Teaser of Raima Sen-starrer ‘Maa Kaali’ to release on July 4, film based on 1946 Calcutta killings

Mumbai: The makers of the movie ‘Maa Kaali’, starring Raima Sen and IAS officer turned actor Abhishek Singh, unveiled a new poster on Tuesday and announced that the teaser will be released on July 4.

‘Maa Kaali’ is a socially relevant, hard-hitting, and haunting tale based on the 1946 Calcutta killings that led to the partition of India. It portrays the true events of the ‘Direct Action Day’ and ‘Naokhali’ massacres.

The makers took to social media and dropped the poster, featuring a red-coloured map of West Bengal as the backdrop. It depicts Raima and Abhishek in distress, with glimpses of a mosque, protests, and a fleeting moment of happiness with Raima and two young girls.

The post was captioned: “A history erased! A present oppressed! And a future endangered. Welcome to Bengal (1946-Present)… The ERASED SAGA of the massacres of #DirectActionDay to the continued persecution of Hindus till today #MaaKaali in cinemas soon! Teaser out on July 4, 2024.”

Director Vijay Yelakanti said in a statement: ” ‘Maa Kaali’ is a homage to all the lives lost in the ruthless massacre driven by power and ambition. Although it is directly related to one of the most significant chapters of our modern Indian history, ‘Direct Action Day’ continues to be an untold story of human suffering. With the film, we aim to offer a voice of support, sympathy, and solidarity to all the people who continue to bear the scars of this uneventful tragedy.”

Delving into the pivotal events of August 16, 1946, infamously known as ‘The Week of Long Knives’, Maa Kaali sheds light on the erased history of pre-partition turmoil in Bengal.

Introducing the poster of the film, the makers have shed light on the atrocities subjected to Bengali Hindus on the cusp of Independence, the scars of which prevail even after decades of the incident. With the aim of a separate Muslim homeland, the All-India Muslim League resorted to ‘direct action’ on August 16, 1946, resulting in communal violence that sacrificed the lives of thousands of Bengali Hindus.

Scaling the events before, during, and after the partition, the film promises to uncover the horrors that have been long kept hidden from the people.

Shot in Hindi, ‘Maa Kaali’ is a trilingual film that will also release in Bengali and Telugu.

Written and directed by Vijay Yelakanti, it is produced by TG Vishwa Prasad, co-produced by Vivek Kuchibhotla, and presented by People Media Factory.

The film is slated for release this year.

–IANS