Showing posts with label Sagarika Ghose. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sagarika Ghose. Show all posts
Too much material to be made into a film-Vidya Balan on Indira Gandhi biopic
7:58 AM
With Ronnie Screwvala coming aboard as producer, Vidya Balan confirms Indira Gandhi biopic will be a web series
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; August 11, 2018)
When Vidya Balan announced earlier this year that she will play former prime minister Indira Gandhi in a biopic, fans and critics unanimously agreed she was the perfect choice to portray the Iron Lady of India. The debate, however, was whether Sagarika Ghose's book, Indira: India's Most Powerful Prime Minister - the source material - would be adapted into a film or a web series. In a chat with mid-day, the actor revealed that given the vast scope of the material, the makers have decided to make it into a digital show.
"There is too much material for it be made into a film. So, we decided to turn it into a web series. We don't know how many seasons we will be allotting to it. We are in the process of putting together a team," says Balan, glad that her long-cherished dream of essaying one of the most powerful figures in Indian history is being realised.
Balan reveals that the ambitious project will be bankrolled by good friend Ronnie Screwvala. Given that their muse is as charismatic as she is controversial, the team is ensuring that the script does justice to Gandhi. "We have to do a lot more research. Developing the script will take long, as there is so much information on her. We can't put a timeline as to when the project will go on floors."
Ask her whether they will approach the Gandhi family for permission and she says, "We don't require permission, as it's based on a book and we have the rights to it." Balan, who was recently appointed the brand ambassador of the Malta India Film Festival, says such platforms are essential for cinema. "It is encouraging to see our industry grow."
I always wanted to play Indira Gandhi-Vidya Balan
8:09 AM
Vidya Balan turns producer with the adaptation of Sagarika Ghose’s book on the late politician
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 11, 2018)
In July 2014, National Award winning actress Vidya Balan had admitted to Mirror that she had as many as six biopics on her platter but hadn’t signed any of them. The list included Leena Yadav’s Tragedy Queen aka Meena Kumari, Soham Shah’s film on Kiran Bedi, and a debutant director’s ambitious project on singer and Padma Bhushan awardee, Begum Akhtar.
Meanwhile, actor-filmmaker Ananth Mahadevan admitted that the actress was his first choice to play India’s first lady doctor Rakmabai, while Malayalam filmmaker Kamal wanted her to step into the shoes of poetess Kamala Das and Rajiv Menon had plans for a film on the renowned Carnatic vocalist, Bharat Ratna Subbulakshmi. At the time, Vidya had said, “As humbling as it is to be offered biopics, I am not sure if I want to be known as an actor with a monopoly on the genre.”
Now, we’ve learnt that the actress has finally decided to feature in a true-life story and it’s none of the above. Vidya has purchased the rights to journalist-author Sagarika Ghose’s bare-knuckle biography of Indira Gandhi, titled Indira – India’s Most Powerful Prime Minister, and will be turning producer with its screen adaptation in which she will also play the titular role. The book was recently pitched to filmmakers and writers at the Word to Screen Market 2017 at the Mumbai Film Festival.
“I am happy to have acquired the rights to Sagarika’s Ghose’s book because I have always wanted to play Indira Gandhi. I haven’t decided the details of the project yet. It will take a long time anyway,” Vidya told Mirror, while Sagarika added, “I am sure Vidya will be bravura on screen as Indira.”
The book explores the triggers behind the 1975 Emergency, Gandhi’s failed marriage, a turbulent relationship with her younger son Sanjay, and her numerous political battles.
In the recent past, actress Supriya Vinod has played Gandhi in Jabbar Patel’s 2014 film, Yashwantrao Chavan, and in Madhur Bhandarkar’s controversial political drama Indu Sarkar that released last year.
In July 2014, National Award winning actress Vidya Balan had admitted to Mirror that she had as many as six biopics on her platter but hadn’t signed any of them. The list included Leena Yadav’s Tragedy Queen aka Meena Kumari, Soham Shah’s film on Kiran Bedi, and a debutant director’s ambitious project on singer and Padma Bhushan awardee, Begum Akhtar.
Meanwhile, actor-filmmaker Ananth Mahadevan admitted that the actress was his first choice to play India’s first lady doctor Rakmabai, while Malayalam filmmaker Kamal wanted her to step into the shoes of poetess Kamala Das and Rajiv Menon had plans for a film on the renowned Carnatic vocalist, Bharat Ratna Subbulakshmi. At the time, Vidya had said, “As humbling as it is to be offered biopics, I am not sure if I want to be known as an actor with a monopoly on the genre.”
Now, we’ve learnt that the actress has finally decided to feature in a true-life story and it’s none of the above. Vidya has purchased the rights to journalist-author Sagarika Ghose’s bare-knuckle biography of Indira Gandhi, titled Indira – India’s Most Powerful Prime Minister, and will be turning producer with its screen adaptation in which she will also play the titular role. The book was recently pitched to filmmakers and writers at the Word to Screen Market 2017 at the Mumbai Film Festival.
“I am happy to have acquired the rights to Sagarika’s Ghose’s book because I have always wanted to play Indira Gandhi. I haven’t decided the details of the project yet. It will take a long time anyway,” Vidya told Mirror, while Sagarika added, “I am sure Vidya will be bravura on screen as Indira.”
The book explores the triggers behind the 1975 Emergency, Gandhi’s failed marriage, a turbulent relationship with her younger son Sanjay, and her numerous political battles.
In the recent past, actress Supriya Vinod has played Gandhi in Jabbar Patel’s 2014 film, Yashwantrao Chavan, and in Madhur Bhandarkar’s controversial political drama Indu Sarkar that released last year.
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