Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; August 12, 2015)

The long-completed Manoj Bajpayee-starrer Traffic, which was stuck in the cans, might just see light of day in October thanks to its subject. The film, that faced production issues, now has an echo in the recent endeavours of traffic cops to create green corridors for quick transport of harvested organs for emergency transplant surgeries.

The film, being helmed by Rajesh Pillai, is a remake of his 2011 Malayalam film that revolves around a braindead man whose kin agree to donate his heart to a needy patient. The harvested heart, however, has to be transported 150 kilometres away in less than two hours during peak traffic hours.

Bajpayee essays the role of a traffic cop in the film that has an ensemble cast consisting of Jimmy Sheirgill, Divya Dutta and Kahaani (2012) actor Parambrata. The makers claim it is based on a true-life incident in Chennai.

Says Bajpayee, “The green corridor is a revolutionary initiative, an outcome of a real-life incident on which Traffic is based. I salute the traffic cops for the initiative and playing an important role in transporting vital organs on time to the desired destination. My respect for the traffic police has increased manifold. As I play a traffic constable in the film, I understood the intricacies and the difficulties that this job requires.”

Incidentally, Traffic was supposed to go on the floors in 2011 with Sunny Deol, Rajat Barmecha and Minissha Lamba. Later, there was buzz that Ajay Devgn had been approached. It has also been remade in Tamil and Kannada.