Dev Benegal to adapt historian Romila Thapar’s bestselling book Shakuntala

Filmmaker Dev Benegal is all set to make a comeback after more than a decade with a film based on the book Shakuntala by historian and author Romila Thapar.

The director has also collaborated with Thapar to pen the screenplay of the movie.

Benegal announced the film on social media by sharing a picture of the screenplay and the book Shakuntala. “A collaboration that means the world to me. In a year surviving COVID and all its crazy side effects, I do not know how I managed this. But... there’s a new film in there. For Romila, with love and resolution,” he said.

Benegal also shared candid pictures of himself with Thapar, seated at a dining table in a simple house.

Filmmaker, actor, singer and producer Farhan Akhtar replied to Benegal’s tweet: “All the best Dev. Look forward.”

Benegal’s last release was Road, Movie (2010). As the title suggests, it was a road-trip movie and starred Abhay Deol and Tannishtha Chatterjee. Benegal is best known, however, for his National award-winning debut film English, August (1994) and the critically acclaimed Split Wide Open (2000).

At the start of his career, Dev had assisted his uncle and filmmaker Shyam Benegal on Kalyug (1981) and the latter’s documentary on Satyajit Ray titled Satyajit Ray (1982).

14:50pm: The report has been updated with Dev Benegal's tweet and credit for the lead image.