As the year comes to a close, Yoodlee Films has announced its first biopic, on the life and career of the late music composer N Datta. The announcement was made on his 33rd death anniversary.
N Datta, born Dattaram Naik, is known for his compositions in films like Dhool Ka Phool (1959) and Dharmaputra (1961) which were directed by Yash Chopra.
Datta, who ran away from his village in Goa, then under Portuguese rule, as a 12-year-old, often collaborated with BR Chopra and lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi to create memorable songs like 'Aurat Ne Janam Diya Mardon Ko’ (Sadhna, 1958) and ‘Tu Hindu Banega Na Musalman Banega' (Dhool Ka Phool, 1959).
The composer’s son, Roop Naik, is collaborating with Yoodlee Films to tell his life story.
Siddharth Anand Kumar, vice-president, films and TV, at Saregama India Ltd, stated, “Our parent company Saregama has a treasure trove of historic film scores and to rediscover N Datta's genius was a revelation. He started his career as an assistant to Sachin Dev Burman but grew to be a force to be reckoned with. His partnership with poet Sahir Ludhianvi remains one of the most celebrated of all times though not many people know that some of the seminal scores of the 1950s were composed by him.
“How his talent was discovered, how he rose to fame and then was unfortunately denied his rightful place in history makes for a compelling story,” he continued. “We are lucky that his son Roop is a part of this project to ensure authenticity. This is the first time we are producing a biopic and that we are announcing it on the death anniversary of the legend is an emotional moment for Roop and for us."
Roop Naik said, “I do not want the personal and musical legacy of my father to remain unacknowledged. That his story has remained unheard so far is why the film is called, N Datta: The Untold Story. His camaraderie with some of the doyens of our music industry and the subsequent output helped define the musical sound of 1950s. I am glad that Yoodlee Films with their story-telling acumen and Saregama with their musical archives are making this dream project come to life.
“The film will narrate why my father's life was full of extreme tragedy and triumph, why a musical genius had to die in anonymity, how a heart attack at the age of 32 blighted his success, his bond with Sahir saheb, his sometimes tumultuous equations with producers and directors, his generosity, personal life, his inability to compromise and a lot more.”