yes, instructions have been issued
14:52that no untoward incident should take place and all the troublemakers have also been given warning.
14:58At the same time, police is holding series of meetings to ensure that this festival is celebrated peacefully
15:04and people rejoice on this day and that is why we are seeing a large number of deployments are taking place.
15:10As of now, no detentions have been done, only warnings have been issued to nuisance elements.
15:16To potential troublemakers and registered bad characters in areas, keep tracking that story Piyush.
15:21I will come back to you for more.
15:23I now want to shift focus to West Bengal where an unholy war of sorts, as is being reported, has erupted.
15:32The Bengal government is reported to have imposed a ban on celebrating Holi at UNESCO heritage site at Shanti Niketan Hut.
15:40Now the BJP has hit out at the Trinamool Congress government saying it's an appeasement politics example.
15:49The Mamata Banerjee government hit back.
15:51The Mamata Banerjee government has said the ban was to preserve the forest and the greenery at Shanti Niketan.
15:58A move that led the opposition in Bengal very clearly to see red.
16:03The BJP accused the Mamata Banerjee government of minority appeasement.
16:07They're saying they're only doing this to placate Muslim vote bank claiming they will not stop Holi celebrations
16:13or permit Mamata Banerjee to turn Bengal, as the BJP puts it, into the land of Islam.
16:20The TMC has reversed the ban since claiming there was no ban on Holi celebrations
16:26but the government was only urging people to celebrate a green Holi at a UNESCO site.
16:44We have requested the government not to impose a ban on Holi.
16:49But it's clearly stated on the banner that there will be no car parking and no colouring.
16:58We have requested the government not to impose a ban on Holi.
17:09We have requested the government not to impose a ban on Holi.
17:14We have requested the government not to impose a ban on Holi.
17:19We have requested the government not to impose a ban on Holi.
17:24We have requested the government not to impose a ban on Holi.
17:29We have requested the government not to impose a ban on Holi.
17:34We have requested the government not to impose a ban on Holi.
17:39We have requested the government not to impose a ban on Holi.
17:44We have requested the government not to impose a ban on Holi.
17:48So, that's what I'm trying to say is that there's a lot of polarization going on.
17:55There's a lot of polarization going on.
17:58There's a lot of polarization going on.
18:01There's a lot of polarization going on.
18:04There's a lot of polarization going on.
18:07There's a lot of polarization going on.
18:10There's a lot of polarization going on.
18:13There's a lot of polarization going on.
18:16There's a lot of polarization going on.
18:19There's a lot of polarization going on.
18:22There's a lot of polarization going on.
18:25There's a lot of polarization going on.
18:28There's a lot of polarization going on.
18:31There's a lot of polarization going on.
18:34There's a lot of polarization going on.
18:37I would like to invite the Hindus of West Bengal to celebrate Holi.
18:42I would like to invite the Hindus of West Bengal to celebrate Holi.
18:45We will all fight together against the police.
18:48We will all fight together against the police.
18:51This is the land of Bengal.
18:53This is the land of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
18:56People like Mamata Banerjee cannot make this land of Islam.
18:59People like Mamata Banerjee cannot make this land of Islam.
19:02Amdanga Uttar Chowk, 24 Pargarha IC has announced that
19:05Amdanga Uttar Chowk, 24 Pargarha IC has announced that
19:08there will be no wrongful holifolies.
19:11there will be no wrongful holifolies.
19:14If you do something, you will be arrested.
19:17Additional SP Birbom has announced that
19:20Additional SP Birbom has announced that
19:23the festival of Shanti Nikatan should be over by 10 pm.
19:26The festival of Shanti Nikatan should be over by 10 pm.
19:29This is a special day.
19:31So, you should not do anything after 10 pm.
19:34This is happening for the first time in Bengal.
19:37Bengal government always opposes any Hindu festival
19:40such as Holi, Diwali, Sarasvati, etc...
19:43Bengal government always opposes any Hindu festival
19:46such as Holi, Diwali, Saraswati, etc...
19:49Bengal government always opposes any Hindu festival
19:52such as Holi, Diwali, Saraswati, etc...
19:55As you saw in Kumbh, today there is a great Kumbh
19:58I want to bring in India today's Suryagini Roy for more on the story and Suryagini joins
20:17us live from Kolkata.
20:19Suryagini, what's the ground reality at Shanti Niketan?
20:24Yes, it is a UNESCO heritage site, but what happened last year and the year before that
20:29and the year before that?
20:30Was Holi never celebrated?
20:32Was there actually a ban on celebrating Holi with colours at Shanti Niketan?
20:37What's the ground reality?
20:38Well, Gaurav, you know, to understand what exactly Shanti Niketan is, it is the university
20:46town where Rabindranath Tagore had started his world famous, you know, Vishwa Parthi
20:53University.
20:54Yes.
20:55That area in the district, in the town of Bolpur is, you know, called Shanti Niketan.
21:00Now this particular area where there's an ecological forest, there's an ecological,
21:06you know, a forest around Shanti Niketan where this entire controversy has taken place.
21:12What the minister, we spoke to her today morning, Birbal Hazra, she's the forest minister, she
21:16has, you know, categorically denied the allegations of the BJP.
21:19What she's claiming is that the message was simple.
21:23It was that it was not, it was not a ban, but it was a request because many tourists
21:29come over there at that particular, you know, the areas around that particular Shonadzuri,
21:33which is next to an ecological forest and that somewhere hampers the trees over there.
21:41So it was a request to the people over there who would come, who would play because hundreds
21:45of people, you know, they flock to Shanti Niketan, it's some four hours away from the
21:49city of Kolkata, especially for something like, for something, you know, like a Holi
21:55or a Diwali where people get time to spend with their families.
21:58So it was a request by the local administration to the tourists that not to play over there,
22:05but there was no ban as such.
22:06This is the minister herself.
22:07So people are being requested not to play Holi because it would hamper trees.
22:13That's the logic that's been given by the government in Bengal.
22:18That's point one.
22:19And point two, point two, I want to understand, Shubhendu Adhikari says that people are being
22:24told finish Holi in Birbhum by 10 o'clock because Holi and Ramzan, Juma Namaz happens
22:31same day.
22:32So Hindus have to in Bengal or in Birbhum have to finish Holi by 10.
22:36Is there merit in what Shubhendu Adhikari says?
22:40Well, see, this is an allegation by Shubhendu Adhikari.
22:44However, the police, you know, on record, they have posted and they have clarified on
22:50social media that there is no bar on, you know, or any time restriction on playing Holi.
22:57So that claim by the BGP leader and especially the BGP, it has been completely refuted by
23:03the Birbhum police.
23:04A while back, you know, the Birbhum police, they have put out a full on post on Facebook
23:12and on Twitter stating that there is no time bar, people can play Holi as long, as much
23:17as they want.
23:19And there is, and you know, misinformation should not be spread.
23:22You know, this controversy completely broke out since yesterday, Gaurav.
23:25And we have seen both the sides of this particular story where on one end we have the BGP who
23:31are claiming that Mamata Banerjee tried to, you know, play to the minority community,
23:37tried to appease.
23:38However, it backtracked after getting pressure from the BGP and the media coverage.
23:42On the other side, you know, there is a Trinamool Congress government and the police who are
23:46very, very categorically telling that, you know, there was no such ban or such time restrictions
23:51on playing Holi in the, you know, in Bengal.
23:55Back to you.
23:56Keep tracking that story.
23:57I will come back to you for more and we'll be tracking developments on the story very,
24:01very closely.
24:02Holi, it's the festival of colors.
24:05It heralds the beginning of spring, the festival of colors that's being celebrated almost across
24:11the country.
24:12People coming together to celebrate with colors, with music, with traditional festivities from
24:18temples to streets, to shops, to, you know, watch these images from across the length
24:24and breadth of our country.
24:26Joyous gathering marked with the onset of the festival.
24:30Once again, what does this symbolize?
24:34Coming together.
24:35Watch these spectacular images from Mathura and Vrindavan where devotees began their traditional
24:43Holi celebration.
24:44Let me also take you to the Aligarh Muslim University.
24:49Students celebrated the festival of colors.
24:51Of course, after a strict warning from the BJP MP, the Aligarh Muslim University administration
24:57did grant permission to play Holi for X number of hours today.
25:21After a massive strike that had taken place in Balochistan, reports just coming in from
25:40Pakistan that multiple terrorists of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan have launched a multi-pronged offensive
25:51against the frontier core fort in Jandola in Pakistan.
25:55We're told that a suicide bomber blew himself up at the gate of the military garrison.
26:03This is the frontier core fort in Jandola.
26:06It's in the tank district.
26:09And we are now being told that in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, heavy firing is being reported.
26:15The Taliban, the TTP or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan have attacked the FC.
26:22It's a paramilitary outfit, the frontier constabulary of the Pakistan army, the suicide bomber.
26:29And this is almost standard operating procedure of Pakistani terrorists.
26:34When there's a suicide attack, you know, it's first a suicide bomber who hits the gate,
26:39the main garrison gate, and then multiple terrorists try to enter the garrison and then
26:44they spread out and spread terror.
26:47Pakistani terrorists have tried this in the past.
26:50Well, now it's terror hitting them at home.
26:57Uzma Ahmed described Pakistan as the well of death.
27:03And Indian diplomacy pulled an Indian national literally out of the jaws of death.
27:10We are going to talk about the story of Uzma Ahmed, a 28-year-old Indian national who was
27:15trapped in Bunehr in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
27:18We will also talk about the effort of the Indian diplomacy to help an Indian national
27:23trapped abroad.
27:24I remember late Sushma Swaraj, then external affairs minister, saying that the Modi government's
27:28foreign policy was never leave one of your own behind.
27:32And with me to talk about the diplomat is superstar John Abraham.
27:37John, as always, welcome on India Today.
27:39Gaurav, very happy to be here with you.
27:40It's great to have you back.
27:42But you know this, this superstar, who's like really well built, is one day a nuclear scientist.
27:50Another day is a terrorist killing supercop.
27:54And now is a diplomat in the heart of hostile Pakistan.
27:58What made you choose the diplomat?
28:01The story, Gaurav, the script, the script was lying on my table.
28:06No intention to do the film.
28:09And you know, usually when we read Hindi films, like I said, those scripts are very bad.
28:13You know, like sometimes you read it and it drops.
28:16For me, this didn't drop.
28:18I read it till the very end and it worked.
28:20And I called up the producer, the co-producer, and I said, I'd love to do this film.
28:25Really?
28:26Yeah, just the story was so intriguing.
28:28And I read it till the last and I said, it's beautiful.
28:31I've seen the film and for me, and I've covered Uzma Ahmed's case.
28:35I'm glad you've seen the film.
28:38I'm very glad you've seen the film.
28:40And for someone like me who covered Uzma Ahmed's case, who knows JP Singh, you know,
28:46India's then Deputy High Commissioner to Pakistan, who's reported on the tough situation between
28:51India and Pakistan.
28:53It was actually rewind to those days and seeing so many aspects that even I didn't know what
28:58was happening, except some private conversations, you know, with diplomats at that point of
29:03time.
29:05This was literally pulling her out from the jaws of death.
29:10How did you, you know, get it all together?
29:12A girl, an Indian Muslim woman gets drawn to Pakistan and is taken to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
29:18So you know, how did it all come together for you to depict it, to put it together and
29:23to do it?
29:24I think what I told Shivam first, my director, Shivam Nair, just like your director of the
29:28show.
29:29I told my director, you know, we need to get the casting right.
29:34You cannot cast anybody who is a name in this film.
29:39You have to get, the casting has to be perfect, which is why our first casting was Uzma.
29:45We got this girl called Sadia Khatib, brilliant job she's done in the film.
29:49She's worked hard, done a great job.
29:51And then we cast the other members of the embassy.
29:54And then we cast the guy who's playing Tahir and his friend Bashir, which was, if you see
29:59the casting, it's fantastic.
30:00Those boys are fantastic.
30:02Even the ISI head, you know, played by Ashwath Raina, you know, so I think the casting was
30:07most important.
30:08We went into workshops and I'm cutting the long story short.
30:11I also did a lot of coaching.
30:13I had an acting coach.
30:14In fact, I was just coming to that, to play J.P. Singh cannot be, you know, cannot be
30:21very easy because he has a very warm smile, but he has a very tough interior.
30:26I mean, we met him when he was in the XP division in Delhi and then as Deputy High Commissioner
30:31in Pakistan and then Iran-Pakistan-Afghanistan desk, he's a tough guy.
30:35Yeah, very tough.
30:36And he's always smiling on the face of it.
30:38And, but if you ask him a very pointed question, he'll search you, he'll search you and say,
30:44where's this?
30:45And he's very guarded when he has to be guarded.
30:47He will circumvent an answer when he wants to, so he's very sharp.
30:50So I spent a lot of time with J.P. to study his body language, to understand where he
30:55comes from, how he thinks.
30:58My director gave me a lot of input because he spent a lot of time with J.P.
31:03And then finally, just doing your workshops, I did my workshops and shot the film.
31:09Shooting was the easiest part.
31:11Really?
31:12Because it's so real, it's so real in terms of, I mean, I've seen the movie and I can't
31:21give it away.
31:22I can't give away the plot.
31:23But I really want to talk about the fact that, I mean, there's a woman in a burqa.
31:27She comes to the Indian High Commission and says, let me in.
31:30Yeah.
31:31Oh my God, what a tough decision, whether you let her in or you don't let her in.
31:36What are fears that a diplomat would go through?
31:38You were able to depict that with your actions.
31:40What are those fears?
31:41The fear, I mean, again, without letting too much out, one of the fears was, I mean, she
31:47could have been anyone.
31:48She could have come in and bombed the embassy because it could have been anyone.
31:52When you're covered, you don't know whether you're strapped with bombs.
31:55So I think the most difficult decision was to let her in.
31:57But then the call to let her in was also taken because there was a security check done on
32:02the outside.
32:03So there was a sense of, she wouldn't be carrying anything on a person.
32:09So after letting her in, checking her passport, making sure that, so we had to run through
32:13a lot of things.
32:14But the beauty during the shoot was, I was not allowed to meet Uzma's character.
32:19The girl who played Uzma Sadia, I was not allowed to meet her.
32:23So I did not know anything about her before the shoot.
32:27The first shot in the film where you see me face her, it's the first time I saw her.
32:32Really?
32:33Oh, that's where it looks so genuine.
32:34So real.
32:35I'm searching, I'm looking at her and I'm wondering where she's come from.
32:38And I didn't know what she was belting out, the lines she was saying.
32:41I had no idea.
32:43I had to react to the situation.
32:46So the first time when I see her, I've actually reacted to the situation.
32:50I mean, you've seen the back gate, now you'll see the front gate.
32:54And you know, that is a fear in my mind, that she could be an ISI spy.
32:58Anybody.
32:59Anybody.
33:00She could be anybody.
33:01She could have any agenda in common.
33:02So I had to really search her and look at her.
33:05And if I don't get my audience there, and if they don't forget John Abraham there, and
33:09if they look at JP Singh there, we have won the battle.
33:13That was very important.
33:15And so fine, so you've got this woman inside the embassy.
33:19She could be ISI.
33:20She could be planted there by the ISI.
33:23And yet you have to take a call that we have to protect her.
33:26That's the decision that JP Singh took.
33:29In a situation where he cannot get answers from his superiors, like a Deputy High Commissioner
33:35is not really, really senior.
33:37I mean, usually a Deputy High Commissioner is a senior guy, and especially in Pakistan.
33:41But in this case, he was an officer with just about maybe 12 to 15 years service.
33:46And there was no one present when he had to make that decision.
33:48The High Commissioner wasn't there.
33:49Wasn't there.
33:50Yeah.
33:51Yeah.
33:52So it was a tough decision.
33:53And it was amazing.
33:54So if I remember correctly, Gautam Bambabla and the High Commissioner was in India for
33:59a mission meeting that was happening here.
34:01Honestly, you know this, you know the film, you know the script better than I do.
34:06And it's fantastic that you're saying that and I had to play that all at the back of
34:09my mind.
34:10Yeah.
34:11But Gaurav, what was more important, just like you, when you talk to me, when you do
34:14the show, you know what you're talking about.
34:17I needed to know the geopolitical history of whatever's happening in the world.
34:22So even when I'm standing there, and talking to someone, like I'm talking to you now, if
34:27I don't know my background, I wouldn't be able to have a conversation.
34:30And that had to show in my eyes to my audience.
34:33With your interaction with Uzma, and with your interaction with the Pakistani diplomats,
34:38one thing that I found very fascinating about your film, it's happening at a time when India
34:42Pakistan relations are tense, and yet, and yet, you know, that in 2017, LC was very hot.
34:51Correct.
34:52There were serious exchanges happening at the line of control, a lot of diplomacy was
34:55very tough.
34:57And yet, you've shown Pakistanis not as evil, but the good guys and the bad guys in this
35:03film.
35:04Correct.
35:05Correct.
35:06And I think credit to my director, credit to my writer, Ritesh Shah, you know, because
35:09the brief that even I had given was, listen, to show yourself as better, you don't have
35:14to show someone else's bad.
35:16It's our culture, actually.
35:18Yeah, you shouldn't be doing that, which is a fact, right?
35:21So we showed the good and the bad side of Pakistan, like there is a good and a bad side
35:24in India.
35:25Yeah.
35:26You don't need to really be jingoistic about it.
35:27And that's why I'm not in this film, which is a judiciary system of Pakistan that time,
35:31I think the judges, Judge Niazi,
35:35You're right, I think Kayani or Niazi.
35:38Kayani.
35:39Kayani was the judge.
35:40But we've shown the judiciary system as fair.
35:43We've shown a lot of things on the face of it, like they were.
35:47So everything wasn't really bad there.
35:49And I think that's what you walk out with, that you really appreciate the honesty and
35:54the integrity with which we have shown this film and not to bow down to the commercial
35:58diktats.
35:59We've not done that.
36:04But the fact is, Pakistan ko toda tha, but just the right way.
36:08Correct.
36:09Legally.
36:10Correct.
36:11Legally.
36:12They did the right thing.
36:13The judiciary did the right thing.
36:14The correct thing at that time, Munmun Syed, who was a lawyer then, did the fantastic thing.
36:20So we've shown everything the way it was meant to be shown.
36:23Amazing.
36:24Yeah.
36:25And since we were reporting some of these things, though some in hindsight, some right
36:29then.
36:30So for example, there's a very...
36:31Can I mention what I saw?
36:34Please just go freewheeling.
36:35I don't know why we are guarded.
36:37Just go.
36:38There's one thing which I found really fascinating was when JP Singh, the character you play,
36:43brings in the husband, that assaulting husband into the High Commission.
36:47That's one of the best scenes.
36:48Oh my God.
36:49And then the wife goes and records the statement in court.
36:53And then the Pakistani media comes right there.
36:55Correct.
36:56And that actually happened.
36:57I saw that on Pakistani news.
36:59It happened just like...
37:01It's there.
37:02I mean, if people want to cross-check this fact, they can just, you know, go on social
37:06media.
37:07It's amazing.
37:08And the fact is the husband comes out and says, Indians have betrayed us.
37:11And you know, this film, on a scale of 100, not a scale of 10, how real is it?
37:19And how much creative liberty has the director taken?
37:22I think, honestly, I mean, if I have to really be honest with you, I think there's a 5%-7%
37:29creative liberty that we've taken in this film, which is the wee bit of the shooting
37:34that happens in the end.
37:35The faggot.
37:36The end.
37:37The end.
37:38When we talk about creative liberties in our honest, real films, it's 70% creative liberty.
37:42This is only 3% or 4%, 5%.
37:44So we've been really honest to the film.
37:47There's been a lot of pressure on us.
37:49Gaana daal do, yeh karo, woh karo.
37:51Nothing.
37:52I said, listen, this film will not see the light of day if we corrupt this film.
37:57Which is why I'm speaking to someone who's knowledgeable about this rather than anybody.
38:02It's not disrespecting anybody else, but you understand the space.
38:05So you understand the film.
38:07And that's what I want the youngsters to see, India to see.
38:10This is what makes India cool.
38:12We pull out, like you said, one of our own, which is brilliant.
38:15No, because I have seen this and I've reported this and I find this very fascinating.
38:19The manner in which Indians have been rescued from Ukraine.
38:22I was there in Ukraine when Indians were being rescued from there.
38:25Or they've been recovered from other war-torn countries or strife-torn areas.
38:29Even from Yemen or Afghanistan, you know, when people have been recovered.
38:33It's extremely tough.
38:35Because we cover part of foreign policy or we are in touch with diplomats, we know how
38:39tough they work.
38:40And I love your job.
38:41Ah, thank you very much, Sonu bhai.
38:43I love your job.
38:45You just showed me, but I remember, now I remember watching this when you were running
38:49away from, you know, the shelling in, where was this exactly, in Israel?
38:54So once in Ukraine, the other time in Israel, in Eshkolon, in the southern part of Israel,
38:59when they were bombing that place, when Hamas was bombing that place.
39:02You know, and this is what I want to educate people on, you know, and Gaurav, this is what
39:05you do so well, is people think Israel and Palestine is India-Pakistan one line.
39:11They don't understand the West Bank.
39:13They don't understand Gaza.
39:15It's so intriguing.
39:16When you see Foda, you get goosebumps.
39:21You know, there's one thing I was about to tell you.
39:24So one that is, there is, I don't want to name another film on Pakistan, which, you
39:28know, which is, when you look at you, really well built, really smart, so you'd probably
39:33expect Handpump Bukhara jaayenge ek baad kar.
39:36While I love Handpump Bukhara also, I have nothing against it, but your film depicts
39:41the role of a diplomat so well.
39:43And if I may, the Afghanistan bit, that not only gave me goosebumps, I had tears in my
39:51eyes watching that.
39:52I mean, we lost our defence attaché, we lost a senior diplomat, we've lost a security
39:56personnel in Afghanistan.
39:57And you knew them personally.
39:58And yeah, yeah.
39:59And you were able to depict that.
40:01You were able to depict that in this film, without taking away from the main script.
40:05Yeah, I'm so happy you're saying that, because it's so important to know what we've gone
40:10through overseas, because we don't know.
40:14And then I hope this film brings that to light.
40:16Well, I think it really does.
40:18I mean, I've seen the film, and I think it really brings to light the tough task of our
40:24diplomats.
40:25Is this the first time something like this has happened?
40:27Absolutely.
40:28I mean, you've interacted with JP, you've interacted with our diplomats.
40:31Their role hasn't really been highlighted, like the silent workers in the background.
40:36Absolutely.
40:37When I did Madras Cafe, it was the first time...
40:39Fascinating movie again.
40:40Yeah, the first time a film like that had happened.
40:43When I told someone that I was doing a film called Parmanu, and I remember the narration
40:49happening and someone walking out, they said,
40:52Isse ek buri script, bura idea humne life mein suna nahi.
40:56And I smiled.
40:57Really?
40:58Yeah.
40:59So all my films that I've produced, my first film was Vicky Donor.
41:01When I made Vicky Donor, they said, yaar kya bana rahe ho yaar.
41:04What a film.
41:05Yeah.
41:07What a discovery in Ayushman.
41:08Yeah.
41:09You know, so I think the diplomat is a first of its kind.
41:13And I'm so proud.
41:15And you know, films like this, when I really say commercial success doesn't matter, because
41:18the credibility that you walk away with this from a film like this is tenfold.
41:23I think India's changing.
41:24I mean, I sincerely wish you all the best and I think it should do very well financially
41:29for you so that such films are made even in future.
41:32Because one, the hard work Indians do abroad, like, you know, that message at that Sushma
41:39Swaraj press conference, that press conference is... and we cover press conferences every
41:45week in the Ministry of External Affairs, perhaps every couple of months when the minister
41:48is also there.
41:49But with Sushma Swaraj, they're saying that I want every Indian to know, and she's thanking
41:54Uzma, I want every Indian to know that if you're trapped abroad, come to the embassy,
41:59you have family or you have friends or words to that effect that she'd said, then, it's
42:04so amazing.
42:05Gaurav, I saw that in the film.
42:07I saw her press conference when we put it in the film.
42:09I'm not lying to you.
42:10And I'm not lying to you.
42:11I'm not pitching this.
42:12I had tears in my eyes.
42:14I missed her.
42:15I missed her.
42:16And I said, where is she?
42:17I want her back.
42:18I want her back.
42:19Yeah.
42:20I really...
42:21It was like a heartbreaking moment.
42:23And I have no political inclinations.
42:26You know, I'm a guy who calls a spade a spade.
42:29The half-Parsi in me is pretty capable of doing that.
42:32So I really felt like I wanted Sushma Swaraj back in the world today.
42:38And that's what is so special about this film.
42:40And Revati, special mention.
42:42She's actually done it, yeah.
42:43You know, the way she's standing in the Ministry of External Affairs and talking to this girl
42:48in Pakistan.
42:49So when we interviewed...
42:50I think a colleague of mine had interviewed Uzma Ahmed when she came back.
42:53And she'd said that...
42:55She was talking to me.
42:56So I felt like my mother was talking to me and what's the effect, you know, she'd said
43:00then.
43:01Yeah.
43:02So, and that you've been able to bring out.
43:03Yeah.
43:04Because it was make or break whether we'll get this lady back from Pakistan or not.
43:07Absolutely.
43:08I mean, credit to the director, Shivam Nair.
43:10Yeah.
43:11What a job.
43:12And we had to fight a lot of battles, including the studio.
43:17Because you know, everybody comes from a good place.
43:19Yeah.
43:20But you know, you don't want songs.
43:21You don't want this.
43:22You don't want that.
43:23You want to keep the film pure.
43:25There could have been a dukkha ka gaana in any Indian movie when she's trapped in Buneer.
43:28Oh.
43:29But your depiction of Buneer.
43:30Yeah.
43:31I've never been to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
43:32Yeah.
43:33But it's fascinating.
43:34Yeah.
43:35I mean, it does appear.
43:36Takes you there.
43:37As if you're there in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
43:38Yeah, it takes you there.
43:39And you feel claustrophobic when you see this girl hold up with these other women.
43:42It's like, man, what is happening?
43:44What is...
43:45There is a world out there which is so scary for women.
43:48That's another aspect I wanted to ask you.
43:50Yeah.
43:51I mean, in this film, you've actually been able to bring out the threat women face.
43:56That you meet these very sweet-looking men who may be very helpful.
44:00Yeah.
44:01They could be drawing you into a trap.
44:02Yeah.
44:03And a trap where some place like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or that part of Pakistan could well be a human
44:09trafficking center.
44:10Absolutely.
44:11Or women could be trafficked.
44:12This is something that girls must know.
44:13Yeah.
44:14That everybody who's helping you is not doing you good.
44:18Maybe trapping you for something that's worse in store.
44:21And Gaurav, did you notice in the film, they're so well-versed.
44:25Even the women, they're so well-versed with checking the age of other women through their
44:28ankles and their...
44:29Yeah, through their ankles.
44:30Ankles and holding their wrists.
44:31Which means they're selling them...
44:32It's not 24 years old.
44:33It's 28 years old.
44:34It's 28 years old.
44:35Just imagine.
44:36It is crazy.
44:37And I think this is the kind of...
44:40India needs to see more of these films.
44:42Yeah.
44:43This is important for India.
44:44And I remember we took it to the censor board.
44:46It was not a single cut.
44:48And when our associate producer was walking out, our associate director was walking out,
44:53the censor board member said, I've got a 14-year-old son.
44:57I want him to see this film and I think India should watch this film.
45:00And that is important.
45:02That is important.
45:03I'm not looking for...
45:05Of course, we want commercial success.
45:07But you know, when someone like you tells me, you loved it and you...
45:12You know, it really was real.
45:14For me, that's the biggest reward.
45:16This is a reward for me.
45:17Yeah.
45:18I'm being honest.
45:19That's why I was excited that one person has seen the film and great, we're doing an interview
45:23because you've seen it.
45:24So, you know where I'm coming from.
45:26I don't have to hard sell this film.
45:28No, you don't have to hard sell this film at all.
45:31You know, because look, I've seen the film.
45:33I know the context.
45:34I've met JP.
45:35I mean, I know JP.
45:36I know you and late Sushma ji.
45:39This is something that actually comes together.
45:41And I've seen our diplomats do this all the time.
45:43I mean, they've done that for Uzma.
45:45They've done it for others.
45:46They've done it in other parts of the world.
45:48And sometimes, Indians get trapped in all sorts of different parts of the world.
45:53In Ukraine, you know, when we were trapped, they were very keen to rescue us.
45:56And we said, no, but you know, fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
46:00Oh, incidentally, angels is another line that comes, I don't know if it's there in the film
46:04or not.
46:05Actually, we edited it from the film because there is a line where the driver asked me,
46:12Sir, what do we call them when they get trapped again?
46:16I said, son, we call them angels.
46:18That's such a diplomatic term.
46:20So you're like really in.
46:21Yeah, yeah.
46:22But for edit reasons, we had to take out that part of the heartbreaking.
46:27But we've taken out some really good stuff from the film also.
46:29You must put it back at least for the Netflix version.
46:33Yeah, yeah.
46:34For the OTT version.
46:35Yeah, yeah.
46:36You know, because I'll tell you why.
46:38Each time we interact with our diplomats in Pakistan, when they're back or from in Pakistan,
46:43I mean, our diplomats have been beaten up in Pakistan.
46:47You know, including women who've been tailed and tailed very...
46:51We actually use that in the film, yaar, ki unki marsi, jabhi bhi chahiye dhodha lege.
46:56Sahi baat hai.
46:57Yeah, yeah, yeah.
46:58Which is, which is scary, you know, for it's a violation of all, all Vienna conventions
47:02and Geneva conventions on how diplomats need to be treated.
47:06But our diplomats have been beaten up in Pakistan.
47:09In one instance, I remember, one had to be flown into India on a special medical flight,
47:14was assaulted so bad.
47:15Oh, God.
47:16It's that bad.
47:17And you've been able to depict that ISI on their motorcycle, it tracks them all the time,
47:22you know.
47:23It's a fact.
47:24And all phones tapped, homes tapped.
47:26So Pakistan's a very tough posting for diplomats.
47:29I've been to, like you, I've been to Afghanistan.
47:32Yes.
47:33I've been to Afghanistan for three months.
47:34I went for Kabul Express, a film that I did years ago.
47:37But I spent time after that.
47:39And I stayed back in Afghanistan and I roamed around.
47:41And I love the place.
47:42It's beautiful.
47:43Afghanistan is beautiful.
47:44And Afghanis are beautiful people.
47:46They are.
47:47Yeah.
47:48I look at an Afghani and I say, man tamame Afghan aura dozda room.
47:50Like we really love beautiful people.
47:52And my next film, again, it's not a plug because we're speaking about this space, is a film
47:57called Tehran.
47:58Oh.
47:59And it's a true incident about an attempt on an Israeli diplomat's life in 2013.
48:04Yes.
48:05Yes.
48:06In Delhi.
48:07Correct.
48:08Correct.
48:09And when we did the...
48:10Right next to Taj Mahal.
48:11Close to that area.
48:12Yeah.
48:13And when we did the forensics, we found out it was not the Pakistanis.
48:14Yeah.
48:15It was the Iranians.
48:16Yeah.
48:17And the story about this guy who then goes there.
48:18So I learned Farsi for this film.
48:20I learned Hebrew.
48:21Really?
48:22Yeah.
48:23So I've spoken Farsi.
48:24I've spoken Hebrew.
48:25And people said, yaar, yeh Hindi film hai aap.
48:26I said, listen.
48:27We're here to make cinema.
48:30And I want a film of mine to go across the world and people to see it and be proud of
48:34this.
48:35Absolutely.
48:36And so I've done it.
48:37People say it's a risk.
48:38I say, high the risk, greater the profits.
48:39Absolutely.
48:40Karna chahiye aapko yaar.
48:41Kyun nahi karoge aap?
48:42You know, have fun.
48:43Do the Pathans.
48:44Do the Dhooms of the world.
48:45It's great.
48:46And I want to do more of those.
48:47You must.
48:48You must.
48:49I really love Garam Masala, for example.
48:50Do more of those.
48:51Absolutely.
48:52But balance it out by doing this as well.
48:53Oh, absolutely.
48:54Yeah.
48:55Because this is very important.
48:56Yeah.
48:57But what makes you choose, you know, movies like Parmanu or Supercop, Batla House, Madras
49:03Cafe, or Diplomat now because again, Batla House is one movie which is very close to
49:08my heart.
49:09You know it.
49:10Yeah.
49:11And in this case, you think this will encourage others also to come into the space?
49:15What makes you choose them?
49:16I find it difficult for studios to back me on this.
49:19So I don't know whether others will come into the space.
49:21But hopefully if this film does well, then others will be more empowered.
49:26So I hope my audience, my godfather's my audience, I hope they back me.
49:30They watch this film.
49:31So we have other filmmakers who feel a little more empowered and want to do this.
49:35Like for example, you know, I was discussing with you about Malakal.
49:39Yeah.
49:40You know, I want to do a film in South Sudan.
49:41Wow.
49:42You know.
49:43And that's again a very fascinating story.
49:45That has action.
49:46So kids will love it.
49:47Yeah.
49:48Yeah.
49:49No, everyone and everyone must know about Malakal.
49:50Everyone must know how difficult is it for the Indian forces to...
49:55Sir, United Nations...
49:56Can I...
49:57Please.
49:58Please.
49:59You know the gentleman I'm playing in the film.
50:00So please.
50:01You're the first one to talk about it.
50:02So you know the way the Rajputana Rifles Regiment, the Indian army was deployed there, the action
50:08they saw and the valor of Indian soldiers.
50:12So tell me more about Malakal.
50:13So Malakal is a story about the Indians who are a part of the UN peacekeeping force that
50:18went to South Sudan.
50:19Yes.
50:20So North Sudan is Muslim, South Sudan is Christian.
50:23And there you have two tribes called the Dinkas and the Noors.
50:27You know.
50:28And the battle between these two tribes.
50:29But anyway, to cut the long story short without giving Gyan, how our soldiers go there to
50:33protect this one post.
50:36You know, against the rebels.
50:37So the best anomaly, analogy that I could draw is 13 hour secret soldiers of Benghazi.
50:44And that's exactly how our film is going to look.
50:46Wow.
50:47You know.
50:48The battle through the night.
50:49We lost a lot of our soldiers.
50:50Yes, we did.
50:51And the morning we had some surviving soldiers.
50:52So a lot of action, a lot of adrenaline and a completely different terrain.
50:58But again, I'm so happy that you're an audience of this.
51:01I hope a studio backs it tomorrow.
51:03I sincerely hope so too because the valor of the Indian army comes out very strong.
51:08But it's a great space here and I'm so glad, you know, you're doing films like The Diplomat,
51:15you know, which shows how Indian diplomacy is there for Indians anywhere in the world.
51:22And we steered clear of action because you don't need to fight.
51:26Everybody said, are you going to land a punch?
51:28And I said, nahi yaar.
51:30This is not that film.
51:31Dialogues are his ammunition.
51:33Which indeed they are.
51:34Except the last 10 minutes when there's like ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta happening.
51:37Yeah, we did that in this film.
51:40But it's fun.
51:41We had a good time taking that.
51:42But that's honestly just a little bit and we had a...
51:46I think Tahir and Basheer had more fun doing it.
51:49I mean, so did you.
51:51I mean, I loved it.
51:52It's a beautiful movie and you must, must watch it.
51:56John, I wish you all the best for The Diplomat.
51:58Thank you, Gaurav.
52:00It's a brilliant, brilliant movie.
52:02And you must go watch that film.
52:03It's all about Bharat ki Shakti, Hamari, Diplomacy ki Shakti, even in a hostile country like
52:10Pakistan where you have some good people also.
52:12Absolutely.
52:13Thanks, Gaurav.
52:14Thank you, Gaurav.
52:15Cheers, mate.
52:16Such a pleasure.