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Looks like Bhawna Talwar is not the only one who has hit back at Vidhu Vinod Chopra! Actor/director Sajid Khan too has addressed the Eklavya controversy and has written an open letter to the director. A must read!

Congratulations for the selection of Eklavya - The Royal Guard as India's nomination for Oscars.

I saw your comments about films made by you and others in the recent past and what may/may not be worthy enough for recognition at the heartland of India and at the highest level. I am quite sure that you have made some highly respected films in the past and I am also certain that you have the greatest knowledge of films made across the globe.

I am also absolutely fine if you comment on films made by lesser mortals like me or others who may have had an accomplished body of work behind them. Even if you have deep rooted statements to make about my knowledge of cinema, technique, intelligence, calibre and personality in general - I take all of that in good spirit (and humour). After all it's a free country (and may I add, democratic too?) and we all have a right to speak out!

But doesn't that hold true for me too?

Shortly after Eklavya - The Royal Guard was announced as the chosen one for India's nomination, I was asked a simple question if it was a deserving entry or not. I answered in negative. For me, Chak De India or Dharm were better candidates. It was as simple as that with me sharing my point of view. Did I start talking about your intelligence of cinema, skills and personal preferences etc.?

And by the way, how could I do that for a person who has 'produced' successful films like Parineeta, Munnabhai MBBS and Lage Raho Munnabhai?

But shall I add that I am yet to see a blockbuster 'directed' by you which has touched hearts of millions across the globe and brought in 'moolah' as well!

Can I also add that cumulative global revenue of all the films directed by you (Eklavya - The Royal Guard, Mission Kashmir, Kareeb, 1942: A Love Story, Parinda, Khamosh, Sazaye Maut, An Encounter with Faces) do not even come near what my debut film Heyy Babyy has earned (and still counting)?

Hence, can I add that me, a much lesser in age and far lesser experienced individual in movie making, has probably more box office sense than you?

Sure, you have a strong 25 years experience in film making and claim to have known and heard of a legend like David Lean.


My question to you is - "Are you alone?"

Isn't David Lean the same person who won two Oscars as a Best Director for The Bridge of River Kwai [1957] and Lawrence of Arabia [1962]? Isn't he the same person whose first directorial venture was In Which We Serve [1942] and the last as A Passage to India [1984]?

And by the way, he is called Sir David Lean and not David Lean. Alas, he is no more! Anyways, he would have been pained to see his name being dragged. Of course, I could have possibly got all this information from the powerful medium of Internet (may be even you could have!) but I am not telling.

What I am just saying is that there are possibly other deserving souls apart from you in the country who know, read, decipher and understand international cinema. And may be capturing good looking frames may not just be the right definition of making interesting cinema.

However, I love cinema and my country (in no particular order) as much as you or any respecting person would. I genuinely wish you all the best for taking Eklavya - The Royal Guard to the highest platform and bringing us laurels. A choice has been made and my sincere congratulations to you for that. I hope to see the film breaking into Top-5 at the least.

With best wishes,
Sajid Khan

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