NEW DELHI: The applauded and award-winning biopic “Bose – The Forgotten Hero” will be released as a home video on 23 January which marks the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

Produced by Sahara India Pariwar and Sahara Motion Pictures, the film directed by the renowned Shyam Benegal is being released as a home video by Indikino Edutainment in association with Rudraa Entertainment. The film has been specially mastered for the Home Video release and will be available on DVD and VCD at all leading outlets countrywide under the Rudraa Home Video label that is well known for its selection of award-winning films.

Starring the well known character actor Sachin Khedekar as Netaji, the film depicts the last five years of the life of the Indian Independence leader. Starting out at the point where Bose resigns from his position as the president of the Indian National Congress (I.N.C.) to the meeting with Italians by crossing Afghanistan‘s rugged terrains and entering into Europe, his appointment with Adolf Hitler in Berlin, to his inspiring of the Indian P.O.W.s of the ‘Punjab Regiment‘ of the British army for fighting against the British forces in India, to the patriotic speeches, some U-Boat (submarine) scenes and finally the battle in Burma with Japanese emperor Tojo‘s assistance during the Second World War, the film ends with a radio announcement of his death.
 
With music by Oscar award winning composer A. R. Rahman, the film is a testament to India‘s struggle for Independence, and stands out for its scale and magnificence amongst the various films made on India‘s leaders including Attenborough‘s “Gandhi”, Ketan Mehta‘s “Sardar” and Dr. Jabbar Patel‘s “Ambedkar”. The term “Forgotten Hero” in the title is testimony to the fact that people today do not seem to remember that Netaji was the one who came up with the slogan Jai Hind. Netaji chose Rabindranath Tagore’s Jana Gana Mana as his preferred national anthem for the free India he was fighting for, and wanted Hindustani to be the national language. Even while paying ritual obeisance on 23 January each year, people have forgotten all about his real contribution.

Sachin Khedekar, essaying the role of Netaji, is supported by a superb ensemble cast including Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Rajit Kapur, Divya Dutta, Ila Arun, Rajpal Yadav, Lalit Tiwari and Arif Zakaria. With noted nationally and internationally feted director, Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awardee and Dadasaheb Phalke award winner Shyam Benegal at the helm, the film also had a stellar team of technicians working on it, including writers Shama Zaidi and Atul Tiwari, cinematographer Rajan Kothari, editor Sreekar Prasad, sound designer Ashwyn Balsaver, production designer Samir Chanda and costume designer Pia Benegal.

The film has been shot on location in India, Germany, Burma, Uzbekistan recreating how Netaji made his impossible dream come true and bringing to life his incredible journey, his putting together a fighting force, fighting the British, even winning some territory and coming close to actually succeeding!

The film is structured in three parts, named Itmad, Ittefaq and Qurbani after the motto of the Indian National Army. In the first, Bose escapes house arrest and tries to enter Russia through Afghanistan; the second shows his days in Germany, including a meeting with Hitler, and marriage to Emilie Schenkl, the formation of the Azad Hind Fauj made up of Indian prisoners of war in Germany and his journey to Japan in a submarine; the last shows his leadership of the Indian National Army, the battles and that fateful plane trip out of Saigon.