The Patriot

Actor Manoj Kumar has long faded from the screen as a star,however,his association with Indian cinema continues,intermittently. Four decades after his directorial debut,Upkaar,in 1967,Kumar is writing a script based on the late prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri’s life.

“His contributions have always been overshadowed by other events. He faced many struggles. I knew him personally,” says Kumar,who began writing the script three months ago. Kumar’s association with Shastri was through the latter’s eldest son Hari with whom he shared a passion for cricket. Kumar would visit Shastri at home during Diwali where they would have animated discussions about films and life. “He would ask me to make good films that had some national relevance,” adds Kumar.

Kumar’s script deals with Shastri’s life — from childhood to his becoming the prime minister and his death in Tashkent under mysterious circumstances. “There are many shades of his personality that I want to show. The film will focus on his journey from a common man to a leader,” says Kumar,who consulted Shastri’s Delhi-based son Anil for the project. The film will be produced and directed by an NRI filmmaker and shooting begins next year after the cast is decided.