In her upcoming film Lamhaa, Bollywood actor Bipasha Basu plays the leader of a women's group in Srinagar who represses any act that is considered unorthodox by the separatist. The alluring Bipasha plays a Kashmiri terrorist in Bunty Walia's Lamhaa.
Bipasha plays Aziza, a sturdy leader of a women's group in Srinagar. They are the moral police and repress any act that is considered unorthodox by the separatist. As part of her duties, Aziza is taught how to use guns and is also trained in hand-to-hand combat ever since her childhood.
To avoid controversies, the producers didn't want to announce Bipasaha is playing a terrorist in the film, says the media report. The producers didn't want to announce that Bipasha plays a terrorist fearing controversies.
Says Bipasha, "I play a young girl who has been manipulated by the person, who brings her up. Aziza believes she's been trained in the right way, but later she undergoes a major transformation in the way she thinks."
Bipasha added that it was about perspective and what one chose to believe. "Nobody will believe that a fundamentalist or separatist is fighting for a cause his freedom," she said.
However, producer Bunty Walia said, "Bipasha doesn't play a terrorist. She has been brought up by a separatist leader Haji Baba (Anupam Kher) and follows his ideology. Her character doesn't understand that she's being manipulated till a military intelligence officer Vikram Sabharwal (Sanjay Dutt) puts forth certain facts. That's when her ideology changes and she starts following peaceful ways by dialogue and ballot and supports the youth reforms leader Atif (Kunal Kapoor)."
Bunty had planned to show the film to the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, but the screening was cancelled following widespread unrest in the Valley.
Bunty said, "It's absolutely insensitive to have a screening in Kashmir, especially after looking at what's happening there. Certainly we're disappointed that a film made on Kashmir can't be shown in there, however we've accepted it."
