Azhar director Tony D’souza has no qualms admitting, that his upcoming biopic on cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin takes many creative liberties. “I was very clear on this. I needed to tell a story that would connect with the maximum number of people. So without tampering with facts or twisting them, we’ve tried to tell a dramatic story — but with plenty of twists and turns,” he says.
Fortunately for Tony, Azharuddin has agreed to participate in the prolonged publicity of the film, right up to its release. “Azhar has been an amazing support. He has been with us from the start. He allowed Emraan to observe him and his cricketing moves. Now when the film is about to be released, Azhar is ready to walk that extra mile with us. This, in spite of the fact that we haven’t done a faithful rendering of his life story. Who does that?”
With most biopics in the recent past having been about people who aren’t around any more, this one’s a rare outing. “I guess we’re blessed,” adds Tony.
