Clad in customary black shirt, his face didn’t betray any fatigue, never mind that it was the only Sunday he had to himself. Then again, it wasone of those unique Sundays when Mahesh Bhatt chose to come to Kolkata to showcase his skills as a producer, this time with a little difference. The doyen of Vishesh Films who has donned the producer’s hat quite a number of times, this is the first time Bhatt has lend his name to a stage production, chiefly because he believes in the power of theatre to voice an important issue like Iraq.

Never one to mince words, a blatantly forthright Bhatt spoke at length about his conviction in the medium of theatre, the issue represented through it and his belief in the Indian ethos and power democracy, which, according to him, always prevails, come what may. Excerpts: 

Q Considering the subject and the very sensitive issue the play showcases, did you face any resistance while staging The Last Salute?

The first time the play was staged was when Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan and the region was under the world microscope and it was around this time the Centre was very reluctant to give Multadhar Al-Zaidi, the man on whom the play is based, a visa. We said that if visa was denied him we would tell the world that a man was deprived of his constitutional right. But we were fortunate, the roadblocks were cleared and Al-Zaidi was issued a visa. Since then, we have carried this play to many countries, including cities here at home. That, for me, is the strength of India.

Q So you still have faith in the Constitution and the democratic values India upholds?

Of course, and why not? The founding fathers of this country have gifted us with this space where free thought, free speech can live and can be practiced. Nobody can take this away from us.

Q Don’t you think it’s a kind of balancing act when many things are being censored and filmmakers are returning their awards, and yet not everything is banned?

"Right" is not something somebody gives you or can take away from you. Now, if I am not going to stand up and assert my right, then I can’t blame anyone else. I have never had a problem in my lifetime when I wanted to express something. You will have disagreeing voices. That’s also the norm in society. In any civil space, there are dos and don’ts that one will be subjected to, depending on the colour of the governments that are there, with the Centre having its own political ideology, so for example if it’s the Congress, which is often referred to as the secular party, it will have its own ideology totally different from the right-wing parties. But when it comes to the basics, which is in sync with the written Constitution, nobody dares stop you. And if they do, you have the Constitution to fall back on. You can rattle them in the highest courts. You are bound to encounter problems, but you will get through them.

Q The subject of this play is Iraq, a country torn apart by war, US atrocities and this also happened during the Saddam Hussein regime. How far do you think the cinema of Iraq has been successful in highlighting these problems, or giving a voice to the people?

I don’t think they are in a state to perhaps even get there, largely because the world media has not been fair to the coverage of Iraq. They didn’t show what actually played out in Iraq. I don’t know if the directors there have the necessary agencies to put forth an honest film that will only showcase the tragedy that unfolded. It is here I think America succeeded in presenting the world a reality that they wanted it to believe. And that is why The Last Salute is important, however small the endeavour may be. Al-Zaidi’s life is an important chapter in history because he has seen the times in Iraq. We felt that as theatre of rebellion always takes the side of those who live under the boot of history, this is not a play from the perspective of the man who made history, lived under history. Theatre has a limited personal contact, which is very important.