Ram Gopal Varma created a nation wide furor when he accompanied Riteish Deshmukh together with his then CM dad Vilasrao Deshmukh to go to the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai soon after the horrific 26/11 terror attacks in 2008. 4 years after that incident, RGV is able to unveil the primary look of his new film The Attacks of 26/11 at a function in Mumbai today evening. However, the maverick filmmaker still maintains that once he visited Taj, he had no intention whatsoever to make a movie at the terror attacks.
RGV tweeted yesterday, "I'M launching the primary look of my film 'The attacks of 26/11' at Nehru auditorium tomorrow the 23rd at 6 pm ...EXCEPT the media we're also inviting the policemen who were involved with those attacks and likewise survivors of the victims.
In this context and despite it not being relevant to the film by itself, I just wantedto clarify my position at the controversy surrounding the highly criticized visit ofmine to the Taj after the attacks of 26/11... the allegation of my seeming insensitivitytowards the incident came out of a speculation that the late Vilasraoji facilitated myvisit to the Taj, for me to have access to unseen views, in view of me casting Riteishin a movie that I USED TO BE planning on doing on those attacks. That speculation was completelybaseless due to the following reasons:
1. What could I'VE possibly seen at that place what the media had not alreadybeen showing ever because the attacks began?
2. If I'M accused of desirous to cast Riteish, then my question is "Would I'VE casthim as a terrorist or a cop or what? And this too, at a time when nobody includingthe police knew what or who was behind the attacks".
3. I USED TO BE a member of a gaggle of nearly 30 people who were only allowed intorestricted areas... Why else would the investigative agencies allow any people to stroll into areas where the crime scenes are being investigated?
The truth of why I went to the Taj at the moment was nothing but my curiosity towitness a scene of an unprecedented happening and because I just happened to bewith close friend Riteish I took the opportunity… Riteish himself didn't know thatanybody would read meanings into this act and his father Vilasraoji didn't evenknow that I USED TO BE within the group.
Having said this, I also agree that it's highly understandable that in thoseemotional and traumatic moments it is rather natural that various concerned wouldfeel a powerful sense of indignation on such seemingly callous and selfish behaviour...but like I said and maintained ever since that time, I never ever intended to make a movie on those attacks after I went to the Taj.
WHY NOW?
Now in any case these years, after the entire truth have been uncovered by the investigators and by the virtue of an in depth knowledge I'VE gathered from various sources concerning the actual truths behind those attacks from both authorizedand eye witness accounts, I developed a film the true story of these attacks."
