AAJ KAL KE HERO DESH BHAKT HERO BANNE KE LIYE KYON BAICHAIN HAI ?.... BY ALI PETER JOHN

Dear Mr Manoj (Bharat) Kumar, I have some good news for you as you sit in your favourite room and think about the way our films are being made - Ali Peter John

More than thirty years ago, you seemed to be the only actor, writer, producer and director of patriotic films.

You made yourself immortal as the original Mr Bharat with your unforgettable patriotic films like“Shaheed",“Upkar",“Purab Aur Paschim",“Roti Kapada Aur Makan",“Kranti"and your last film you made,“Jai Hind--The Pride".

There was a very huge vacuum in heroes playing patriotic roles after you stopped for reasons they and the industry as a whole know better...

But there seems to be a race among some of the biggest male stars to make films which have a very strong national or patriotic feelings.

The one Kumar who has almost taken the title of Mr Bharat Jr is Akshay Kumar who seems to be running way ahead as a hero who specialises in films that affect the country and its people.

Akshay has been doing films like“Airlift",“Toilet Ek Prem Katha",“Padman"and the recently released“Kesari".

He has been so sincere in doing these films that not only the people of India, but even Prime Minister Modi has grown into an admirer of this Bharat of the changing times.

Running a neck to neck race with him is according to the latest reports is our dear Salman Khan.

He has already shown his flair for patriotism in films like“Bajrangi Bhaijaan"and traces of patriotism in all the films he has done in recent times. But his biggest test comes with a film whose title says it all,“BHARAT".

He is playing a role that spans several decades and his latest promo of one of his looks as a middle aged man speaks volumes for the role he is playing in“BHARAT", directed by Ali Abbas Zafar and you will be surprised to know that even the caption under the title,“BHARAT"reads“Journey of a man and a Nation Together", which sounds so much like the caption of your film“Upkar"which read“The story of a man and a country, both named Bharat". Massive plans are being made to make it a mammoth film spanning generations of one Bharat.

The other Khan, Aamir tried his best to say something about Hindostan in his first big flop,“Thugs of Hindostan"which couldn't be saved in spite of Aamir being cast with one of the Saat Hindustanis, Amitabh Bachchan.

But this Khan has other ways is showing his patriotism by making short films, video games and even TV-serials based on the various problems facing the country. He has also formed his own Paani Foundation together with his wife, Kiran Rao, which according to experts is doing better work than all the governments of Maharashtra since its inception in 1960.

He is also a crusader for the cause of the farmers and especially to keep them away from committing mass suicides and dying of starvation.

Nana Patekar has been speaking out against corruption and terrorism in almost every film he does, sometimes even finds ways of sending home a national message even in a very stupid film like“Total Dhamaal".

Isn't it strange, Mr Bharat that Sanjay Dutt who was once charged with the worst kind of terrorism is now playing a patriotic role in Ashutosh Gowariker's“Panipat"?
And Ajay Devgn who has shown signs of being a patriotic hero in a film based on the life of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, like you did fifty years ago.

And had done many other films like“Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyon", is now playing Tanaji in a film of the same name and which deals with the war fought by one of the earliest nationalists, Tanaji.

To think of it, even a heroine like Kangana Ranaut played the heroic Rani of Jhansi in her own film,“Mankarnika....".

There are many other patriots who are waiting to show their patriotism through films. Isn't it therefore your time to sit up, take up the biggest challenges and make a film about patriotism like no one has till now and I as an admirer of your patriotism in real life and reel life know that even if you cannot play the hero, you can create the kind of great Indian patriots, soldiers and warriors who have lived and died for Bharat.

JAI BHARAT JAI MANOJ KUMAR