'Omertà' is a study of evil

He smiled when he brutally beheaded American journalist Daniel Pearl. He laughed when his hoax phone call nearly brought India and Pakistan to the brink of a war. British-born Pakistani terrorist Omar Saeed Sheikh’s life is a study of evil. And, director Hansal Mehta researched for 13 years before he finally put this story, titled 'Omertà', on celluloid. Given the reviews that it has been garnering at film festivals around the world, it is clear that the director has successfully managed the tightrope walk of showcasing the evil of terror without glorifying it.The film, written by Hansal Mehta and Mukul Dev, has an ensemble cast featuring Rajkummar Rao, Timothy Ryan Hickernell, Keval Arora, Rajesh Tailang and Mo Pitz.
Hansal Mehta says, “A film like 'Omertà' is important because it exposes the role of state-sponsored terror, in this case by Pakistan. Very simply put, this is a study of an evil man. It is not a biopic to glorify the evil acts of a terrorist. It is unapologetic in its approach, it lays down the bare facts and leaves the viewer with a sense of awe, disgust, hate, surprise and lets them examine the ramifications of these events in their lives today.”
Shot in real locations across London and India, 'Omertà' revolves around some deadly terror acts, starting with the kidnapping of foreign tourists, the 9/11 attacks, the 2008 terror strikes on Mumbai and the beheading of Daniel Pearl.
'Omertà', presented by Swiss Entertainment in association with Karma Media and Entertainment, and produced by Nahid Khan, releases today.