Earlier this year, Bangladesh asked Pakistan for a formal apology for the 1971 war crimes. But responsibility for the massacre of civilians does not rest with Pakistan alone. Ramesh Sharma’s latest documentary ‘Chronicles of the Forgotten Genocide’ looks at the role of the US in the violence that accompanied the birth of Bangladesh. The Emmy-nominated filmmaker speaks to Shruti Sonal about the legacy of American imperialism, and the lingering scars of 1971.
Your debut film ‘New Delhi Times’ (1986) came at a time when political thrillers were rare in Indian cinema. Nearly 40 years later, what drew you to a project that revisits a turbulent political moment — the 1971 Bangladesh genocide?
I’m always looking for subjects that combine human interest with elements of politics and injustice. When Bangladesh was marking 50 years of its creation, I had just finished a documentary called Ahimsa and began to realise the amount of violence and lack of accountability that defined the Partition of India. After reading about what I call the Bangladesh genocide of 1971, I realised there had been no accountability in this either….
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After the truth-shower 