Filmmaker
Meghna
Gulzar
says
though
her
latest
project
"Raazi" is
about
patriotism,
she
wanted
to
steer
clear
of
resorting
to
sloganeering
or
Pakistan-bashing
to
make
the
film
saleable.
Adaptation
of
Harinder
Sikka's
novel
"Calling
Sehmat",
"Raazi" is
about
an
Indian
woman
who
marries
a
Pakistani
military
officer
to
carry
out
espionage
during
the
1971
India-Pakistan
War.
"The
story
itself
is
such
a
powerful
one
that
we
don't
need
planks
of
placard
carrying
jingoism...
You
say
what
to
say
and
you
do
that
simply
and
honestly.
When
you
are
making
a
film
on
patriotism
and
you
are
not
bashing
Pakistan,
you
need
brave
people
to
back
it,"
Meghna
told
reporters
last
evening.
The
director,
who
was
speaking
at
the
success
press
conference
of
the
film,
said
the
movie's
performance
has
been
close
to
her
heart.
"It's
special
because
I
have
been
told
it's
genre
defining...
That
it's
unlike
any
stereotype
spy
film,
it's
unlike
any
Pakistan-bashing
stereotype
and
I
am
glad
about
it
because
if
anything,
the
acceptance
of
'Raazi' shows
that
it's
the
audience
is
ready
to
see
anything
that's
different
and
breaking
the
stereotype,"
she
said.
Asked
about
her
approach
of
showing
the
Pakistani
people
through
a
humane
lens
and
not
clouded
with
animosity,
Meghna
said
they
are
humans
too.
"We
don't
need
to
show
someone
as
bad
to
show
ourselves
as
good...
You
don't
need
slogan
cheering
for
that.
The
story
was
such
that
neither
it
was
needed
nor
did
we
feel
the
need
to
add
various
things
to
make
the
story
spicy
and
saleable," she
added.
Alia
Bhatt,
who
plays
Indian
spy
Sehmat
in
the
film,
said
the
vulnerability
of
her
character
was
challenging.
"In
this
film,
I
needed
to
be
mad
about
the
character
and
when
your
director
gets
and
loves
your
madness,
there's
nothing
better
than
that.
How
vulnerable
an
actor
feels
in
front
of
the
camera,
especially
while
playing
a
character
like
this...
"It's
like
being
surrounded
by
fire
and
you
can
feel
the
heat
even
when
you
are
aware
that
it's
not
there," Bhatt
said.
"And
your
director
tells
you,
'I
know
what
you
are
going
through.
You
are
not
alone
and
we
are
in
this
together',
and
this
is
important
that
I
went
on
this
journey
with
someone,"
she
added.
Meghna's
father,
legendary
poet
and
writer
Gulzar,
was
also
present.
Gulzar,
who
has
penned
the
lyrics
of
the
film's
songs,
said
that,
as
a
father,
nothing
is
bigger
than
to
be
in
the
midst
of
his
daughter's
audience,
which
made
Meghna
teary-eyed.
Also
present
at
the
event
were
other
cast
members
Vicky
Kaushal,
Soni
Razdan
and
Jaideep
Ahlawat,
among
others.
Credits
-
PTI