It’s a no-brainer that biopics have emerged as one of Bollywood’s favourite genres. While there’s no formula to success, a bevy of biographical stories over the past few years have set the ticket counters ringing more often than not. And now, producers Anjum Rizvi, Raghavendra N and Riju Bajaj have joined hands to helm Jai Hind, an international feature film and a biopic on the life of Dr Chempakaraman Pillai, a political activist and revolutionary, who coined the slogan ‘Jai Hind’.
While the makers are yet to unravel the cast, News18 has exclusively learnt that three mainstream actors are currently in contention for the lead role. A little birdie close to the film tells us that Ranbir Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor are being considered to essay the part of Dr Pillai.
The source states, “Often, we see that filmmakers involved in big-budget productions trying to zero down on Bollywood’s famous trio – Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan or Aamir Khan – to play the protagonist in their films considering their box office standing."
“But in case of Jai Hind, it’s probably going to be a clash between the Kapoors. All these actors are known for their gritty performances. They have also been seen playing strong characters very well," the source further continues.
While Rizvi didn’t deny the aforementioned information, he revealed that the scripting stage is still on. He told us, “India has a very beautiful heritage and its freedom fighters consist of common men who have done uncommon deeds. Chempakaraman Pillai is one man who has given the two words ‘Jai Hind’ which has become a world slogan for our nation now. We felt we should pay an ode to this amazing persona and hence we have decided to make a biopic on him. We are working on the cast right now and once the script is in place, we will see how it will work out from our end."
On a related note, Dr Pillai conceived the term ‘Jai Hind’ in 1907, which was adopted as the slogan of freedom fighter Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army (INA) in the 1940s based on the suggestion of then INA officer Abid Hasan Safrani. Following the outbreak of the First World War, Pillai founded the International Pro-India Committee in Zürich, Switzerland. He later merged it with the Berlin Committee, which became the guiding and controlling institution for all pro-Indian revolutionary activities in Europe, contributing to India’s independence. He also became known as the only person to demand a written apology from German politician Adolf Hitler for his derogatory comments on Indians at that time.
Jai Hind, based on true events of India’s freedom movement, is written by Rajesh Touchriver, who will also direct it. While the film will be made in English, it will also be released in Hindi and Tamil. It will be produced under the banners of Anjum Rizvi Film Co, Anuraag Entertainment and Lifft India Studios.
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