Benegal set to direct Punjabi docudrama

PATIALA: Renowned filmmaker Shyam Benegal, who has made classic movies like "Manthan", 'Ankur", "Nishant" and "Zubeida" and TV series "Discovery of India", is going to direct a docudrama on the role of Punjabis in India's freedom struggle. Besides the Dadasaheb Phalke awardee, another big name of Indian cinema associated with this novel initiative is Shama Zaidi, who has written the scripts and dialogues of movies like "Umrao Jaan", "Mandi", "Zubeida", "Making of the Mahatama", "Suraj ka Satvan Ghoda", "Netaji" and "Chandaradas Chor".
Zaidi has written the screenplay of Punjabi docudrama, which will trace the major events in Punjab's history and its role in the freedom movement from 1849, when the province was annexed by British, right up to the Partition.
The 90-minute movie is being produced by the department of culture of Punjab government and would be shot at locations in Patiala and Chandigarh. "We have already conducted auditions. Some Punjabi theatre artistes and commercial actors will be signed. Benegal is busy in US this month. Shooting will start in the middle of February after Benegal's return," confirmed script writer Amrik Gill, who won the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) award in 2000 for writing dialogues of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam".
Gill, who also acted in Gulzaar directed "Maachis", will assist Benegal in the film's production. "Team of Shama Zaidi and Atul has written the script, which is divided into 20 chapters, each of which is dedicated to major happenings from 1849-1947. There will be over 90 speaking characters in the docudrama. The project would be accomplished in around six-seven months," Gill told TOI.
Refusing to divulge the film's budget, he said it is being produced as part of Punjab government's project wherein it is constructing Jang-e-Azadi memorial in Kartarpur town of Jalandhar to showcase state's contribution to the freedom struggle and the national security in independent India. "Primarily, the film will be regularly shown at Jang-e-Azadi. Whether it should be released for commercial purpose, it is up to the Punjab government to decide," Gill added.
Punjabi University, Patiala, has been given the job of recording the balladeers, who sing songs based on the lives of Punjabi icons of the freedom movement. Gurnam Singh, head of the university Gurmat Sangeet department, said, "We have recorded the ballads sung by kavishars (balladeers) of south Punjab. These ballads would be used as anchor in the film."