_d.png "Independence Day 2025")
Revisiting 1984 riots through the lens of a love story, Grahan director discusses how initial public opposition softened due to the sensitive handling of series
Director Ranjan Chandel explaining a scene to Anshuman Pushkar and Wamiqa Gabbi
Ranjan Chandel
Upon the trailer’s release, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Bibi Jagir Kaur slammed the series for portraying a Sikh character in an “objectionable manner”. A witness of the 1984 riots had also sent a legal notice to the makers. “I wasn’t worried because I knew when people watch the show, they will know our intentions are pure. A lot of those who sent us harsh texts, sent us apology messages after watching the show. Art speaks for itself. Our vision was clear — we focussed on how the riot wreaked havoc in the lives of the people; we never reflected our personal political leanings.”
If Chandel is able to take on such brave subjects, he credits mentor-collaborator Anurag Kashyap for the feat. Having co-written Mukkabaaz (2018) with Kashyap, he says, “I had no formal training in filmmaking. When I came to Mumbai in 2011, I had nothing but stories with me. For four years, I went door-to-door in Versova with my half-written ideas. When I met Kashyap, he probably saw promise in me. We started working on a script that never worked out. In 2015, we started Mukkabaaz, and that was my schooling. I learnt on the job; he honed my talent and his process brought out the filmmaker in me.”
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