SS Rajamouli protégé Ashwin Gangaraju to direct magnum opus ‘1770’
Hyderabad: Based on Bankim Chandra’s Anandamath, the producers Shhailendra Kumar, Sujayy Kuttiy, Krishna Kumar B and Suraj Sharma release the motion poster marking 150 years of ‘Vande Mataram’. Celebrating the glorious 75th Independence Day of India, producers Shhailendra Kkumar, Sujayy Kuttiy, Krishna Kumar B and Suraj Sharma announced their much talked about magnum opus ‘1770’, based on Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s Bengali novel ‘Anandamath’.
Produced under the banner of SS1 Entertainment and PK Entertainment, this multi-lingual film will be helmed by director Ashwin Gangaraju, who assisted SS Rajamouli in ‘Eega’ and ‘Baahubali’ (both series). He made his debut as director with critically-acclaimed ‘Aakashvani’ in 2021.
“This subject was a huge challenge for me, but with legendary V Vijayendra Prasad sir writing the adapted story and screenplay, I think what we have on paper is a blockbuster cinematic experience,” affirms Ashwin.
“As a filmmaker, I’m more drawn towards the stories which have periodic setups, bigger emotions, scope for larger-than-life action, etc., and this is something that sits in perfectly for me. Initially I was a little skeptical, but I spoke to Ram Kamal Mukherjee and after listening to his vision I gained confidence,” he added.
This year also marks 150 years of ‘Vande Mataram’, the song that appeared first in Bankim Chandra’s novel ‘Anandamath’, which almost shook the roots of the British Empire. India’s most celebrated storyteller V Vijayendra Prasad, who penned the screenplay, says, “I feel that ‘Vande Mataram’ was a magical word. It was a mantra that was given by Maharishi Bankim Chandra for a nation to unite against tyranny and injustice. In ‘1770’, we dealt with the story of unknown warriors who ignited the fire of the freedom movement.”
Internationally-acclaimed author and filmmaker Ram Kamal Mukherjee, the creator of this magnum opus, says, “I am grateful to my producers for having faith in my vision. I instantly liked the vibe of Ashwin as a filmmaker. He came prepared, with his own ideas that enhanced the narrative visually. I loved his film ‘Aakashvani’ and appreciated his skill as a storyteller. But the most important aspect of ‘1770’ lies in the magical words written by Vijayendra Prasad sir, who is known for his unique ideas. His way of story-telling connects with the audiences, beyond linguistic boundaries. I am truly blessed to have a passionate team like this.”
The film will be made in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Bengali. The team will lock the main lead before Dasara, and by Diwali they will announce the cast of the film. Ashwin, along with his team, has started researching the period and trying to create a visual that is unique.
