Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 18, 2017)

The screen adaptation of author- playwright Sujit Saraf’s 2009 novel, The Confession of Sultana Daku, has been in the works since 2014 when Tigmanshu Dhulia spoke about a film based on the life of the notorious dacoit. Siddharth Jain beat him to the film rights and was to collaborate with Boney Kapoor on the project. Over the last three years, from Salman Khan to Arjun Kapoor, several A-list actors have wanted to play this Robin Hood-like character. But none of them with the exception of Dara Singh who played the bandit king from the British Raj in a 1972 Bollywood action-drama titled Sultana Daku, have lived out their dream. Of late, there’s been talk of the book being translated into a British feature with Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the lead and Shekhar Kapur’s protégé Heeraz Marfatia as the director.

Now, Mirror has learnt that a Hindi film with Randeep Hooda as Sultana Daku will roll in April 2018. It will follow the exploits of the swashbuckling dacoit from the Bhantu clan who terrorised the United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand) in the 1920s.

The yet-untitled project will be directed by Madhureeta Anand, whose independent film, Walking On A Moonbeam, won the Silver Conch at the Mumbai International Film Festival in 2006, and the documentaries, Education – A Reality or a Myth, Kumbh Mela – In Search of Salvation, and short film, Sin, were lauded at several global film festivals.

“The film will be shot in the Terai region of Uttar Pradesh and Randeep, who is a champion horseman and rider, will film the extensive action and racing sequences in Kazakistan, where real locations will pass off as North India from the ’20s,” producer Rahul Mittra, who purchased the rights to the book with co-producer and presenter Raju Chadha, told Mirror.

Sultana was a dashing dacoit who named his horse Chetak, after Maharana Pratap’s horse and operated on a code of honour. When he was captured by the British, officer Freddie Young tried his hardest to have Sultana pardoned but to no avail. Sultana then asked Young to raise his son as a ‘sahib’ before he was sent to the gallows on July 7, 1924.

The makers are keen to give the film a contemporary spin. “The approach to the film will not be dark and gory and more like a superhero-drama, where Robin Hood Randeep’s character takes from the rich and gives to the poor as India fights for freedom,” Mittra added.


Sultana Daku after his arrest

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 23, 2015)

Subhash K Jha (DNA; June 9, 2015)


The Delhi girl who has a double-major in Political Science and Economics from New York University, can’t believe she is part of this big Bollywood movie with a cast of stalwarts. “I come from a family of flustered Panjus who can’t believe a girl from their clan had an acting plan. My father is a businessman. My mother’s family including my mother, are into academics. Interest in acting is the last thing they expected from me,” says Ridhima who took off to NY for a degree and then got herself a job in Wall Street, “Just so that my family is convinced that I’m capable of living up to their expectations.Then I resigned from the Wall Street job to pursue my dream.”

Landing up in Mumbai to pursue a career in films was not easy. Ridhima has three unreleased films to prove how tough the going can be for a newcomer not connected to the film industry. “I felt so out of place. The films that I did before Dil Dhadkane Do were not Bollywood stuff. One of them, Madhureeta Anand’s Kajariya, may release soon. Or so I hear,” sighs the pretty newcomer.

Ridhima got the role of Noorie after only one audition. “I didn’t have to struggle to get this role. But I couldn’t believe I’d be sharing screen space with all these huge names. It was like being thrown into the deep-end, pun intended,” she smiles.

Luckily for Ridhima everyone on board was cordial and warm. “The film’s co-writer Reema Kagti helped me find my way around. There I was with these heavyweights — all known and famous names. Luckily for me, everybody was very helpful, very nice. Their attitude helped me to relax and enjoy my part.”

She admits to improvising on her part. “I knew what I had to do. But I would do something more to scenes and then run off to a corner hoping nobody would be offended. I was extremely lucky to have a director like Zoya Akhtar, who was open to ideas.”

The reviews have made a mention of Ridhima’s debut. “To be noticed in a film that has so many big names is a blessing. I feel I am privileged. I could have easily been drowned, pun again intended. If I could float freely, it was because there were so many artistes to help and guide me. I’m grateful.”