Biopics, when done right, can make you feel you know the character personally, no matter who he is. A good biopic reminds you of the power of films and their magic; this genre of films takes real-life personalities and mines them for reel-life fodder.
Films like Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and Mary Kom taught me that Milkha Singh and Mary Kom are living examples of determination and resilience. On the other hand, The Dirty Picture unapologetically introduced me to the darkest side of show business, particularly the fact that not everything that glitters on screen is a reflection of reality. The recent Pakistani biopic, Manto got me digging into the eventful life of Saadat Hasan Manto, who was possibly the most controversial and under-rated writer from South-Asia.
Recent releases like Manjhi, Mary Kom, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Pan Sing Tomar, Aligarh and Mein Aur Charles got many famous and some notorious personalities into the limelight. And going by the list of the next line-up of big releases in India, it seems that Bollywood is showing no signs of slowing down as far as on-screen adaptations are concerned.
We list down the most anticipated biopics due for release in coming months.
Bajirao Mastani
This magnum opus by Sanjay Leela Bhansali is a historic romantic saga of the Maratha warrior Peshwa and his second wife Mastani and the story deals with Bajirao’s personal struggle with relationships amid the backdrop of battle cries and war formations. Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone play titular roles in the film while Priyanka Chopra is playing Bajirao’s first wife, Kashibai. Going by the trailer, the film promises to be a visual spectacle. Bajirao Mastani opens on December 18, the same day as Rohit Shetty’s Dilwale, starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol.
Neerja
Sonam Kapoor will be seen in the biopic of Neerja Bhanot, a Pan Am cabin crew member who died saving passengers on a hijacked flight. Bhanot was the senior most flight attendant on board a Pan Am Mumbai-New York flight, and was shot dead by terrorists, who hijacked the flight at Karachi Airport in 1986. She became the youngest recipient of India’s highest peacetime military award for bravery, the Ashok Chakra. Directed by Ram Madhvani, the film is set to release sometime in 2016. The film also stars Shabana Azmi as Neerja’s mother.
Sanjay Dutt
Rajkumar Hirani’s biopic on Sanjay Dutt will touch upon all controversial aspects of the actor’s life including his alleged association with the underworld. Bollywood heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor who was roped in to play the lead in Kishore Kumar’s biopic (now shelved) will essay the role of Sanjay Dutt in his biopic. Ranbir will also undergo a massive physical transformation to look like Sanjay Dutt. Speaking at MAMI festival, Hirani said: “I sat with Sanjay for 25 days and discovered that we want to say this story because it was a human story. It’s an emotional story which also has fun moments. It is also entertaining. It’s about father, son, his friends and his world.’’
M S Dhoni: The Untold Story
M S Dhoni: The Untold Story is an upcoming biopic based on Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Dhoni’s expertise in cricket and his surprising run to become the most-loved captain of India will be projected on screen. Fugly star, Kiara Advani has been roped in to play Dhoni’s wife Sakshi in the movie. The film is directed by Neeraj Pandey and is slated to hit the theaters in 2016.
Ek Albela
After playing Silk Smitha in The Dirty Picture, Vidya Balan will be seen playing the golden era actress Geeta Bali. Ek Albela is a biopic that traces the journey of late actor-director Bhagwan Dada’s life and the difficulties he faced while making his 1951 released musical Albela, which featured Geeta Bali, who was considered a popular star then. To be directed by Shekhar Sartandel, the biopic is a tribute to the actor for his contribution to Hindi cinema.
Azhar
Azhar is an upcoming Indian biographical sports film directed by Tony D’Souza which is based on the life of the former Indian international cricketer, Mohammad Azha-ruddin, who was involved in a match fixing scandal in 2000. The film is being produced by Ekta Kapoor. It is scheduled for release on May 13, 2016 and will star Emraan Hashmi playing Azharuddin and Prachi Desai as his first wife while Nargis Fakhri will play the role of Sangeeta Bijlani.
– Sadiq Saleem, is a UAE based entertainment journalist. He can be contacted on his page fb/sid said so.
Courtesy: InStep Today (The News)
