Director Ram Gopal Varma recently released the first seven minutes of the film The Attacks of 26/11, which is based on the 2008 attacks on Mumbai. Of course, RGV received a lot of criticism when he visited the Taj post the attacks, as there were rumors that Vilasrao Deshmukh had given him access to the hotel in exchange for him doing a film on the subject with Riteish Deshmukh. RGV recently released an official statement explaining why he visited the Taj that day, which we have reproduced below in full along with the first seven minutes of his film. Have a look at both and let us know what you think.
In the context of me launching the first look of my film ‘The Attacks of 26/11″ at Nehru auditorium, the 23rd at 6pm, inspite of it not being relevant to the film by itself, I just wanted to clarify my position on the controversy surrounding the highly criticized visit of mine to the Taj after the attacks of 26/11… the allegation of my seeming insensitivity towards the incident came out of a speculation that the late Vilasraoji facilitated my visit to the Taj, for me to have access to unseen views, in view of me casting Riteish in a film that I was planning to do on those attacks. That speculation was completely baseless because of the following reasons:
1. What could I have possibly seen at that place what the media had not already been showing ever since the attacks began?
2. If I am accused of wanting to cast Riteish, then my question is “Would I have cast him as a terrorist or a cop or what? And this too, at a time when no one including the police knew what or who was behind the attacks.”
3. I was a member of a group of nearly 30 people that were only allowed into restricted areas… Why else would the investigative agencies allow any of us to walk into areas where the crime scenes are being investigated?
The truth of why I went to the Taj at that time was nothing but my curiosity to witness a scene of an unprecedented happening and
since I just happened to be with close friend Riteish I took the opportunity… Riteish himself did not know that anybody would read meanings into this act and his father Vilasraoji did not even know that I was in the group.
Having said this, I also agree that it is highly understandable that during those emotional and traumatic moments it is very natural that various concerned would feel a strong 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 film on those attacks when I went to the Taj.
WHY NOW?
Now after all these years, after the whole truth has been uncovered by the investigators and by the virtue of an extensive knowledge I have gathered from various sources about the actual truths behind those attacks from both authorized and eye witness accounts, I developed a desire to film the acutal story of those attacks.