Gargee Roychowdhury to play the lead in Arindam Sil’s Mahananda

Loosely based on the life of Mahasweta Devi, the movie would attempt to capture her essence through the titular character.

Bengali actress Gargee Roychowdhury

Director Arindam Sil is back with another movie in his kitty. His upcoming project Mahananda is a socio-political drama, loosely based on the life of writer and political activist Mahasweta Devi. It narrates the story of a writer Mahananda, who bears resemblance to the persona of the acclaimed author and actress Gargee Roychowdhury has been roped in to play the titular character. In addition to Gargee, the movie has a stellar cast in place including Debshankar Haldar, Ishaa Saha, Arna Mukhopadhyay and others in key roles.

Playing an upright character who always goes beyond the social norms is a task in itself, and when that role is adapted as per the life of Mahasweta Devi, the difficulty gets doubled. Not one to back down from a challenge, Gargee Roychowdhury has decided to give it all to slip into the character of a non-conformist, feminist author, who had fought for the rights of the tribals all her life. Calling the passionate energy of Mahasweta Devi invigorating, she claims that the role may be a milestone in her career. Having been in the industry for more than two decades, this happens to be one of the most iconic projects she has ever worked in.

In a chat with ETimes, director Arindam Sil shared some fresh tid-bits about his next movie. He explained how the movie Mahananda talks about the essence of Mahasweta Devi, and identifies with her life and principles. Her works and philosophy are relevant to this day and it is pertinent to know how that reflected on the personality she developed. He believes it is an extremely contemporary and important film, as it would chronicle her personal, political and social life. He went on to emphasize how there is an increasing need to study her philosophy and her uncompromising ethics, which flows like a river from one generation to the next.

Shooting for the film is in full swing, and if all goes well, it is scheduled to hit the theatres this Durga Puja. Otherwise, they may have to opt for an OTT release like multiple other projects.

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