New Delhi, 30 Harinder Singh Sikka, who wrote the espionage story "Calling Sehmat", criticised filmmaker Meghna Gulzar on Monday for "distorting" the true spirit of his protagonist in her movie adaptation, "Raazi".
"Calling Sehmat #Raazi ranks among the top books on espionage ever written, globally. It exposes Pakistan across borders, hostile forces in Bollywood, and criminals based in Punjab.
"Appointing Meghna Gulzar was my biggest mistake. Despite clear warnings, I failed to foresee how ideological bias would distort the true spirit of the protagonist," Sikka posted on X.
The writer said his book was written two decades ago, but it is still popular worldwide, and his other novels "Vichhoda", "Gobind", and "The Chabimaster" are also being adapted.
He accused Gulzar of giving a similar treatment to the biopic of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw.
"The way Meghna Gulzar twisted the story through a leftist lens still deeply pains me.... The film on the legendary Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw was no different. All the ugly acts of ill-treating the Field Marshal by the Congress were missing. What kind of mindset diminishes patriots by bending the truth to suit an agenda?"
This is not the first time that Sikka has expressed his disappointment with the 2018 film, which was a critical and commercial success starring Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, Jaideep Ahlawat, Rajit Kapoor, and Soni Razdan.
Gulzar, who is also known for directing films such as "Talvar" and "Sam Bahadur", was praised for her sensitive direction and for not demonizing her Pakistani characters.
When a user on X questioned Sikka for trusting Gulzar despite warnings, he replied, "Errors don't always come from stupidity. They often come from underestimating how shrewd or deceitful someone can be."
Sikka also responded to another user who questioned him for expressing his disappointment after the mega success of "Dhurandhar", which is also a spy drama set in Karachi's Lyari town.
"Sir, I have been saying this for many years, (sic) aware that the message doesn't reach the masses in one go. Creating awareness so that the people don't get defrauded," he added.
