Barring his maiden OTT series Tandav, filmmaker Ali Abbas Zafar says none of his projects have been controversial in nature and he wants to continue following the same pattern.

Tandav, starring Saif Ali Khan and Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub, was marred by controversy in 2021, and multiple FIRs were filed across the country over its alleged depiction of Hindu deities in a scene.

Zafar stressed that he was not a “controversial filmmaker” and respected all the communities and cultures. “None of the films before my last outing (Tandav) has been controversial. I like to tell stories that are very humane and I want to follow the same pattern with my work now and in the future.”

“I have respect for all communities and cultures. The beauty of Indian culture is we co-exist with a lot of love and mutual respect and I want to portray that in my films,” he said.

The filmmaker is best known for directing blockbuster movies such as Sultan, Tiger Zinda Hai, and Bharat, all featuring Bollywood star Salman Khan in the lead.

Zafar believes people working in the creative field should keep in mind the sentiments of the viewers. “Anything you produce is finally for an audience and you cannot offend them. You need to be sensitive, compassionate and lovable towards them as they are going to see your product irrespective of their faith, thought or opinion.”

His latest film Jogi, starring actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh, is set during the 1984 anti-Sikh massacre. The aim behind the movie was to talk about the idea of living in harmony, the director said. “It is an emotional film and a simple story with a lot of heart. The whole idea is that the first responsibility of any human being is to show humanity. That is the core of Jogi,” he explained.

The Hindi movie, which premiered on Netflix last week, explores the agony of the Sikh community in Delhi following the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi. Kumud Mishra, Zeeshan Ayyub, Hiten Tejwani and Amyra Dastur also play pivotal roles in Jogi, which is produced by Zafar along with Himanshu Kishan Mehra.

Through the lens of Dosanjh's titular character, Zafar said he has tried to capture a tale of brotherhood.

“Whenever there is chaos there is divided opinion about situations like these. What Jogi stands for is how people rise together. It does not matter which culture they come from. But how saving lives in a situation like this, is the need of the hour,” he added.