'Raag Desh' team has surreal experience at Netaji's residence

Actors Kunal Kapoor and Mohit Marwah on Thursday had a "surreal experience" as they walked into Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's ancestral home here ahead of the release of their film "Raag Desh -- Birth of a Nation."

"It is really surreal. I had obviously read about Netaji but I had no idea about INA. I have been living with this character for over a year now, so it feels as if I am connected," Kapoor told the media here at the Netaji Bhawan.

The film set for a July 28 release is about the contribution of Subhas Chandra Bose's Indian National Army (INA) in India's Independence.

Directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia, "Raag Desh" is essentially the story of the famous Red Fort trial of three INA officers (Colonel Prem Sahgal, Shah Nawaz Khan and Gurubaksh Singh Dhillon).

Kapoor essays the role of Shah Nawaz Khan while Marwah portrays Sahgal.

"It was absolutely fascinating to see pictures of Shah Nawaz, to see pictures of Netaji, to see his footsteps... that reminded me of the song 'Kadam Kadam Badaye ja'," said Kapoor.

Marwah said it was an emotional moment. "I didn't have too much knowledge about INA myself. It's an emotional moment. The energy is getting to me," he said.

Kapoor also posed in front of the iconic four-door German sedan Wanderer that ferried Netaji during his "Great Escape" in 1941.

Netaji's nephew Sisir Bose drove him in the sedan (bearing the registration number BLA 7169) through the streets of Kolkata to Gomoh (now in Jharkhand) hoodwinking British intelligence. He reached Germany via the Khyber Pass, Kabul and Moscow.

Sumantra Bose, Sisir's son, hosted the team.

"They walked through the museum, Netaji's study, his bedroom... museum display... Asia Room which depicts the 1942 to 1945 period.... also saw the path from his bedroom corridor to the sedan during the escape," Sumantra told IANS.

--IANS

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