The State Is Complicit In Creating Terrorists Like Omar Sheikh

The State Is Complicit In Creating Terrorists Like Omar Sheikh

- Barkha Dutt

 Filmmaker Hansal Mehta and actor Rajkummar Rao are teaming up for their fourth film together, Omerta. Mehta sees the movie—on the life of terrorist Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh— as a “companion piece” to Shahid (2012), for which both Hansal and Rajkummar won national awards. About his preparation for Sheikh’s role, Rajkummar says, “I started watching disturbing videos just to feel angry towards the world.” Edited excerpts:

Hansal, why a film on the life of Omar Sheikh? This is the terrorist who beheaded [journalist] Daniel Pearl. India was forced to release him when IC 814 was hijacked [to Kandahar] in 1999. We know his story. Did you feel you had something new to say about him?

Hansal: I believe some of us knew his story. I think the story needed to be told, and as a personal story—as the journey of this boy. For me, what was most important is the way the state is complicit in creating and harbouring individuals like Omar Sheikh.

Which state? Because, in the movie it clearly refers to Pakistan. Omar is of Pakistani origin from Britain.

Hansal: Yes, I refer to the Pakistani establishment. The ‘deep state’ as you say—the ISI and their patronising of individuals like Omar Sheikh.

What is the ‘omerta’—the silence—that you are trying to break? There are several layers of silence. Silence could be about Islamism, about religious fundamentalism or state-backed terrorism as in the case of Pakistan and Omar Sheikh.