PUNE, 11 September 2007 — Undeterred by threats from underworld gangsters because he supports Muslims, famous Indian writer/director Mahesh Bhatt said that he would not bow to threats and would continue to speak out for Muslims.
Rakesh Maria, Joint Commissioner of Police confirmed that Mahesh Bhatt had received threatening phone calls from a person identifying himself as fugitive gangster Ravi Pujari, who threatened Mahesh, his daughter Pooja and brother Mukesh, for having made the highly controversial movie “Dhoka,” which narrates how Muslims are often unfairly targeted in the war against terror.
Bhatt said that he was not a stranger to the persecution that Muslims have faced over the years. “My mother was a Muslim and father a Hindu Brahmin, so I have witnessed discrimination right from childhood. It’s time we look at Muslims from an unbiased and neutral point of view,” he said.
“Yes, my family and I have received death threats but let me tell the gangsters that I have vowed to work for the empowerment of Muslims in a secular India. I will continue to have a soft spot for the Muslim community. It is disgusting that even after 60 years of independence, the state and federal government have failed to include Muslims in the development process of the country. Post 9/11, even moderate Hindus have shunned them,” he added.
‘Dhoka’ tells the story of a suicide bomber and an honest Muslim policeman. Zaid Ahmed Khan, played by actor Muzammil Ibrahim, is a dedicated policeman in the Mumbai police. A terror attack rocks the city and kills dozens of people. Among the dead is Zaid’s beautiful Kashmiri wife Sarah, played by actress Tulip Joshi.
Much to his shock, Zaid is told that Sarah was not a victim but the suicide bomber herself. Zaid is arrested on suspicion of terrorism and is thoroughly interrogated. Even though he is later declared innocent, Zaid is not able to believe that his wife was a terrorist. As Zaid digs into her past, he gets to know things that shake him from within. He realizes that behind the beautiful face of his wife lay a woman scarred by atrocities. He also finds out how fundamentalists may provoke such people to unleash terror.
