His story only reached a global audience when it was published in the West in the 1990s and subsequently adapted into this film. Szpilman died in 2000, two years before the film’s release, but he lived to know his story would be told. The film is dedicated to his memory.

Check the settings in the media player options. Ensure "Hindi" is selected as the primary audio track.

Szpilman does not fight back. He doesn’t lead an uprising or save dozens of lives. He simply refuses to die. That makes him more relatable than any action hero. Most of us, faced with the same nightmare, might also choose to hide, beg, and scrape by.