Subhash K Jha (DNA; February 2, 2017)

First-time director Sankalp Reddy’s Hindi-Telugu bilingual The Ghazi Attack about the mysterious sinking of an Indian submarine during the 1971 Indo-Pak war, starring Rana Daggubati, Taapsee Pannu and KayKay Menon, has been ordered by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to add a disclaimer relinquishing any claims to historical accuracy.

Says a source from the CBFC, “There is no comprehensive evidence that the incident detailed in The Ghazi Attack has any actual historic bearing. Yes, the incident is reported to have happened during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. But we can’t accept the film as a historical document. We’ve therefore asked them to remove the announcement in the opening titles declaring the film to be based on historical facts and instead, add a disclaimer saying the work is partly fictional and partly authentic.”

This development regarding a film based on a historical incident is relevant in light of the Padmavati controversy where the director Sanjay Leela Bhansali was mishandled for allegedly “tampering with history”, despite there being no substantial evidence to suggest Rani Padmavati even existed.

“If at the start of the film, Bhansali states that it’s a work of fiction, the allegations of historical inaccuracy would be nullified,” says a source from the CBFC.