Jharkhand, sit back and bask in two back-to-back Friday releases.
On a day the state waived entertainment tax on the screening of Begum Jaan, released on April 14, makers of Ajab Singh Ki Gazab Kahani announced their film would hit theatres on April 21. Ajab Singh becomes the second film shot in Jharkhand to get a commercial release after the state film policy was introduced in December 2015.
A small-budget venture compared to the Vidya Balan-starrer, this kahani is a loose biopic of Ajay Kumar Singh, an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer posted in the income tax department in Ranchi, who did the unthinkable. As a five-year-old in Bihar's Chhapra, Singh had almost lost his vision and hearing in an accident, but did not let this setback deter his higher education or a career.
Interestingly, Singh makes his movie debut to play himself, his first name Ajay changed to Ajab as a cinematic liberty to perhaps rhyme with gazab in the film directed by Rishi Prakash Mishra
"As a little boy belonging to a poor family of Chhapra district of Bihar who became almost blind and deaf after an accident, I would dream of becoming a senior government officer, especially after a district magistrate once came to our village," the IRS officer told newspersons at Suchana Bhavan on Tuesday while promoting his film.
He added that destiny was beyond one's control but the way one handled it made the difference. "Perseverance helps. This film is not just entertainment, it also carries a deeper message of inspiring people to face challenges," he said, adding that for acting in the film he had to take special permission from the Union government.
Agreed co-actor Yashpal Sharma, the Bollywood actor who acted in films like Gangaajal, Apharan and Rowdy Rathod. "Impressed by Singh's life, I readily agreed to act in a negative role in this film. His life is an example of how to fight odds. Also, as a movie debutant, Singh acted rather well," Yashpal said as director Mishra nodded.
Mishra added his film had been shot entirely in Jharkhand for 54 days across Ranchi, East Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan. "Most actors are local," he said, introducing some of them such as Madhu Roy, Kajal Singh, Pankaj and Vishwanath. "We have also been able to develop a crew of local people such as Rahul Roy, Sunil Kumar and Satish Kumar who handled production deftly."
Producer Binod Kumar said the film had a modest budget of Rs 3.84 crore and qualified for a grant of Rs 1.01 crore from the state government under the film policy. "Twenty-five per cent of it has been paid and the rest will come once the film is released," he said.
The cabinet on Tuesday also announced entertainment waiver tax for Begum Jaan. The film may have tumbled at the box office despite terrific performances but there is no denying the rugged power of Dumka's locales that the cinematography brilliantly captured to create the feel of the Indo-Pakistan border of 1947. Fingers crossed for Ajab Singh.
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