Sonali Joshi Pitale (MID-DAY; September 10, 2015)

Bollywood can’t seem to have enough of biopics. A film inspired by the life of Khudiram Bose, a teenage revolutionary of the Indian independence movement, is in the offing. It will be helmed by ad filmmaker Bhanu Pratap.

Dinesh Tiwari, who is penning the script, says, “While researching for our other film on Chapekar Brothers, I came across an article which mentioned that Khudiram was the first person of the last century to be hanged. It interested me and I started reading up on him. Now my script is 80 per cent ready and we have started casting for the title role. We are not looking for an established name because it will be tough for us to make him look relatable. Khudiram was 18 when he was hanged by the colonial rulers. Very few people know about his life and apart from a lesson in primary classes, there isn’t much written about him.”

The makers have conducted auditions in a few cities and shortlisted 10- 15 theatre actors to play Khudiram. Mishra says, “We will soon finalise a boy who must have curly hair and looks rustic. We have approached Rituparna Sengupta to play the role of Khudiram’s sister, who greatly influenced his life and supported his cause. She has liked the script and we will sign her soon.”

The film is slated to go on floors in December and will be shot in Mumbai, Lucknow and Purulia. It might premiere at the Kolkata film festival, given that Khudiram hailed from West Bengal. After travelling to various festivals, the makers will aim for a commercial release.