How I Heard Vetrimaaran Talk About ‘Hate Propaganda’
So, the other day I was at a little get‑together with some friends who are crazy about Tamil cinema. We all crowded around a big screen to watch the trailer launch of a new film called Neelira (A Long Night). The director, Vetrimaaran, stepped up to the mic and started talking about how many movies nowadays just want to make a quick buck by showing violence or, worse, feeding hate into the audience. Vetrimaaran said something along the lines of, “There are many films wishing to earn hundreds of crores with violence or hatred. This film Neelira does not want to sell hate, caricature a race, a community, or a religious sect.” The moment he said that, the room lit up with murmurs and phones started buzzing.
What really caught my eye was the way Vetrimaaran linked his statement to the recent controversy around Dhurandhar, the film by Aditya Dhar and Ranveer Singh, which many accused of pushing a certain narrative. I could feel the tension in the air – it was like the whole of Indian cinema was holding its breath, waiting to see how people would react to a film that refused to take a side.
Rana Daggubati’s Take – A Personal Conversation
After the trailer, I got a chance to sit down with Rana Daggubati, the big‑brother‑type actor who is also presenting Neelira. I was a bit nervous, you know, because talking to a star can feel like a formal interview, but Rana Daggubati was surprisingly down‑to‑earth. He started by saying that a war film where you never hear a gunshot is something you rarely come across, especially in commercial cinema. "That's the beauty of Neelira," Rana Daggubati said, "There are people from so many different sides. But the main theme of the story is humanity. It doesn’t take any sides. It’s a story that says there are no victors in a war and that everybody loses in a war. A messaging like that is very, very rare in a commercial film. For instance, if someone came to me with a war tale, one would assume that it would be of gun battles. That's something we would seek. But we’re missing out on perspectives. We’re looking at things from a top‑angle view now and unless you go deep, you won’t understand the trauma and reality of war."
Rana Daggubati went on to compare what he’d imagined a typical war film to look like – big explosions, heroic soldiers, a clear-cut good versus evil – with what Neelira actually offers: a simple family that just wants to survive day by day, a family caught in the Sri Lankan civil war, longing for peace. "To tell a war film without a bullet being shot and yet holding the tension right till the very end and making a great commentary through a simple family with simple needs, who wants each day to pass in a peaceful manner, isn’t easy," Rana Daggubati told me.
Why the Human Lens Matters
When I asked Rana Daggubati if it felt risky to go against the grain of big‑budget action movies, he said that every filmmaker walks a slippery slope when choosing their subject. "If you're doing a war film, you've to be very clear as to why you're doing it. Neelira uses a human lens and that's something that doesn’t happen very often. If you think about it, making any film is a slippery slope because it’s not the easiest thing to convince audiences," Rana Daggubati explained.
He added a little anecdote that really stuck with me. He said that in the streets of Hyderabad, you often hear kids playing cricket and shouting the names of film stars, but they rarely talk about the deeper messages in movies. "People love big dialogues and heroics. They don’t sit and think about what war does to a mother who just wants her child to eat. That’s why a film like Neelira is important – it reminds us that behind every headline there are real faces," he said.
Rana Daggubati also pointed out how perspective shapes history. He gave an example about the Delhi Sultanate – if the story is told from the perspective of South India, the Sultanate appears as the villain; if it’s told from the north, the opposite is true. "But in case of Neelira, we have a point of view which is clear and it’s a human point of view," Rana Daggubati emphasized.
Freedom for All Kinds of Cinema
One thing that stood out in the conversation was Rana Daggubati’s firm belief that there should be room for every kind of storytelling. He didn’t shy away from saying that while Neelira is tough to make, there’s no reason other filmmakers shouldn’t try their hand at different narratives. "Each filmmaker can choose their own narrative. But the one in Neelira is very hard to choose. To tell a war film without a bullet being shot… isn’t easy," Rana Daggubati repeated, but then added, "All kinds of cinema is okay to be made."
He also chuckled a bit, recalling how in his own career he’s done big‑budget action movies like Baahubali, but also smaller, more introspective projects like Virata Parvam. "If you only ever see me in massive battle scenes, you might think I only like that genre. But I love a good story that makes you think," Rana Daggubati said, gesturing with his hands as if to include all the movies he’s been part of.
Rana Daggubati’s point resonated with me because it reminded me of the local film clubs in my city. Those clubs often screen indie films that never make the news, yet they spark some of the most honest debates. It’s exactly that sort of space that can nurture films like Neelira, where the audience is ready to listen instead of just being entertained.
What Makes Neelira Different – My Takeaway
Walking out of the event, I kept thinking about the phrase "no victors in a war" that Rana Daggubati repeated. In our everyday lives, we see the aftermath of conflicts in the news – be it the border tensions in the north or the farmer protests in various states. Most of the time, the media shows us the clash, the slogans, the flash‑bangs. Very rarely do we see the quiet moments – a mother soothing her child, an old man staring at an empty field that used to be a rice paddy, a child trying to draw a picture of a home that no longer exists.
That, I realised, is exactly the angle Neelira tries to capture. It refuses to be a propaganda piece that blames a community or glorifies a side. Instead, it puts a simple family at the centre, showing how war seeps into the smallest corners of life. Rana Daggubati’s words made it clear that this approach is not just daring but also necessary. Because, as he said, "when you talk about war, it’s easy to fall into the trap of showing big battles. But real war is lived by ordinary people, and that’s the story they need to hear."
In most Indian movies, the hero’s journey is filled with punch‑ups and triumphant music. Neelira, on the other hand, promises a quiet tension that builds up through simple, everyday moments. That’s a challenge for anyone making a commercial film, especially in a market where the audience often expects larger‑than‑life action.
Reflecting on the whole conversation, I feel that Rana Daggubati’s honesty is refreshing. He didn’t hide the fact that making a film like Neelira is hard – “the tension right till the very end, without a single bullet being shown, is not easy” – but he also reminded us that the effort is worth it because it adds a different voice to the cinematic landscape.
Final Thoughts – A Hope for More Human‑Centred Stories
To sum it up, my chat with Rana Daggubati left me with a hopeful feeling. If a star known for massive epics can champion a small, human‑focused war drama, maybe the industry will start giving space to more such stories. Vetrimaaran’s warning about hate propaganda is a reminder that cinema can shape minds, and Rana Daggubati’s belief in freedom of narrative is a call to let each filmmaker decide what truth they want to present.
When I think about the next time I sit in a theatre, I hope to see more films that make me pause, think, and maybe even feel a little uncomfortable – because that means the film has reached deeper than just providing entertainment. As Rana Daggubati said, "All kinds of cinema is okay to be made," and that sentiment stays with me as I walk past the bustling streets of my city, where every billboard advertises the next big action blockbuster. Somewhere, a quieter story like Neelira is waiting, and I, for one, can’t wait to watch it unfold.
