It was a moment to remember as filmmaker A.R. Murugadoss unveiled a candid open letter on Friday during a promotional event for his upcoming production ‘August 16, 1947’.

Addressing his fellow countrymen, Murugadoss put forward an appeal to not take India’s independence for granted. He spoke about our bravely fought freedom struggle and highlighted many of the pains and bruises left behind after the battle. The maverick storyteller concluded his address with an inspiring message too.

Much like the films he is known for, Murugadoss’ letter had a powerful and striking impact on the audience. His honest confession on why he chose to produce ‘August 16, 1947’ also fetched a lot of applause.

Talking about his emotional note, A.R. Murugadoss says, “Freedom is not given to you, it is something you obtain with struggle and self-belief. In my own personal life, neither do I come from a film background nor do I have any formal education, and yet, I overcame all those fears to make films”.

Elaborating on his upcoming release on August 16, 1947, he adds, “In the beginning, we intended this film to be a Tamil release, but as we moved ahead, the unanimous reaction was that our story needs to be seen on a wider Pan-India scale. August 16, 1947, will surprise and enthrall you all at once. During an era when the country was stuck in a British cage, our film tells the story of a village that was trapped in a cage inside a cage and how it bravely fought back”.

The event also saw acclaimed producer Jayantilal Gada in attendance. The man behind hits such as Kahaani, Gangubai Kathiawadi, and RRR, Mr. Gada is all set to present the Hindi version of ‘August 16, 1947′.

Produced by A.R. Murugadoss along with Om Prakash Bhatt and Narsiram Choudhary, ‘August 16, 1947’ is the story of an erstwhile village, where one man inspires his fellow compatriots to fight against the evil British rulers, just as India is about to gain freedom. A tale of courage, patriotism, and love, the film is set to hit cinemas worldwide in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, and English on the 7th of April.

Well, if Murugadoss’ letter is anything to go by, we can look forward to a thrilling story that unearths a chapter of our history no one dared to tell!

Purple Bull Entertainment presents, ‘August 16, 1947’, an A.R. Murugadoss production, produced by A.R. Murugadoss, Om Prakash Bhatt, and Narsiram Choudhary, co-produced by Aditya Joshi. Starring Gautham Karthik, Revathy, Pugazh, and others, directed by NS Ponkumar, released worldwide on 7th April 2023.