Chhaava writer Rishi Virmani DEFENDS the film’s impact months after AR Rahman called it divisive: “Hard to change a mindset…” : Bollywood News

More than a month after composer A. R. Rahman described Chhaava as “divisive,” writer Rishi Virmani has responded to the criticism, stating that the epic historical drama has instead witnessed an unusual level of audience attachment.

Chhaava writer Rishi Virmani DEFENDS the film’s impact months after AR Rahman called it divisive: “Hard to change a mindset…”

Chhaava writer Rishi Virmani DEFENDS the film’s impact months after AR Rahman called it divisive: “Hard to change a mindset…”In a conversation with Zoom, Virmani rejected the idea that a film can significantly alter social or political mindsets within a few hours. “It is hard to believe that an entire mindset can be changed in just a couple of hours of screen time,” he said, adding that he had not seen “this kind of attachment of the audience towards a film in a really long time.”

Directed by Laxman Utekar, Chhaava is based on the life of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the second ruler of the Maratha Empire. The film adapts the Marathi novel of the same name by Shivaji Sawant. The screenplay and story were developed by Utekar and Virmani along with Kaustubh Savarkar, Unman Bankar and Omkar Mahajan, while Virmani also penned the dialogues.

Addressing the larger debate, Virmani maintained that audiences are capable of forming their own conclusions, often contradicting industry assumptions. He suggested that box office verdicts and public reactions frequently diverge from what filmmakers or commentators anticipate.

He further expressed that Sambhaji’s life deserved cinematic recognition long ago. “I hope and pray that Chhaava and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj make it to everyone’s hearts, nationally and internationally,” he said.

Rahman, who composed the music for the film, had earlier told BBC Asian Network that while the film was enjoyable and centred on bravery, it also “cashed in on divisiveness.” He questioned whether audiences are easily influenced by films, adding that viewers possess an “internal conscience” that distinguishes truth from manipulation.

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