Mumbai:
“Airlift” director Raja Krishna Menon today said that they have not taken any “artistic liberty” with facts after Ministry of External Affairs felt the Akshay Kumar-starrer was short on facts.
“The feedback I am getting is people are feeling proud of what India has done for its people. If there is a misunderstanding I am happy to clarify it. But there is no attempt at all to show any one in bad light,” the director said while reacting to MEA’s remarks.
Menon said the motive behind making the film, based on true events, was to highlight one of the biggest civilian evacuation in the world when India airlifted 1,70,000 of its people from war-stricken Kuwait in the 1990.
In the movie, MEA has been shown as lacking a proactive approach, which spokesperson Vikas Swarup claimed was far from reality.
Menon, however, said that while the back story of the characters and some parts were a figment of his imagination, he has not changed the facts.
“I haven’t shown MEA in a bad light. I appreciate the efforts by the government. But that’s not the story. The story is about a businessman Ranjit Katyal and his efforts. If there’s a misunderstanding, I’ll be happy to clarify. We have not taken artistic liberties with the facts of the story,” Menon told Times Now.
“Our story is of Ranjit Katyal and the feeling of Indianness. Therefore, the way MEA reacted is not part of the film. It’s unfortunate that people feel that maybe that should have been a part of the story.
“Why did MEA come and make such a statement is a question for them. I made my film that tried to tell the glory of this country to its people. How this is understood is upto the people who watch it...,” he added.
