The Bihar government has decided to give tax exemption to the film Manjhi — The Mountain Man.
It is based on the life of Dasrath Manjhi of Gaya district who had carved a path through the mountain using only a hammer and chisel for 22 years.
Directed by Ketan Mehta, the film was released on July 17.
“The Cabinet on Thursday took a decision to make the film Manjhi tax free as the film is based on the inspiring life and time of Dasrath Manjhi of Gaya”, said Shishir Sinha, Principal Secretary, State Cabinet coordination department.
Manjhi was popularly known as the “Mountain Man.”
While addressing journalists after the Cabinet meeting, Mr. Sinha said the “movie tells the story of how a common man can defeat the biggest challenge of his life with sheer guts and determination…it encourages and inspires the viewers and the society as well”.
The story of Dasrath Manjhi, a resident of Gehlaur village in Atri block of Gaya district of Bihar unfolded when his wife Falguni Devi had got hurt while taking food for him when he was working as an agricultural labourer in a paddy field.
Born in a poor, landless Mahadalit family in 1934, Manjhi took a hammer and chisels and started carving a path through the Gehlaur mountain between Atri and Wazirganj. For 22 years (1960-1982) he did his work silently and finally constructed a 360-ft. long, 30-ft. wide and 25-ft. deep road through the mountain.
The carved path eventually reduced the distance between Atri and Wazirganj blocks of Gaya district from 55 km to just 15 km.
At 73, Manjhi died of cancer on August 17, 2007. He was given a State funeral.In 2012, Ketan Mehta announced the biopic on the Mountain Man. Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Radhika Apte played the role of Manjhi and his wife Falguni Devi.
