A.R. Murugadoss pens emotional letter before ‘August 16, 1947’ release

Mumbai, March 31

Reputed filmmaker A.R. Murugadoss of 'Ghajini' fame unveiled a candid open letter on Friday during a promotional event for his upcoming production 'August 16, 1947'.

The movie is about a remote village where one man inspires his compatriots to fight against their oppressive British masters, who continue to treat them badly despite India becoming an independent nation.

Murugadoss appeals to his fellow citizens to not take India's Independence for granted. He speaks about our bravely fought freedom struggle, and highlights many of the pains and bruises left behind after the battle. The maverick storyteller concludes his address with an inspiring message too.

Written and directed by N.S. Ponkumar, the movie features Gautham Karthik, Revathy, Pugazh and English actor Richard Ashton in the main roles.

Talking about his emotional note, A.R. Murugadoss says: "Freedom is not given to you, it something you obtain with struggle and self belief. In my own personal life, neither do I come from a film background nor do I have any formal education, and yet, I overcame all those fears to make films."

Elaborating on his upcoming release, Murugadoss adds: "In the beginning, we intended this film to be a Tamil release, but as we moved ahead, the unanimous reaction was that our story needs to be seen on a wider Pan-India scale. August 16, 1947 will surprise and enthral you all at once."

"During an era when the country was stuck in a British cage, our film tells the story of a village that was trapped in a cage inside a cage and how it bravely fought back."

The event also saw producer Jayantilal Gada in attendance. Gada, who has been backing such hits as 'Kahaani', 'Gangubai Kathiawadi' and 'RRR', is all set to present the Hindi version of 'August 16, 1947'.

Produced by A.R. Murugadoss along with Om Prakash Bhatt and Narsiram Choudhary, this tale of courage, patriotism and love, the film is all set to hit cinemas worldwide in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam and English on April 7.

--IANS