Pa Ranjith's Bollywood debut 'Birsa' to start production by the end of 2022

Filmmaker Pa Ranjith's action drama "Birsa", which marks his foray into Hindi films, is scheduled to go on floors by the end of this year, makers shared on Friday.

Produced by Shareen Mantri and Kishor Arora under Namah Pictures, the film is a biopic based on the life of Birsa Munda, a tribal leader from Jharkhand who stood up to British colonial oppressors in the 19th century.

The film's team has extensively toured Jharkhand and Bengal to trace Birsa's life and are lending final touches to the script.

"The action drama will be shot extensively at hitherto unseen locations and bring to the big screen verdant landscapes and deep jungles as never seen before," a note from the makers read.

Ranjith, best known for helming acclaimed Tamil films like "Sarpatta Parambarai", "Madras", Rajinikanth-starrer "Kaala" and "Kabali", said he is thrilled to start work on "Birsa".

"I could not have chosen a better project for my first Hindi film. The process of scripting and research behind the film has been a very enriching process. I have gained inspiration from Birsa's life and his conviction for freedom and autonomy. Would also like to thank the producers for their patience during the process of research and scripting," the director said in a statement.

Mantri said the production house is interested in chronicling stories that "engage, entertain and inspire".

"The team has undergone intense research for the film and we aim to bring alive Birsa's story on a colossal scale," Mantri added.

According to Arora, Birsa Munda's story of revolution"personifies courage in every way".

"We are thrilled to collaborate with Ranjith for his Bollywood debut as a director and cannot wait for the film to go on floors this year," he said.

Apart from "Birsa", Namah Pictures also has the emotional thriller "Lost", directed by Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury and starring Yami Gautam and Pankaj Kapur, a project with Kartik Aaryan and a series based on the autobiography of Phoolan Devi.