Second run for Haathi

A still from Safed Haathi

Safed Haathi, Tapan Sinha’s award-winning film about a boy, a white elephant and a cruel king, is set to get a fresh lease of life as an animation film. Safed Haathi producer Gaurang Films plans to get a top Bollywood firm to do the job.

“I have spoken to Yash Raj Films, Madhur Bhandarkar and Singeetham Srinivasa Rao, who had directed the animation film Ghatotkach. They are all interested. The project should roll by January. We are not going to tamper with the content of the film. Safed Haathi has an excellent recall value and so we thought of making an animation film,” said Gaurang Jalan, whose father R.A. Jalan had produced the children’s film by Sinha for Rs 28 lakh in 1978.

“Shatrughan Sinha was a superstar at that time and Tapanda got him to play the cruel king in the film. Safed Haathi was shot in Orissa, Karnataka and Assam, with animals from zoos and circuses,” added Gaurang.

Safed Haathi won the Golden Lotus Award for Best Children’s Film, apart from touring the international film festivals in Cannes, Berlin, Moscow and Cairo.