Producers Shhailendra Kkumar, Sujayy Kuttiy, Krishna Kumar B, and Suraj Sharma unveiled their much-anticipated magnum opus 1770, which is based on Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s Bengali novel Anandamath, in honor of India’s momentous 75th Independence Day.

This bilingual movie is being produced by SS1 Entertainment and PK Entertainment, and it will be directed by famed filmmaker Ashwin Gangaraju, who worked with SS Rajamouli on Eega and Baahubali (both series). In 2021, he made his directing debut with the widely appreciated film Aakashvani.

“This subject was a huge challenge for me, but with legendary V Vijayendra Prasad sir writing the adapted story and screenplay, I think what we have on paper is a blockbuster cinematic experience,” affirms the director Ashwin Gangaraju.

“As a filmmaker, I’m more drawn towards the stories which have periodic setups, bigger emotions, the scope for larger-than-life action, etc and this is something that sits in perfectly for me. Initially, I was a little skeptical but I spoke to Ram Kamal Mukherjee and after listening to his vision I gained confidence,” he added.

Vande Mataram, the song that originally appeared in Bankim Chandra’s novel Anandamath and nearly derailed the foundations of the British Empire, turns 150 years old this year. The screenplay was written by V Vijayendra Prasad, one of India’s most renowned storytellers. “Vande Mataram, in my opinion, was a beautiful phrase. Maharishi Bankim Chandra gave it as a rallying cry for the country to stand against oppression and injustice. We discussed the tale of unidentified warriors in 1770 who sparked the freedom movement” said the director.

This masterpiece was written by Ram Kamal Mukherjee, an internationally renowned author, and director. He said “I appreciate that my producers believed in my vision. I was drawn to Ashwin’s style as a director right away. He was prepared and had original suggestions that improved the visual storytelling. I adored his movie Aakashvani and admired his storytelling prowess. But the amazing words that Vijayendra Prasad sir, a writer renowned for his original concepts, wrote are what make 1770 so significant. His storytelling style has an impact on audiences across all linguistic barriers. I consider myself really fortunate to have such a dedicated team.”

Producer Sujoyy Kuttiy, known for making historical sagas like Manikarnika-The Queen of Jhansi and many other prestigious films under Zee Studios, collaborated in 1770 because he could see the potential in the narrative.

The film will be made in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, and Bengali.

The team will announce the main lead before Dassera, and by Diwali, they will announce the cast of the film.

Priyanka Dutta