Legal notice seeks to stop production of Bollywood movie on Holey Artisan attack

Bangladesh’s Abinta Kabir Foundation has recently delivered a legal notice to stop the production of the Bollywood film “Faraaz”, based on the 2016 Holey Artisan tragedy in Dhaka.

Delivered by the law firm Legal Counsel, the notice was directed to T-Series, the production company of this film; director Hansal Mehta and co-producer Anubhav Sinha.

This was disclosed by a press release signed by lawyer Miti Sanjana representing Legal Counsel. Abinta Kabir Foundation has also shared the details regarding this notice on its official Facebook page.

“July 1, 2016 was the darkest night in the history of Bangladesh. Brutality in the form of aberrant militancy took away the innocent lives of 22 people in the Holey Artisan Bakery of Dhaka – the capital city of Bangladesh. The incident shattered the emotions of the family members of the victims for their lifetime and thundered the entire nation into a nightmare in reality,” the foundation stated through the statement.

Addressing the film, it stated: “In recent times, Hansal Mehta – an Indian filmmaker announced the production of his new movie based on this black chapter of human history. The recently released teaser of the movie clearly reprised the horrific night and misinterpreted that incident provoking extremist activities of terrorism – which never coincides with religion and humanity.”

“The making of this movie has ultimately started affecting the emotions of the family members of the victims from the nation and abroad as well as negatively impacted the public sentiments of Bangladeshi masses. This incident which severely shocked the entire nation must not have ever been represented again,” it stated.

The foundation described its concern over the film, saying that the news of the movie’s production has already turned into a hazard for million sentiments urging never to see or to remember the repetition of the Holey Artisan attack.

“Certainly, making this movie would clearly disgrace the sacrifices of the victims who lost their lives in that terrible night. It underestimates a country and its nation- that will forever want to eliminate this chapter which hurts its glory,” the statement added.

“From the depth of our conscience, let us stand against this injustice made to ignominy our nation,” the foundation asked for a united stance against the movie.

Mentioning that none of the family members of the victims were contacted by the producers for their consent, the foundation stated that it is a grave disrespect to the people who are actually the only ones still personally traumatized by that dark night.

Zahaan Kapoor, grandson of the late actor Shashi Kapoor, is set to make his Bollywood debut with this film alongside Aditya Rawal, son of actors Paresh Rawal, and Swaroop Sampat, who made his acting debut last year with the ZEE5 film “Bamfaad”.

“Faraaz” is jointly produced by Anubhab Sinha’s Benaras Mediaworks, T-Series, and Mahana Films’ Sahil Saigal, Sakshi Bhatt and Mazahir Mandasaurwala.

Director Mehta started the shooting of Faraaz in June this year.

The Holey Artisan attack took place on the night of July 1, 2016, in Dhaka, where five young militants ravaged the upscale cafe and held over 50 people as hostages for nearly 12 dreadful hours.

Faraaz Ayaaz Hossain, the grandson of late Transcom Group chairman Latifur Rahman, was one of the victims of the Holey Artisan attack. A student at Emory University in Atlanta, US, Faraaz, went to the cafe on that day during his summer holidays in Dhaka with two of his friends in the US – Abinta Kabir and Tarishi Jain from India.

Abinta Kabir was a US citizen and also a student of Emory University alongside Faraaz, and Tarishi Jain was a student of the University of California in Berkeley.