History TV 18 to show 'Tamas' without any cuts

"Tamas", about the migration of Sikh and Hindu families to India during partition, will go on air on History TV 18 on Independence Day Thursday without any cuts. Govind Nihalani, who directed it, says it's important for the present generation to see his movie.

The TV film will be aired as an eight-part series daily from Aug 15 at 9 p.m.

Happy with the channel's decision, Nihalani told IANS: "This is the kind of show one would like the present generation to see. The last time the show came on TV was 25 years ago."

"'Tamas' is about the times which were very difficult and tragic in our nation's history when the country was struggling to get free from the British colonial rule. The process involved the loss of millions of lives and the partition of the country," Nihalani told IANS.

The issues of communalism and religious independence, depicted in the mini-series, are relevant even today.

Nihalani feels that people should know how communalism or igniting sentiments of communities in the name of religion can result in huge tragedy.

"The purpose is very political, so many human lives were lost in the name of religion. This issue is alive even today. The level of intolerance is much higher today than when I made it 25 years ago," he said.

Based on the Hindi novel of the same name by Bhisham Sahni, the film starred Om Puri, Bhisham Sahni, Amrish Puri, Pankaj Kapur, A.K. Hangal, Dina Pathak, Saeed Jaffrey and Surekha Sikri.

Recalling the stir, which the show had created at that time, he said that there was a lot of agitation.

"That time there was a huge hue and cry about stopping the telecast. During that period when agitation was going on, people who came out on the streets and supported were students groups, women groups and workers groups ... in Bombay (Mumbai) there was a human chain supported by all progressive people. It had a great impact on the viewers and also after the telecast was over, the debate continued in the press and media. This was a great positive," he said.

The channel will show "Tamas" without any cuts and Nihalani welcomed the decision. "I am glad it is being telecast without any cuts or editing," he said.