Tour de-force film-maker, producer, voice of anti-caste cinema – Pa Ranjith who is currently enjoying the success of his latest socio-politically accentuated sports drama “Sarpatta Parambarai” starring Arya, forays into Hindi films with “Birsa”, an action drama biopic based on the life of Birsa Munda.
Birsa Munda was a tribal leader belonging to the Munda tribe from Jharkhand who stood up to British colonial oppressors. He spearheaded a tribal religious millenarian movement that arose in the then Bengal Presidency, during the British Raj thereby making him an important figure in the history of the Indian Independence Movement. Birsa is also credited for reviving the traditional tribal culture which was mostly negatively affected by Christian missionaries.
Ranjith, best known for helming socially relevant, critically acclaimed and politically sound Tamil films like “Sarpatta Parambarai”, “Madras”, “Kaala” and “Kabali”, said he is thrilled to start work on “Birsa”. “I could not have chosen a better project for my first Hindi film. The process of scripting and research behind the film has been a very enriching process. I have gained inspiration from Birsa’s life and his conviction for freedom and autonomy. Would also like to thank the producers for their patience during the process of research and scripting,” the director said in a statement.
“The action drama will be shot extensively at hitherto unseen locations and bring to the big screen verdant landscapes and deep jungles as never seen before,” a note from the makers read. Produced by Shareen Mantri and Kishor Arora under Namah Pictures, the film’s team has extensively toured Jharkhand and Bengal to trace Birsa’s life.
Shareen Mantri said the production house aims at telling stories that “engage, entertain and inspire”.”The team has undergone intense research for the film and we aim to bring alive Birsa’s story on a colossal scale,” Mantri added. According to Arora, Birsa Munda’s story of revolution “personifies courage in every way”. “We are thrilled to collaborate with Ranjith for his Bollywood debut as a director and cannot wait for the film to go on floors this year,” he added.
Ardent fans of Pa Ranjith and that includes us, are excited beyond the skies for this film. It’s time for Bollywood to finally show some caste-consciousness in it’s content and who better than Pa Ranjith to teach them how to do it? Meanwhile you can watch Madras, Kaala and Kabali on Disney+hotstar and Sarpatta Parambarai on Amazon Prime.