Arindam Sil's Mahananda slated to be released during Puja this year

Featuring Gargee Roy Chowdhury in the lead, Mahananda will highlight the relevance of Mahasweta Devi's ideals and political views.

Kolkata - 02 Jul 2021 7:00 IST

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Roushni Sarkar

Arindam Sil’s upcoming film Mahananda, featuring Gargee Roy Chowdhury in the lead, is scheduled to be released during Puja this year.

Based on the life and works of writer, activist and Padma Vibhushan awardee Mahasweta Devi, the film will see Roy Chowdhury play a fictionalized version of the late litterateur. Ishaa Saha, Debshankar Halder and Arna Mukhopadhyay will also play crucial characters.

Sil resumed shooting for the film on 30 June after a gap of three months. Mahananda went on the floor in March this year. The filmmaker is currently shooting in Kolkata. According to a report in The Times of India newspaper, the director will be shooting at as many as 35 locations in the city before moving to Rampurhat.

According to Sil, Mahasweta Devi has not been recognized as one of the more iconic Bengali personalities of the past few decades. “She never cared for the limelight as she worked to highlight the issues of the tribals," he said. "She never compromised on her ideals.”

Because of her steadfastness, Mahasweta Devi had to go through many ups and downs in life. But the film does not focus only on the dramatic moments.

“For us, Mahasweta Devi is synonymous with a movement,” said Sil of the Sahitya Akademi award-winning writer who was also a pioneering figure in the women’s movements that have gained prominence now. “Unfortunately, we don’t have many prominent figures today following her legacy in the tribal movements. Hence, it seems quite necessary to make a film on her ideals and political viewpoints,” he added.

The director chose the title Mahananda as the film will not depict Mahasweta Devi’s life chronologically. Instead, it will bring forth the relevance of her works and contributions being carried forward like the continuous flow of a river.

“Her works and writing are not meant to be confined to a particular period," he said. "The current clueless generation has a lot to learn and get inspired by Mahasweta Devi’s contributions to move ahead.”