Celebrating the life of Amichand Rajbansi

The Minority Front (MF) has much to celebrate this week, unveiling a documentary on the late Amichand Rajbansi while simultaneously launching a new logo aimed to attract a younger generation.

The film, Bengal Tiger - The Rajbansi Story, seeks to showcase and highlight the life and legacy of Rajbansi, the late founding leader of the MF.

The documentary, produced by Arish Sirkissoon and Rajbansi's widow, Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi, premiered in Durban this week. It will be released in cinemas on October 3.

It explores both his achievements and controversies through the voices of those who knew him, worked with him, or studied his legacy.

Sirkissoon said as a filmmaker he had always been drawn to stories that delve into the complexities of human resilience and leadership.

"Bengal Tiger - The Rajbansi Story is one such tale, a narrative that transcends political boundaries to illuminate the life of a man who profoundly impacted South Africa’s socio-political landscape. Amichand Rajbansi, known as the "Bengal Tiger", was a figure of both admiration and controversy, embodying the struggles and triumphs of a marginalised community during a turbulent era.

"This documentary is not merely a recounting of his life but a deep exploration of his legacy, what he represented to the South African Indian community during apartheid and what his story means for us today," he said.

Thakur-Rajbansi said the concept for the film took root in 2018, but gained momentum in 2023 when the interview processes began.

"The documentary style movie chronologically reflects Rajbansi's life from childhood until his passing.

"When I looked at the archived material I thought the movie needed to be done in a chronological way. There are so many people's lives that Mr Rajbansi impacted that to this day people really miss him," she said.

The film features interviews with a wide range of voices including political leaders, historians, journalists, colleagues, community figures, friends and family

"The film shows what motivated him to become politically active at a young age and how that passion never dimmed at any point no matter what the challenges were. He persevered and felt there was a space for him to be a voice for people that were disadvantaged or discriminated against.

"He was a grassroots leader and people's person. His consistency as a leader and being in tune with the people is what comes through in the movie," she said.

Thakur-Rajbansi said Rajbansi was an excellent administrator who knew how to archive material.

"He had the oldest type of storage material from reels to VHS tapes, DVDs and USB's and archived events. He kept a lot of family and work albums which was a great deal of help in putting this documentary together."

She said after watching the movie, audiences will be inspired, motivated and deeply proud of being South African, Indian and of their culture.

Thakur-Rajbansi also unveiled a new, sleeker, eye-catching MF logo.

She said they decided to improve it in ways that it would appeal to younger people.

"The MF is back and in the running for the next elections. The new logo is like a new beginning for the new Gen Z.

"A lot of the current Indian politicians are aging. If you are not going to replace them with quality leaders who are mentored by senior leaders, then succession can be dangerous if not mentored properly.

"I am recruiting and mentoring candidates currently to fight the 2026 local government elections. We have been recruiting people in the areas that are our stronghold. We are then going to move to areas that were neglected so that we can start building support bases. I'm highly motivated to do this. I have been constantly asked if I am going to come back. I am strong. I will never recover from the loss of my children, but now I have to do it in their memory and for other children. In the coming weeks we will be making some announcements for eThekwini, especially," said Thakur-Rajbansi.

SUNDAY TRIBUNE