Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan's '72 Hoorain' to hit theatres on July 7

Mumbai: Feature film "72 Hoorain", directed by Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan, will be released in Indian theatres on July 7, the makers announced Sunday.

The 2019 film, starring Pavan Malhotra and Aamir Bashir in the lead, focuses on the consequences of violent extremism. Chauhan, who has also edited the movie, said the story is a "tragic reminder of the power of manipulation" and the "urgent need to address the root causes of terrorism."

"The slow poisoning of the mind by perpetrators turns ordinary individuals into suicide bombers. Let us remember that even the bombers themselves, with families like ours, have fallen victim to the twisted beliefs and brainwashing of terrorist leaders. Trapped in a deadly illusion of 72 virgins, they embark on a path of destruction, ultimately meeting a gruesome fate," the director, also known for films such as "Lahore", said in a statement.

"72 Hoorain" had its premiere under the Indian Panorama section at the 2019 International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, where it received the ICFT-UNESCO GANDHI MEDAL Special Mention.

In 2021, Chauhan won the National Film Award for best direction for the film.

Producer Gulab Singh Tanwar said "72 Hoorain" is the perfect story to showcase "how in the name of religion, fictional stories were sold to innocent and ordinary people in order to convert them into brutal terrorists." Co-producer Ashoke Pandit urged audiences to watch the movie with a "rational mind".

"The movie will definitely make you ponder upon certain beliefs prevailing in the society and how they are a mere figment of imagination. It will make you think about the concepts and ideologies that are not even close to reality in any way, and how they are merely used to brainwash people to mould them into terrorists in the name of jihad," he added.

Produced by Saarthie Entertainment and Aliens Pictures, "72 Hoorain" is written by Anil Pandey and Junaid Wasi.