“Hey Ram” is a controversial bilingual Tamil and Hindi film written, directed and produced by Kamal Haasan and he also starred as the protagonist in the film. A period drama told in flashback, the semi-fictional plot centres around India’s Partition and the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi by the Hindu extremist Nathuram Godse. The film is about a protagonist’s journey from religious hatred to love with the theme of the partition of Bengal in the background. Its relevance in the present Indian environment clouded by religious extremism was widely unrecognized. This is the story of Saket Ram, as narrated by his grandson. The film takes place as Ram, a retired archeologist, lies on the deathbed, on 6 December 1999, the 7th anniversary of the destruction of Babri Mosque in Ayodhya. The film was a treat to eyes through it’s visual effects and amazing acting by Kamal Hassan & Sharukh Khan. The film won many national & international awards and was chosen as India’s official entry to the Oscars to be considered for nomination in the Best Foreign Film category for the year 2000.
