Kolkata, Aug 12 (PTI) Bengali actor Jeet on Wednesday said that portraying revolutionary Ananta Singh in his upcoming film ‘Keu bole biplobi keu bole dakat’ was among the most challenging and rewarding experiences of his career, as he sought to understand the freedom fighter beyond the confines of a historical figure.
Directed by Pathikrit Basu and produced by Nandy Movies and Jeetz Filmworks, the film is slated to release on August 14, a day before Independence Day.
Speaking about his preparation for the role, Jeet told PTI in an interview that extensive research went into understanding Singh’s personality, mindset and the circumstances that drove him towards revolutionary activities.
“I also read his book ‘Keu bole biplobi keu bole dakat’ (Some call me revolutionary, some call me dacoit) to understand his thoughts better,” Jeet said.
The actor described Singh as a man of “immense conviction and courage”, but said he was also a human being with his own conflicts and vulnerabilities.
“His struggles and sacrifices fascinated me, and that complexity is what made him so interesting to portray,” he said.
Jeet said this was the first time he was portraying a revolutionary on screen.
“It has been one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my career,” he said.
On the relationship between Ananta Singh and revolutionary Surya Sen, popularly known as Masterda, Jeet said it was based on “deep respect, trust and a shared commitment to the revolutionary cause”.
“Masterda was the mentor and guiding force, while Anant Singh was one of his most committed comrades,” he said.
They were associated with the 1930 Chittagong Armoury Raid.
Director Pathikrit Basu told PTI that the idea of making the film emerged from the unusual and complex legacy of Ananta Singh, who was viewed by some as a revolutionary icon and by others as an outlaw.
“When I delved into his writings and historical records, I realised this wasn’t just a biographical narrative — it was a high-stakes, deeply emotional psychological dynamic,” Basu said.
He said the film attempts to explore the grit, sacrifices and moral ambiguities of the freedom struggle rather than presenting a conventional heroic account.
Basu said Jeet brought the physical presence, intensity and emotional vulnerability required for the role, while the ensemble cast, including Tota Roy Chowdhury, Priyanka Sarkar, Debattama Saha and Loknath Dey, helped recreate the world of the revolutionaries.
The director said the period setting required extensive archival research, with the writing and research teams consulting literary sources, period photographs, memoirs and colonial records.
“Art director Tanmay Chakraborty worked on sets and period props, while cinematographer Soumik Halder used warm, muted visual textures to recreate the atmosphere of British India. Costumes by Sanchita Pal Chakraborty and makeup by Somnath Kundu were designed to retain a rugged and historically grounded appearance,” he said.
The film’s music and background score have been composed by Shantanu Moitra, while action director Stun Siva has designed practical action sequences reflecting the physicality of revolutionary life.
Basu said releasing the film on August 14, a day before Independence Day, was deliberate.
“Experiencing the courage, sacrifice and fierce defiance of these freedom fighters on the big screen during Independence week naturally creates goosebumps,” he said, adding that the film seeks to turn the annual celebration of freedom into a reminder of the people whose sacrifices made it possible.
The trailer of the film was released earlier this month at Kolkata’s Alipore Jail Museum, which is associated with jailed freedom fighters.
The film is expected to examine not only Ananta Singh’s revolutionary journey but also questions of patriotism, competing historical narratives and the personal cost of standing up against colonial rule, Basu added. PTI SUS ACD
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