Even as the country mourns the death of former Indian Foreign Minister Sushama Swaraj, popular Kerala filmmaker Mahesh Narayanan has paid rich tributes to her.
Mahesh's debut directorial venture 'Take off' dealt with the ordeal of 20 Kerala nurses who were abducted by the Islamic State in the Iraq city of Tikrit in 2014. The movie, released in 2017, was a box-office hit.
Mahesh studied some of the confidential international agreements Sushma had signed while working on the movie. “The research helped me understand the huge role Sushma played in the mission to rescue abducted Kerala nurses,” said Mahesh. “Her wilful stance and determination made the mission possible.”
Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy too shared a few anecdotes about Sushma's role in the mission with him.
Mahesh had rung up Chandy while preparing the gratitude cards. “I wanted to seek his permission before including his name in the credits,” he said.
But Mahesh was surprised when Chandy asked to put Sushma's name first. “Chandy reasoned that Sushma's stubborn decision made the rescue mission possible.”
Chandy's attitude surprised Mahesh. “Chandy and Sushma belonged to rival political parties. Who would ever offer credits of a successful international mission to a leader of opposing political party?” he asked.
Sushma's assurance
Mahesh said Chandy still remembers Sushma's assurance while bringing the nurses back home.
The special flight carrying the nurses did not get the permission to land at Kochi. Chandy learnt about it some time before the flight's landing. He immediately rang up Sushma. She told him not to bother about it. “Trust me, things will go by our plan. Leave it to me,” Sushma had told Chandy.
She kept her promise and the special flight landed at Kochi on time, Mahesh said.
Mahesh termed Sushma as an iron lady and the strongest woman leader in India after Indira Gandhi. “Sushma played crucial role in several other international rescues. Not all of them were highlighted,” he said.
