WITNESS No. 41: Bollywood Film on journalist Ayanjit Sen’s Assignment

NEWS WAVE INDIA: One of the biggest Bollywood production houses is planning to come up with a Hindi feature film later this year on a true story based on noted senior journalist and global digital strategist, Mr. Ayanjit Sen. Sources say, the film is based on Mr. Sen’s assignment in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir for a television news channel and also his appearance as a government witness in the Red Fort attack case carried out by Lashkar-e-Toyeba militants two decades ago in which a few army personnel belonging to the Seven Rajputana Rifles, were killed.

In a telephonic chat with News Wave India, from New Delhi, Mr. Sen, who is trained in hostile environment courses for international journalists by former army officers in India, UK, and Malaysia, said, ”It all happened in a casual chat over a cup of coffee in Mumbai a few weeks ago with director duo – Jenny-Dipayan. After listening to my story, they did some preliminary research and called me a few days later to say that my real story can be made into a film as it has all the necessary elements and will be a great eye-opener for facts still not before the public.”

Sources say leading actor Ajay Devgan is scheduled to be approached, to play Mr. Sen’s role and other roles are being finalized.
Mr. Sen has worked for a few international news organizations for several years. The story is to also to do with the horrific days and nights he had to spend as a journalist in a terrorist camp in PoK after entering through Afghanistan and then finally managing to leave under dramatic circumstances. His conversations with the terrorists in the camp helped him also understand their life and psyche. “They are not them as human beings. They are just short of mechanized animals and their only aim is to harm India in whichever way possible,” he said.

During his stay there, despite all odds, he unearthed several facts which later, he passed on to the Indian intelligence authorities.
“Despite my work as a journalist, my nation comes first,” he said.

The only other time he visited Pakistan was during the cricket series that India played against Pakistan in 2004. That was his only official visit as a journalist.