‘RRR’ writer K V Vijayendra Prasad roped in to adapt Bankim Chandra’s ‘Anandamath’

Writer K V Vijayendra Prasad, best known for his script for blockbuster movies such as “Baahubali” and “RRR”, is set to write a film based on celebrated Bengali novelist Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s famous novel “Anandmath”.

Titled “1770-Ek Sangram”, author-turned-filmmaker Ram Kamal Mukherjee and former head of Zee Studio Sujoyy Kuttyiy announced the project on Friday, which marks the 128th death anniversary of the novelist.

The film also marks the 150th year of ‘Vande Matram’, the song that Chatterjee had composed for his novel “Anandamath” which was published in Bangadarshan Magazine in 1872.

The film will be produced by Shhailendra Kkumar from SS1 Entertainment, Suraj Sharma from P K Entertainments and will be made in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

“When Sujoyy approached me for ‘Anandamath’, I was a bit taken aback. I had read the novel many years ago, and frankly speaking, I didn’t feel that today’s generation would be able to connect with the subject.

“But when I met Ram Kamal and he shared his vision on ‘Anandamath’, he had a completely different take on the novel. It was commercial and connected with human emotions. After a couple of sessions, now I am excited to work on the subject with a completely fresh perspective. It will be a huge challenge for me, to recreate the magic of Anandamath,” Prasad said in a statement.

Sujoyy Kuttiy said he was excited to recreate the magic of Vande Mataram on-screen by revisiting the classic.

“I have worked with Vijayendra sir in ‘Manikarnika’ and also worked closely with him on a couple of other projects too. When Ram Kamal approached me with ‘1770-Ek Sangram’, I immediately thought of Vijayendra sir, because of its scale and structure.

“I am glad that we have young producers like Shhailendra Kkumar and Suraj Sharma who believe that screenplay is the real hero of the film. Once we are ready with the first draft of the screenplay we will start locking our main leads.” Ram Kamal Mukherjee called the adaptation of “Anandmath” a dream project.

“I will be working with India’s celebrated creative team, and make sure that its a visual treat for audiences. I feel that this is the right time to tell the story of ‘Anandamath’. The story of Sanyasis who fought against the British Raj and sowed the seed of independence. I felt that this story can be recreated on celluloid in a different scale,” Mukherjee said.

The film, according to the makers, will be mega budget, and shot in Hyderabad, West Bengal and London. The film is expected to begin shooting at the end of the year.