Kolkata, Jul 15 (PTI) A double version movie on the life of freedom fighter Jatindranath Mukhopadhyay, who died some 108 years ago in a gun battle with the British police force at the age of 35, will hit the screens across West Bengal this Durga Puja, director Arun Roy said.
Mukhopadhyay is popularly known as ‘Bagha Jatin’. He earned the epithet after single-handedly killing a ‘bagh’ (tiger) that had strayed into his Kayagram village in present-day Bangladesh in 1906.
“The film shows how he was drawn to revolutionary activities, how he spread his network across undivided Bengal and came in contact with Germans to procure arms and ammunition through the sea route. The movie ends with the gun battle as the British get wind of his plan,” Roy told PTI.
With Bengali star actor Dev essaying the lead role, the film titled ‘Bagha Jatin’ will be released in Bengali and Hindi during the Durga Puja in October.
The movie has been shot at Balasore in Odisha, Kolkata and other parts of West Bengal.
It was on the bank of the river Buribalam near Balasore, where the gun battle between Bagha Jatin and his four comrades on one side and the British force on the other took place on September 9, 1915. He was injured in the battle and died in a hospital the next day.
The movie will entirely focus on the later part of his life and how he was enthused by the revolutionary spirit with little references to his younger days, the director said.
Bagha Jatin was a member of revolutionary groups such as ‘Yugantar’ and ‘Anushilan Samiti’.
Director Arun Roy earlier made period films such as ‘8/12 Binay Badal Dinesh’ on the invasion of the Writers Buildings, the seat of British power, by three revolutionaries on December 8, 1930, and ‘Egaro’ (The Immortal XI) which tells the story of 11 barefooted Mohun Bagan club footballers who defeated British team East Yorkshire Regiment to win the IFA Shield in 1911 for the first time by Indians.
“I have always been fascinated by the freedom struggle,” said Roy.
Asked about the reason behind casting Dev in the lead role, the director said, “He perfectly fits into the image of Bagha Jatin. He had been preparing himself for the role for over six months. From expressions to delivering dialogues, Dev has worked hard to delve into the character.” Dev, in a tweet, said, “In a world dominated by oppression and tyranny, destruction looms inevitably. However, all it takes is one courageous saviour to put an end to these atrocities. For the first time ever, we bring you the immortal tale of India’s beloved son, Bagha Jatin, on the grand cinema screen.” ‘Bagha Jatin’ will be Dev’s second period film. In 2021, he had earlier starred in Dhrubo Banerjee’s ‘Golondaaj’, a biopic of Nagendra Prasad Sarbadhikari, the doyen of Indian football. PTI SUS ACD NN
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