The recorded Urdu compositions to be released on January 21st.
By Prabhav Hiremath
MUMBAI: Every time Amitabh Bachchan delivers a dialogue on-screen, endorse a brand, recite few lines from his late father’s poetry or simply talks to media, it’s cherished.
The actor, who was recently voted as one of ‘World’s Most Admired Personalities’ by a British daily, will now lend his voice to the Urdu ghazals written by Indian freedom fighter, Swatantryaveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, during his 11 years of imprisonment at Andaman Islands. The CD with these Urdu compositions will be released on January 21st.
Ranjit, grand-nephew of Savarkar and chairman of Swatantryaveer Savarkar Rashtiya Smark (SSRS) said, “Amitabh Bachchan is well known for his distinct voice. We thought his would make for a befitting voice for introducing the ghazals written by Swatantryaveer Savarkar while serving a life sentence in Andaman in 1921.”
On his meeting with Ranjit, the megastar received a copy of Veer Savarkar’s memoirs of struggle in prison and a manuscript of his verse, which he penned during that tenure.
Bachchan tweeted in gratitude, “Incomprehensive to fathom what freedom fighters went through to gain independence for nation…! Are they acknowledged enough? Had visited Andaman Island, Kala Paani and the prisons where freedom fighters were kept. Atrocious stories of their torture!”
These ghazals by Savrakar were traced down in July 2013, in addition to a book found in prison kept by Savarkar himself that contained his entire patriotic works. According to Ranjit, even Savarkar’s family were unaware of his proficiency in Urdu.
According to reports, when Savarkar was made foreman of the jail’s oil godown, for the first time, he got ink and paper to write on. His earlier works were written on prison walls with nails. These were memorized and then sent via prisoners who had to memorize them to bring them back to the mainland.
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