Bollywood Biopic Race: ‘Dadasaheb Phalke’ Sparks Competition
The Indian cinema’s founding father, Dadasaheb Phalke (born Dhundiraj Govind Phalke), is at the center of a biopic tug-of-war in the industry. Both renowned director SS Rajamouli and actor Aamir Khan are reportedly vying to bring Dadasaheb Phalke’s life story to the big screen, leading to a buzz around who will ultimately take the project forward.
The ‘Three Idiots’ Combination: Aamir Khan, who is set to portray the title role, will collaborate once again with director Rajkumar Hirani, known for blockbusters like ‘Three Idiots’ (2009) and ‘PK’ (2014). This pairing of the star and the director for the Dadasaheb Phalke biopic is considered a significant development.
Scriptwriting in Progress: According to reports, Rajkumar Hirani, Abhijat Joshi, Hindukush Bhardwaj, and Avinash Bhardwaj have been working on the script for this biopic for the past four years. The film’s production is expected to commence in October.
Dadasaheb’s Grandson Joins the Team: Dadasaheb Phalke’s grandson, Chandrashekhar Srikrishna Pusalkar, is set to lend his support and cooperation to the making of this biopic, adding to the authenticity of the project.
Rajamouli’s ‘Made in India’ Announcement: Parallel to this, director SS Rajamouli announced on social media in September 2023 that he will be the presenter of the biopic ‘Made in India,’ which is based on the life of Dadasaheb Phalke, the ‘Father of Indian Cinema.’ Varun Gupta and SS Karthikeya are the producers, while Nitin Kakkar (known for the Hindi film ‘Notebook’) will direct the project.
However, no further updates on Rajamouli’s ‘Made in India’ have been made public since the initial announcement. Nonetheless, reports suggest that the script work for this biopic is almost complete, and the pre-production efforts are in the final stages.
With both Aamir Khan and SS Rajamouli vying to bring the life of the legendary Dadasaheb Phalke to the screen, the Indian film industry is abuzz with anticipation to see which of these two cinematic giants will eventually emerge victorious in this biopic race.
