All about the real-life 1946 Calcutta murders that inspired the film starring Rimi Sen

The teaser of Maa Kaali The film, starring Rimi Sen in the lead role, has been released. It is said to be inspired by the partition of Bengal and tell the harrowing story of the ‘Great Calcutta Massacre’ or the ‘Direct Action Day’ that led to the division of India. Besides Raima Sen, the period drama stars IAS officer-turned-actor Abhishek Singh.

But what exactly happened in August 1946?

The Great Calcutta Massacre, also known as Direct Action Day, took place on 16 August 1946, when the All-India Muslim League decided to take ‘direct action’ to secure a separate homeland for the country’s Muslims after the British left India. This led to sectarian riots across the state, followed by a bloodbath between Muslims and Hindus in Calcutta (now Kolkata), the Bengal region of British India. The four-day violence, dubbed the Week of the Long Knives, left 10,000 people dead and 15,000 seriously injured.

What is the story of Maa Kali?

Excerpt from the teaser of Maa Kali/YT

Maa Kali draws heavily on the history of the Calcutta and Noakhali massacres, which had far-reaching political consequences. The novel sheds light on the forgotten history of Bengal and reveals how Bengali Hindus experienced atrocities at the dawn of independence, leaving a terrifying mark even after nearly eight decades.

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Maa Kali director Vijay Yelakanti discussed the script in an interview and said, “Although it is directly linked to one of the most important chapters of our modern Indian history, Direct Action Day continues to be an untold story of human suffering.“

Maa Kali is a trilingual film produced by TG Vishwa Prasad. It will be released in Hindi, Bengali and Telugu. The teaser begins with “Let the truth be heard, LOUD and CLEAR”.

To see the teaser, Click here.

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