The past few weeks have been undeniably tense for every Indian across the world. Our country’s safety has been compromised, our men have been martyred and our families have been torn apart.
When the film Duty was conceptualised, it struck a chord in the hearts of everyone that heard it. But little did we know the poignancy of the timing of our release. With a heavy heart, we salute our brave soldiers who were sacrificed in Pulwama on the 14th of February, 2019 due to an unnecessary act of aggression. In a small way, Duty is our tribute to the families they left too soon.
Rarely has a movie questioned why servicemen and their families knowingly and repeatedly choose patriotic martyrdom? What drives them to stand tall at the border, knowing they may never return home? And what does this mean for the people they leave behind? Diya Films’ latest offering, Duty, brings the sacrifices of these unsung heroes to the forefront.
Through a zoomed-in portrayal of the lives of the individuals that make up our military, Duty establishes that the strength of the army is not only made up of the soldiers at the border but also in the determination of every spouse standing behind each soldier with an equally iron-clad resolve – the ultimate sacrifice. With no essentially good or bad characters, Duty poignantly captures that the only real culprit is War.
Director and DoP Anand Paga joins hands once again with his leading man, Sreyus Palliyani. Their successful prior collaborations include Awakening, a look into modern-day spirutality, and Napoleon, Anand’s debut as a director on the big screen. Sreyus, known for authoring thriller novels such as Gabriati: Rise of the Preceptor (2016), was ideal for the role of a Special Forces Commander in Duty, due to his extensive expertise in martial arts forms including Okinawan Karate, Kubudo, Kalari and Taekwondo. Kriti Aggarwal stars opposite him. Along with having a passion for acting, Kriti is a trained actor, and has extensive stage experience. Duty will mark her second film project as a lead actress. This project is helmed by Diya Films, the production house known for tackling issues starkly relevant to societal challenges today, that brought us hits such as Angel Priya, a social commentary on the convoluted nature of gender expectations. With principal photography having been completed in early 2019, Duty will be hosted on Diya Films’ official YouTube channel. You can watch it now here
