Reports say that director-producer Pa Ranjith is in talks with actors Arya, Sathyaraj and Rana Daggubati for a Tamil-Telugu film. However, sources close to Ranjith have denied this and said that he is currently busy with production work for his biopic on tribal leader Birsa Munda.
The Birsa Munda film is being planned on a massive scale, said a source. “He has been dedicating a lot of time to the project, and has not begun his next film yet. This is the only project he is focusing on right now.” About reports of Rana starring as a freedom fighter in the Birsa Munda biopic, the source clarified that the film is not likely to have actors from the south. “Since the story is set in the north, director Ranjith wants to bring in actors from there. Nothing has been confirmed yet,” the source said.
Ranjith announced the film on November 15, on Birsa Munda’s birth anniversary and said that it will be based on Mahaswetha Devi’s novel ‘Aranyer Adhikar’. Photos of him researching for the film and also holding a bow and arrow were released.
Johar to all! Elated to be making my Bollywood directorial debut with @namahpictures @shareenmantri @kishor_arora for the film on revolutionary leader #BirsaMunda.Film will be based on #MahaswetaDevi’s “Aaranyer Adhikar”(Jungle Ke Davedar).Magizhchi! https://t.co/suGebUfNaO
— pa.ranjith (@beemji) November 15, 2018
Next Pa Ranjith sir @beemji Movie is on Birsa Munda, he had reviled in its latest interview, @raghothamahoba @BluePan10159831 @LaxmipathyMn pic.twitter.com/vSOe3lVcyw
— srenivasaboudh (@srenivasaboudh) November 13, 2018
According to reports, the film will be entirely shot in Ranchi and produced by Namah Productions who backed Beyond The Clouds in 2018. It is also speculated that actor Ishaan Khatter, the star of Beyond The Clouds, met Ranjith to listen to the script and has already agreed to come on board.
Director Gopi Nainar had also announced a biopic on Birsa Munda and work on this film is yet to begin.
Birsa Munda was a tribal leader in the 19th century who stood up against the British colonial rule and inspired his people to fight oppression. He started a revolution to remove tax for plantation farmers in the 1890s. He was arrested by the British and spent his last days in jail, where he died of cholera at the age of 24. A portrait of the tribal leader is displayed in the Indian parliament and a statue in his honour has been planned in Jharkhand.
