Dev to star in biopic ‘Bagha Jatin’, celebrating legacy of real-life Indian freedom fighter

New Delhi: Actor Dev, who is best known for his work in Bengali cinema will now be portraying the legendary freedom fighter Bagha Jatin, in the upcoming film ‘Bagha Jatin’, which is a biopic narrating his life and celebrating his legacy.

The film, which will also release in Hindi, highlights the fighter’s struggles against Britishers through his dacoit activities, hampering their movements and waging assaults.

Taking to his X (formerly Twitter), the ‘Challenge’ actor wrote: “Legends of Indian Independence – Rodda Arms Heist & Shrish Chandra Mitra (Hindi) | Bagha Jatin.”

The movie will focus on Bagha Jatin who was born Jatindranath Mukherjee life, how he earned his nickname ‘Bagha’ which in Bangla means tiger, how he was influenced by the ideologies of Swami Vivekananda with regards to spirituality, and his own ideologies of revolution.

The actor added: “Referred to as the ‘Greatest Daylight Robbery’, the Rodda Arms Heist took place in Kolkata on 26th August 1914. In the following years, the pistols and ammunition were linked to almost all the incidents of nationalist struggles in Bengal. Get to know more about this phenomenal incident and Bagha Jatin’s association with it as ‘Bagha Jatin’ releases in theatres on 20th October (sic)”.

The real life Bagha Jatin was born in 1876 in the Nadia district of what was back then United Bengal and in present day is part of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

Jatindranath Mukherjee had received support from the German Crown Prince during World War I, who gave him a whole consignment of weapons and ammunition.

Motivated by a revolutionary mindset and striving to create an Independent India, and during the War, Bagha Jatin was targeting British lines to cut off their access points and ambushing them.

Though preparing to create a full armed revolution through his dacoit activities, Bagha Jatin and his team’s conspiracy was leaked out to British intelligence who blocked the exit points from Noakhali and Chittagong to block their escape to Odisha or Assam.

In the forests of Mayurbhanj in Odisha, a 75-minute gun battle ensued on October 9, 1915 which killed several British Indian police officers as well as one of Bagha’s associates. Himself mortally wounded, Bhaga Jatin died of his wounds on October 10, 1915.

–IANS