Ramayan's Sita Dipika Chikhlia to play Sarojini Naidu in biopic
Actor Dipika Chikhlia Topiwala, best known for portraying the role of Sita in Ramanand Sagar's epic mythological serial Ramayan, is all set to play freedom fighter and poet Sarojini Naidu in a new film. The upcoming biopic has been directed by Akash Nayak and Dhiraj Mishra, and produced by Kanu Bhai Patel. The screenplay is written by Mishra along with Yashomati Devi. Here's more.
Dipika shared the first look poster on Instagram
Dipika, who made her Bollywood debut with Sun Meri Laila in the early 1980s, on Thursday took to Instagram to share the first look poster of her latest movie. The poster, painted in the tricolor, shows Dipika looking away from the camera, with a huge crowd in the background. A Hindi slogan on the poster roughly translates to, "The untold story of a freedom revolutionary".
You can check out the poster here
Who was Sarojini Naidu, the 'Nightingale of India'?
This is the first time that a major film is being made on the life of Sarojini Naidu. A significant figure in India's freedom struggle, Naidu was a strong advocate of civil rights and women empowerment. Her poems earned her the title, "Nightingale of India".
'Ramayan' recently had a blockbuster rerun on TV
Dipika, like many of Ramayan stars, is back in the limelight with the blockbuster rerun of the three-decades-old show on television. The series, which originally aired on Doordarshan in 1987, smashed viewership records upon its return, and took the national broadcaster to the top of TRP charts. In an interaction with Hindustan Times, Dipika spoke about how working in Ramayan will always remain special.
Dipika shared her experience of working in 'Ramayan'
Dipika said, "Of course, it was very different because [Sagar] came from the era of Raj Kapoor and had worked with people of that calibre. It's that level of intelligence, dedication, understanding of the medium, it makes a lot of difference when you work with such great minds." "He was phenomenal in his work and his understanding of the subject was...very good," she added.
My body of work shouldn't only be 'Ramayan', Dipika said
Dipika also expressed her desire to play the role of Asha Devi, mother of Delhi gangrape victim. She said, "It is a very important role to play, these kind of roles don't come every day." The actor added, "When I am no more, my body of work shouldn't only be Ramayan, it should be much more... It is important for me to do that."
Dipika was last seen in 'Bala'
Dipika, who has also appeared in several Kannada, Gujarati, and Bengali films, was last seen on the silver screen in 2019 comedy drama movie Bala. The movie starred Ayushmann Khurrana, Yami Gautam, and Bhumi Pednekar in lead roles.
