In a novel pan-Indian effort, Tamil director Na. Gopi Nainar is chronicling the life of the iconic tribal leader and freedom fighter Birsa Munda in a film in the Munda language.
Isaignani Ilaiyaraaja has been roped in to score the music for the film, which will include songs of the Munda people and songs composed to propagate the freedom struggle during Birsa Munda’s time.
The director said he was introduced to the Munda tribe and Birsa Munda, who died at the age of 25 in prison under mysterious circumstances, through the writings of Dr. Ambedkar. “Later I read about him in Bengali writer Mahasweta Devi’s novel Aranyer Adhikar (Right to the Forest) and his biography presented by a Communist friend of mine,” said Mr. Nainar.
Asked why he had decided to make a film about a freedom fighter in a distant land, Mr. Nainar said a theme on land rights led him towards Birsa Munda.
“Many tribal leaders fight for the community’s right over land and recognition for their community. Birsa Munda viewed freedom for the nation as part of the right over land for housing and agriculture. The fight against the landlords also included the British Raj,” he said.
“It is a feature film without glossing over the realities of the story,” said Mr. Nainar, whose 2017 commercial film Aram, portraying the water crisis, with Nayantara in the lead role, was a box office hit.
Though he has zeroed in on an actor to play Birsa, Mr. Nainar said he was open to the idea of a member of the Munda tribe taking on the role.
Unlikely hero
“He is not a typical film hero — six feet tall and toned physique. Birsa was a tribal leader who was less than five feet tall,” Mr. Nainar said, adding that the film will be also made in Tamil, Hindi and other languages.
Though Birsa converted to Christianity, he later launched his own sect and posed a challenge to missionaries. His slogan, “Let the kingdom of the queen be ended and our kingdom be established,” is still remembered in tribal areas of Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh.
His resistance resulted in the British enacting a law to protect the land rights of tribals. Mr. Nainar already started the shooting and soon his unit would visit Jharkhand. “We will capture the world of tribals, their culture and language. I hope to complete the exercise in 45 days,” he said.
