Filmmaker Meghna Gulzar says though her latest project "Raazi" is about patriotism, she wanted to steer clear of resorting to sloganeering or Pakistan-bashing to make the film saleable. Adaptation of Harinder Sikka's novel "Calling Sehmat", "Raazi" is about an Indian woman who marries a Pakistani military officer to carry out espionage during the 1971 India-Pakistan War.
"The story itself is such a powerful one that we don't need planks of placard carrying jingoism...You say what has to be said and you do that simply and honestly. When you are making a film on patriotism and you are not bashing Pakistan, you need brave people to back it," Meghna said. The director, who was speaking at the success press conference of the film, said the movie's performance has been close to her heart. "It's special because I have been told it's genre defining... That it's unlike any stereotype spy film, it's unlike any Pakistan-bashing stereotype and I am glad about it because if anything, the acceptance of 'Raazi' shows that it's the audience is ready to see anything that's different and breaking the stereotype."
Asked about her approach of showing the Pakistani people through a humane lens and not clouded with animosity, Meghna said they are humans too. "We don't need to show someone as bad to show ourselves as good. You don't need slogan cheering for that. The story was such that we didn't feel the need to add various things to make the story spicy and saleable," she added.