Streaming giants are bringing many hit and awaited movies & series in the first week of October 2023. Talking about the top October 2023 releases, the award-winning movie Ghuspaith: Between Borders was released on Jio Cinema on October 6, 2023, and it has been buzzing on social media among a particular section. Directed by Mihir Kalpana Lath, Ghuspaith: Between Borders features critically acclaimed actors like Amit Sadh, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, and more in the leading roles. Ghuspaith: Between Borders's trailer suggests Amit Sadh is playing the character of an Indian photojournalist who is in a foreign land where refugees are being persecuted and they are trying hard to flee from there by hook or by crook. Dibyendu Bhattacharya on the other hand seems like playing the character of a local helping Amit Sadh in unraveling the truths and persecution going on in his country. With the concept of the movie being so realistic, the question arises whether Ghuspaith: Between Borders is a true story or Ghuspaith: Between Borders is a real story or not? To know the answer continue reading-
Is Ghuspaith: Between Borders a true story?
The answer is yes. Ghuspaith: Between Borders is a true story based on an Indian Photojournalist named Danish Siddiqui who also won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize twice for his brave work in the world of journalism. Going by the trailer, Ghuspaith: Between Borders' storyline showcases the persecution and dismal condition of refugees living in Bangladesh and how an Indian photojournalist went on to unravel the ugly truth of the country. As per the makers of the movie, Ghuspaith: Between Borders is inspired by Danish and his companions' journey to cross borders, where they encounter bandits and a shocking massacre. After escaping, they face more danger, with Danish ultimately sacrificing himself. Now, the question arises who was Danish Siddiqui and what happened to him? Below is everything you need to know about 'real-life' Danish Siddiqui-
Who was Danish Siddiqui?
Based in New Delhi, Danish Siddiqui was a Photojournalist working as chief of the photo section of Reuters' India section. Danish won his first 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography, as part of the Reuters team, for documenting the Rohingya refugee crisis. Interestingly, Ghuspaith: Between Borders' story is based on Bangladesh, it means the movie depicts the Rohingya crisis. Talking more about Danish Siddiqui, in 2021, he was killed while covering a clash between Afghan security forces and Taliban forces near a border crossing with Pakistan. Danish won second Pulitzer posthumously in 2022 for documenting the COVID-19 pandemic in Uttar Pradesh, India. Notably, Danish also came under fire on social media for taking pictures of dead bodies getting burned who died due to the COVID pandemic in UP. However, Danish received global recognition for the picture he clicked in Uttar Pradesh.
Talking more about widely acclaimed photojournalist, Danish Siddiqui had since covered the Afghanistan War (2012), the Battle of Mosul (2016–2017), the April 2015 Nepal earthquake, the 2015 Rohingya refugee crisis, the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests, the 2020 Delhi riots, and the COVID-19 pandemic among other stories in South Asia, Middle East and Europe. He first joined Reuters as an intern in 2010 after a brief stint in other news daily. Since July 2021, Danish was serving as an embedded journalist with the Afghan Special Forces to document the Taliban offensive, in what would be his last assignment.
Talking about Danish Siddiqui's murder, reports suggested that the Indian photojournalist was killed in crossfire during the attack on 16 July in Kandahar's Spin Boldak. However, Danish's news organization later reported that he was alive and taken to a mosque nearby for treatment. It remained unclear what happened after. However, Indian officials and Afghan security officials informed the news organization that Danish Siddiqui's body was cut into pieces in Taliban custody after his death. However, the Taliban denied this and said the body was mutilated by the time they had found it.
Danish's parents in their official statement were quoted saying, "After his killing, his body was mutilated including being run over by a heavy vehicle. His body revealed marks of brutal torture and 12 bullet entry and exit points."