A film on freedom fighter Baji Rout was recently screened in the city to mark his death anniversary.

The film, Baji-The Immortal Boat Boy, was screened for chief minister Naveen Patnaik at the secretariat as well.

Patnaik congratulated the makers of the film and advised them to organise special screening sessions for schoolchildren.

The film is based on Baji Rout who fell to British bullets after he refused to ferry them across the Brahmani River at Nilakantapur Ghat in Bhuban, Dhenkanal district.

“We wanted to let the audience know about the timeless story which is still relevant for the next generation. Rout’s inspiring life prompted others to join the freedom movement,” said the director of the film, Chinmay Das.

Das has made four films and one of them was on the Rally for Rivers campaign.

Talking about the research that he undertook to make the film, he said: “I had to read a lot of books and meet a lot of historians from the state. I had to learn a lot about the lifestyle of the people in Odisha in 930s and how they dealt with the British atrocities.”

“I also learnt about a lot of interesting facts during the process, which have been incorporated in the film,” he said. The role of Rout is being played by Arijeet Mishra who will be making his debut with the film.

The film was also screened at the state-level function to mark Rout’s death anniversary at Jayadev Bhavan here.

This apart, students of Ravenshaw University have made a film on the courage and valour of Rout. It is a 30-minute-long film and has been shot entirely in Cuttack. The film has been made by undergraduate students of the varsity.

“Such initiatives should be promoted by the state government so that more students take interest in the history of the state,” said Archana Satpathy, a historian.