Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who impressed all and sundry by his fiery act as Faisal Khan in Gangs of Wasseypur, have been signed to play the principle lead role in Ketan Mehta's next film titled Mountain Main.
Mountain Man is the soul stirring story of the amazingly inspiring Dashrath Manjhi-famous for being the person who broke a mountain for romance. The film was announced earlier today in Mumbai at the occasion of the 'Punyatithi' of this noble man. Mountain Man is a humble tribute to the ability of the human will. It's the untold story of a hero, who achieved the unachievable, and conquered the unconquerable, benefitting generations from his selfless act.
Set in 1960, the film tells the inspiring real story of a person who single-handedly, armed just with a hammer and chisel, worked day and night for 22 years and broke a mountain. He managed the feat of creating a 360 feet long, 30 feet high and 25 feet wide passage through Gehlour hills in Bihar reducing the gap between Atri and Wazirganj within the Gaya district from 75 km to simply one km.
Said Ketan Mehta, "To me, Dashrath Manjhi, the 'Mountain Man', is Mr. India. He embodies the spirit of independent India, the amazing, indomitable, never say die spirit of accomplishing the impossible against all odds. It's the story of 'Mind over Matter'. The film depicts the victory of an idea - the theory of being the change. But peculiarly this can be a great love story, set amongst the wretched of the earth. His sheer perseverance and backbone as they are saying would 'move the mountains' of apathy- a fighter whose weapon was not a gun however the human will, fuelled by Love!"
And to play the eponymous role of this altruistic man, Ketan has chosen none as opposed to the rising star of Indian cinema, Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Speaking concerning the film & his role Nawazuddin said, "As an actor I always crave for challenges, and dealing with Ketan Sir is a large opportunity & honour. I'm also fortunate to get the chance to essay the role of one of these great man. What Dashrath Manjhi has done is bigger than anything anyone could've ever done for romance. He made a monument of love, together with his own hands. And his monument of affection for me went even beyond being only a thing of beauty just like the Taj Mahal - it actually transformed the lives of millions of individuals. I CAN'T wait to start the shoot for this film."
Said producer Deepa Sahi, "I'M most interested by Nawazuddin acting on this film. Unfortunately I had not seen him before I saw Kahaani however the moment he stepped into frame as 'Khan' I knew an ideal actor had are available in. How he handled the difficult scenes in Gangs of Wasseypur confirmed that belief. Beware of this new age actor as 'Dashrath Manjhi' in Mountain Man."
The script have been co-written by Mehta himself, along side Anjum Rajabali & Mahendra Jhakar. The remainder of the forged might be finalized soon and the film will go on floors later this year.
