New Delhi, March 22 (PTI): From a book to a play to now another book, it’s a full circle for “The Last Salute”, says director Mahesh Bhatt, recalling how Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi’s account of hurling a shoe at the the US president George W Bush back in early 2000s, inspired them to recreate the story for the stage.
Zaidi’s book was named “The Last Salute to President Bush” and the Indian play inspired by it became “The Last Salute” with Bhatt serving as the presenter on the stage production.
The filmmaker has now penned the foreward to Rajesh Kumar’s book chronicling their play.
Recalling the seed of the idea for the play, the director said he had refused an invitation to attend the 51st National Prayer Breakfast with Bush in 2003.
It was Bhatt’s protege, Imran Zahid who prompted him to develop al Zaidi’s “The Last Salute” as a play. Zahid acted in the production, scripted by Kumar and directed by Delhi theatre veteran Arvind Gaur.
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“My association with the world of amateur theatre was to be in touch with the heartbeat of the nation, where the nation actually breathes, aspires, dreams. That brought me to Delhi, where I met Arvind Gaur and Imran Zahid, one of my very dear proteges,” Bhatt told PTI in an interview.
“Mr Zahid said to me ‘Bhatt sahab, you wrote a letter when you were invited in 2003 for the prayer breakfast meeting which expressed a similar sentiment’ as Muntadhar’s shoe hurling incident’… This play is a reminder about the importance of the artist in shaping public opinion. A journey that began from a book went into a play and it comes back into a book form. That’s a circle of journey,” he added.
Bhatt, 74, said he took “The Last Salute” across the country, adding, this play could have only been done in India. “It’s only India which can perform a play like this because our founding fathers have given us the freedom to express our dissenting views,” he noted.
But the journey was not without obstacles.
