It also seeks a statement from the chief minister clarifying the government's position on endorsing a film that distorts history and promotes communal disharmony
HYDERABAD — The Telangana chapter of the prominent civil rights advocacy group, the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), has sought the revocation of the awards to the Razakar movie produced by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Gudur Narayan Reddy.
The film ‘Razakar: Silent Genocide of Hyderabad’ recently received three state government-backed Gaddar Awards, despite criticism for its communal and anti-Muslim content.
At a press conference here on Thursday (19 June), APCR members, including filmmaker Syed Rafi and journalist N Venu Gopal, urged Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to clarify the state government’s position on the issue and to revoke the awards.
The movie has been severely criticised by many for being communal and anti-Muslim and also for falsifying historical narratives in Telangana when it was part of the erstwhile Hyderabad state.
The movie is on the paramilitary organisation Razakar, which was formed in the months prior to the annexation of the Hyderabad state to India on September 17, 1948.
APCR members asked the state government to reassess the award selection process and to also “ensure alignment with principles of historical accuracy and social unity”. They also have sought a public statement from the chief minister, given that the award is named after former Naxalite and left figure Balladeer Gaddar, whose ideological stance was always opposed to the BJP.
APCR members said that the movie “distorts history and promotes communal disharmony through a state-backed award named after Gaddar”, who was also part of the Telangana statehood movement (2009 to 2014), until it was achieved.
The activists, historians, and film industry members who attended a conference on the issue earlier in the day criticised the film for its selective and distorted portrayal of history, particularly the Telangana Armed Struggle. They argued that the film’s narrative reduces the complex struggle to a communal Hindu-Muslim issue, vilifying the Muslim community and undermining the principles of communal harmony and historical integrity that Gaddar championed.
The APCR demanded that the Telangana government revoke the Gaddar Award conferred on the movie and reassess the award selection process to ensure alignment with principles of historical accuracy and social unity. It also sought a statement from the chief minister clarifying the government’s position on endorsing a film that distorts history and promotes communal disharmony.
The speakers at the press conference expressed their concerns and disappointment over the government’s decision. They emphasised the need to protect the secular and revolutionary legacy of Gaddar and to promote communal harmony in Telangana.
The Gaddar Telangana Film Awards aim to celebrate cinematic excellence and cultural integrity. However, the selection of Razakar has sparked controversy and raised questions about the government’s stance on the film and its commitment to promoting secular values and communal harmony.
The APCR’s demands reflect the concerns of the secular-minded people of Telangana, who want to protect the state’s composite culture and heritage.
