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Gumnaami doesn’t give a verdict, it merely raises questions: Srijit Mukherji rebuts allegations by Bose family

Filmmaker Srijit Mukherji clarifies that his upcoming film Gumnaami, based on Subhas Chandra Bose’s life, raises pertinent questions.

Faced with a barrage of criticism from a section of Bose family members over his new film Gumnaami based on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, filmmaker Srijit Mukherji rebuts allegations of historical inaccuracy. Speaking to India Today, the national award-winning director explains his position and why he chose to make the film.

Excerpts:

How do you react to the allegations leveled by a section of the Bose family you’re your film is a deliberate attempt to malign the image of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose?

My reaction is basically two-fold. Let me begin with the three most popular theories about Subhas Bose’s death. First, the plane crash theory, second is ‘death in Russia’ theory and third is the ‘Gumnami Baba’ theory. For the plane crash theory, other than Sugata Bose, there are not many takers anymore. A number of Bose family members too do not believe in it. To begin with, Sarat Bose, Netaji’s elder brother, Suresh Bose who was a part of the Shahnawaj Commission and gave a dissenting report saying that he did not believe the findings of the commission and strongly believed that Netaji was alive till as late as 1972.

Even Emilie Schenkl, Netaji’s wife did not believe in the theory. In fact, Surya Kumar Bose quoted her saying that Netaji had escaped to Russia and was slowly poisoned there. Apart from these, closest of Netaji’s relatives, Lalita Bose, the daughter of Suresh Bose who knocked on the Allahabad court having seen Gumnami Baba’s belongings felt it was her uncle’s.

Jayanti Rikshit and Arya Kumar Bose, another faction of Bose family and grandchildren of Sarat Bose, who, I have personally met were initially skeptical about the Gumnami Baba theory, but later felt it could have been Netaji. So they obviously did not believe in the plain clash theory. There are other names like Gita Biswas and Tapati Ghosh, who did believe in the Gumnami Baba theory. People like Chandra Kumar Bose vehemently oppos it but at the same time do not believe in the plane crash theory. So it seems like apart from Sugata Bose most of the Bose family members don’t believe in the plane crash theory. If I move out of the Bose family since I believe Netaji belongs to the nation, there are innumerable researchers who have debunked the place crash theory.

Researchers like Jayanta Choudhury, Anuj Dhar and Chandrachur Ghoshe feel the plane crash theory is a myth. If we move on to the Russia theory, there are the likes of Purabi Ray and Subhramanium Swamy who state that Netaji died in Russia. And there is also a school of people who believe in the ‘Gumnami Baba’ theory. The reservation and the protests are all from the assumption that Netji has been shown as Gumnami which is absolutely false. Though I understand the reason for such assumptions because the film is titled ‘Gumnaami’. This is not a biopic of ‘Gumnami Baba’, it is actually about the Mukherjee Commission proceedings where all these three theories were discussed and debated.

Are you suggesting that your film does not claim to say that Netaji was Gumnami Baba himself unlike the author of the book on which your film is based?

A filmmaker’s duty is to ask questions, not to give answers. So I did not give any verdict or answer. I have only followed the Mukherjee Commission proceedings and the debates and questions that arose out of these three theories. In the end, I have also quoted the commission where it debunked the plain clash theory but also said that there is no clinching evidence that proves ‘Gumnami Baba’ was Netaji.

Professor Sugata Bose says there are historical facts based on evidence and there is fiction. So if a filmmaker falls for a myth, the audience will be misled as people learn history mostly from popular culture. Your thoughts?

That would have been the case if I had based my film on the book which is not so. And I have made it quite clear through the posters and teasers of my film. But if he chooses to believe that the film propagates one particular myth, then there is probably some problem. So before jumping into any conclusion, I will advise everyone to go through those the teaser and poster. My point about the film is, there is still no closure to the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the liberator of India even after so many years.

So do we say that Srijit Mukherji’s film simply explores the mystery of Netaji’s disappearance?

Yes. Mamata Banerjee had also put up a brilliant tweet, saying we deserve to know what happened to Netaji, which means even she is not convinced about the plane crash theory and feels that there is some mystery which needs to be solved. And my film attempts to do exactly that by raising questions. I have shown Netaji in all three scenarios and have questioned each one of them. My question is that a filmmaker in a free country is absolutely free to ask questions.

The apprehension is that there is an agenda behind your film, that it aims to tarnish Netaji’s image as a right-wing Hindu nationalist leader. True?

No no no! My only agenda is, he is not been discussed. He has been forgotten. He has been limited to a statue in Kolkata and the Kolkata airport named after him. As a Bengali it is my right to bring back the questions. My main agenda is to ask why Mukherjee commission report was rejected by the government of India without any reason. We are talking about a great political leader whose movement lead the British to leave India. So that way it is a political film and the agenda is clear, to bring back the discussion.

Lastly, what are the challenges you are facing? Will the film see the light of the day?

The film is absolutely on track. A legal notice has been filed and our lawyers have already replied to the notice. The film certainly does not show Netaji as Gumnami. It only raises the three theories and debates and question-related to it. I have even invited Chandra Kumar Bose for the premiere. I think anyone who admires Netaji should welcome this film because it asks questions about our greatest leader.