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Santoshi: Alpha Male Redefined, Not Just Muscle
21 Aug
Summary
- Rajkumar Santoshi contrasts masculinity in Batwara 1947 with Dhurandhar.
- Santoshi values dignity and purpose over gratuitous violence.
- Batwara 1947 hero fights fanaticism, not just opponents.
Filmmaker Rajkumar Santoshi has drawn a line between his upcoming film, Batwara 1947, and Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar, particularly regarding their depictions of masculinity and the modern action hero. While praising Dhar's directorial skills and Ranveer Singh's performance in Dhurandhar, Santoshi asserted his own distinct cinematic philosophy.
Santoshi, known for iconic characters in films like Ghatak, contends that the masculinity he portrays is rooted in dignity and purpose, not just aggression or spectacle. He believes that true heroes like Sunny Deol's characters demonstrated machismo through their actions and circumstances, not by constantly asserting their strength. Santoshi finds the current trend of using vulgarity and excessive violence to showcase masculinity to be cheap.
He explained that while extreme torment might elicit extreme reactions, as seen in Dhurandhar, his focus in Batwara 1947 is on the character's moral choices amidst the Partition's chaos. Santoshi described Sunny Deol's character, Sikandar Mirza, as his most courageous creation, one who dares to stand against fanaticism, a feat he deems impossible in today's climate. The film also stars Shabana Azmi, Preity Zinta, and Ali Fazal.
