Arun Roy: Bagha Jatin will always be a national hero and this film is our humble tribute to the legendary freedom fighter - Exclusive

History has always fascinated Arun Roy and that’s why he has always tried to explore the uncharted territories of Indian history. In fact, his last film ‘8/12 Binay Badal Dinesh’, based on the life and contribution of Binoy, Badal and Dinesh, a revolutionary trio, earned him critical acclaim. This time he’s back with yet another historic film with a much bigger canvas.‘Bagha Jatin’ is indeed his dream project and ever since the film was announced with Dev as the lead it created enough buzz to make this film one of the most-anticipated Bengali films in recent times. The film is finally releasing this Durga Puja in Bengali and Hindi simultaneously. So, director Arun Roy has no time to rest since the promotional activities are in full swing.
Creating an authentic and believable cinematic experience in a period film requires meticulous research. Behind the scenes, a team of dedicated individuals delves into the depths of history, and searches for details that bring these films to life. The crucial role research work plays in the production of period or historical films is unmatched and Arun Roy is well aware of that. “Born Jatindranath Mukhopadhyay, he was named Bagha Jatin after he bravely killed a tiger with just his bare hands. His influential role in the Indian freedom movement cannot be overlooked. Through this film, we aim to evoke strong patriotic sentiments. Bagha Jatin is a national hero. After watching the film, we thought this was the perfect product for us to go national. Once you decide to make a biopic or any film that revolves around real-life incident, it's important to get the basic facts right. We meticulously studied the customs, costumes, architecture, language, and social dynamics of that post-independence era to create a believable world that will transport viewers back in time. That’s why we took all the time needed in the pre-production stage since you don’t want to see your film getting criticized for misinformation. After the research work, we worked on the script for one year and then the pre-production, shooting, and post-production took another year or so,” shared the director during an exclusive chat with ETimes.
Dev has already amazed fans with his intense look as the iconic freedom fighter and he has always insisted that this story had to be told. When asked whether De is a director’s actor or he loves to improvise Arun Roy added, “He’s a purely director’s actor. It was good to collaborate with him. He is such a dedicated artist that to prepare for the role of Bagha Jatin he didn’t take any project for almost a year. He was like deep inside the character traits of Bagha Jatin. And as I was saying he’s a complete director’s actor. There were times when he used to come up and say ‘We could do this or we could add something like this in the dialogue’. But one thing I must say for a superstar like his stature I have rarely seen such a down-to-earth person. Plus, the dedication he shows is very rare and like a learning lesson for all. He worked so hard on his physic and appearance and the outcome is amazing.”
Speaking about the decision to release ‘Bagha Jatin’ across India the acclaimed director said from the very beginning they wanted to tell the story of this braveheart from Bengal from a larger perspective with a large canvas. “Those who dedicated their lives to the freedom of our country couldn’t see an independent India. So, we thought let’s take Bagha Jatin’s story to a national level with a pan-India release.”

He further adds, “The line between industries is getting blurred and more films from different parts of India are getting a wider audience and I think this is a great time for filmmakers to show their craft to the pan Indian audience. This transition mainly happened because of the digital bloom in the past few years.”
Now that the release date is around the corner Arun Roy has high hopes for this film, and he genuinely believes people will shower their love on ‘Bagha Jatin’. Not only the director but the entire team is eagerly waiting to see the audience's response.