Mumbai:London-based Beautiful Bay Entertainment production house has roped in Nawazuddin Siddiqui for its upcoming project ‘The Confession of Sultana Daku’. The British production is an adaptation of the book written by Sujit Saraf, set in pre-Independence India, on the life of the notorious UP dacoit legend Sultana. The film is to be directed by Heeraz Marfatia, who has assisted filmmakers such as Shekhar Kapur and the Oscar-winning Roland Joffe.
Interestingly, one of Sultana Daku's stomping grounds was Muzaffarnagar, where Nawazuddin Siddiqui spent his growing up years. “Nawaz has lived and dreamed the stories of Sultana Daku since he was a child. In a way, he has been preparing to play this character his entire life without even knowing it,” says director Heeraz Marfatia.
Nawazuddin is equally excited about portraying the historic character of Sultana Daku in this British Production. The actor shares, “Kids today have super heroes they look up to and Sultana was a super hero to me. On dark winter nights when my family would be snug under a warm razai, with candle being the only source of light and the threat of modern dacoits in my village, Sultana would come to life in my father's stories as the real Daku. Unlike these criminals who terrorised us, Sultana always took a stand.”
The film is written by Shubra Swarup, who has worked with industry aces like Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Mansoor Khan and Shekhar Kapur. Produced by Colin Burrows and Michael Ward, ‘The Confession of Sultana Daku’ will be shot extensively in real locations, in Sultana's actual milieu.(WD)
