Entertainment and Friday Filmworks'
company, Plan C Studios announced their
next film Chanakya on the life and
teachings of Chanakya (also known as
Kautilya), the greatest political thinker,
philosopher, economist and royal advisor
from ancient Indian history with Ajay Devgn
in the title role and directed by the writer,
producer, director Neeraj Pandey, there has
been no news of the same. Here we give
you some exclusive info on the movie,
including the fact that Devgn will be seen in
a double role in it. He had last played a
double role in Prabhu Dheva's Action
Jackson (2014).
A Bollywood insider tells us, "Chanakya
played a key role in the establishment of the
dynasty of Chandragupta Maurya but Neeraj
Pandey's Chanakya is not a historical but a
modern-day socio-political drama based on
the life and teachings of Chanakya (a
character who will be played by Devgn). The
project is being kept under wraps till the
shooting starts from December this year. It
will be a start-to-finish schedule as the team
wants to release the film by early next year.
The source spills the beans that Ajay Devgn
will be seen in a double role in the film. "It
will apparently have Ajay coming twice
once as a shrewd, modern-day socio-
economic administrator and again as the
historical Chanakya. Whenever the modern-
day Chanakya will get into some trouble he
will think of the 4th century BCE Indian
economist, strategist and political theorist
Chanakya Agar woh Chanakya hota toh
woh kya karta?' And the historical Chanakya
(dressed of those times and again played by
Devgn himself) will appear in his
imagination as if giving him advice and bail
him out. Chanakya is said to have written
the Arthashastra, an ancient Indian book on
statecraft, economic policy and military
strategy, written in Sanskrit. Neeraj
Pandey's Chanakya is an interesting blend
of modernism and history something
which has not been seen much in
Bollywood films. The plot is gripping and
the mix of ancient and modern-day politics
is fascinating!
Neeraj who is known for his gritty, realistic,
hard-hitting, fast-paced political dramas
and the script has been written accordingly.
Apparently, his Chanakya is not a biopic. Dr
Chandra Prakash Dwivedi has directed (and
acted as Chanakya in 1991) earlier a 47-part
epic Indian television historical drama
which was a fictionalized account of the life
and times of the 4th Century administrator.
A few days earlier in a press release Ajay
Devgn had commented, "I am truly looking
forward to playing Chanakya. I've followed
Neeraj Pandey's work closely and I know
Neeraj will tell this story with the clarity and
passion with which it needs to be told.
Co-producer Shital Bhatia had added, "Epic
characters such as Chanakya have an
everlasting sense of mystery and legend
around them. We have no doubt that the
movie, Chanakya, will be received
enthusiastically by modern audiences,
providing serious insights into the art of
running a state, based on the practical
learning and teachings of the greatest
master himself Chanakya. The
collaboration between Neeraj Pandey and
Ajay Devgn is itself something that fans
have been waiting for a long time to see on
the big screen.
http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/bollywood/exclusive-ajay-devgn-playing-double-role-chanakya/.
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