'Khan will rules for the next 20 years'

rediff.com: 'Khan will rules for the next 20 years'

I was amazed with the fact that this film is set about 150 years ago, in 1857 but the incidents of that time are still very contemporary. If you compare the global situation with Mangal Pandey, you will see that the events happening then in India is happening today in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Another reason why I did this film was because this person became the first martyr of the war of Independence. So it was an opportunity to play the part of a man who became the symbol of freedom. Very few people know who Mangal Pandey was. He was neither a king nor a statesman. There is nothing recorded about him. Whatever record we have about him is by the British.

what good the British did for India is not a topic of discussion. Of course, they have done good things. The film is not saying that the Britishers were bad or the Americans are bad. It says that every individual has the right to keep his head high.

Just because you are powerful does not give you the right to conquer me. You may have modernisation on your side, but I may not be interested in that. What gives you right to decide for me as to what is good and bad for me? What right do you have to say 'Railways lagao' (build railway lines)?

What is modernisation? I have a cell phone, a car and modern machinery at my disposal. Or is the Adivasi more modern because he is living with nature? He has not disturbed the ozone layer or messed up eco system like I have. He is living with nature peacefully. He does not have a refrigerator that is damaging the eco system. What is progress after all?

Lagaan was a film about how an underdog achieved the impossible. Mangal Pandey is about the concept of freedom. As a human being, I feel nations are man made. I believe in happiness and humanity.

Lagaan was like a fairy tale, and a bit like Asterix. Mangal Pandey is about a real incident.

Only the Britishers have recorded history about Mangal Pandey. They call the Revolt of 1857 a 'sepoy mutiny' while we Indians call it the First War of Independence.

The common man had joined this rebellion. In Uttar Pradesh, a lady who owned a brothel joined the rebels. So for me to see the rebellion as a sepoy mutiny is inaccurate.

The song Mangal Mangal is taken from folklore and was sung in villages during the rebellion.

Another important aspect of Mangal Pandey is that it is being told through a friendship. The story is about Toby Stephens (Editor's note: Toby, seen above with Aamir, played the villain in the James Bond film Die Another Day) and me.

Toby is a gem of a guy and so thorough in his work. Indian audiences will enjoy watching him. He is a highly trained actor from British theatre (Editor's note: He is the son of the legendary actress Dame Maggie Smith).

Now, I have taken steps to address this complaint. I will do one film at a time and take a break of four months. After Mangal Pandey, my next film, Rakesh Mehra's Rang De Basanti, will release next year.

After that, Kunal Kohli's film for Yash Raj Films will release.

So you did not like Shah Rukh Khan's Devdas?

Much has been said about that. Shah Rukh is a very good actor. I didn't like the script and the way the director perceived the character.