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Sahara hunts for actor to play Bose
MUMBAI:The search for the actor to play the lead role in Shyam Benegal’s film titled, Netaji- The Last Hero in Germany, Myanmar, Malaysia, Uzbekistan and India is still on.
The film, a project by Sahara India Pariwar, is being produced by Shyam Benegal’s Sahyadri Films . Pre-production planning of the film is almost complete, says a release.
” We are still looking for the actor to play the lead role of Netaji. Many good actors are being auditioned. Selection of the actor for the lead role might take some time but the decision regarding the final cast of other principal actors will be made shortly”, film director Shyam Benegal is quoted as saying in the release.
The multi-starrer film will have actors both from India and abroad,each fitting in perfectly well in the characters of the film. While Japanese and Uzbek actors are being finalized, German actors have already been selected states the release. Some of the actors selected include Anna Prustel, Barbara Stanek, Christian Oskar I’Spitzl, Florian Panzer, Thomas Hodina, Florian Fitz, Wanja Mues and Rolf Kanies who will play the role of Hitler, the release adds.
The film is scripted by Shama Zaidi and Atul Tiwari, who have also written both the screenplay and dialogues. The music is being done by A. R Rahman and the lyrics are being written by Javed Akhtar. Rajan Kothari will be the cameraman and Ashwyn Balsavar the sound recordist. The art direction and production design will be by Samir Chanda and costumes are being designed by Pia Benegal.
The mega-film is slated to be ready for a theatrical release during 2003. “This will be an authentic historical account of the five years of Netaji’s life from 1940 to 1945 when his contribution to India’s freedom was incalculable,” says Shyam Benegal who has been working on the project for over three years.
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UDF poised to return to power in Kerala, says Manorama-CVoter survey
Massive opinion poll projects shift in Kerala politics ahead of 2026 Assembly elections.
MUMBAI: The winds of change appear to be blowing through Kerala’s political landscape and this time, they seem to favour the United Democratic Front. A comprehensive mega opinion survey conducted by Manorama News in partnership with CVoter projects a potential comeback for the UDF in the upcoming Kerala Legislative Assembly Elections 2026. The survey, covering all 140 constituencies with a massive sample size of nearly 90,000 respondents, predicts the UDF could win between 69 and 81 seats.
The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) is expected to secure 57 to 69 seats, a significant drop from the 99 seats it won in the 2021 elections. This would mean the LDF losing 30 to 42 of its sitting seats. Meanwhile, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which drew a blank in 2021, is projected to open its account with 1 to 5 seats.
Region-wise, the UDF is expected to make strong gains in Malabar, winning 25 to 34 out of 48 seats, and in Central Kerala, where it could bag 29 to 33 out of 53 seats. In South Kerala, the LDF is likely to retain an edge with 21 to 25 seats, while the UDF may improve to 12 to 16 seats. The NDA could pick up 1 to 3 seats in the southern region.
The survey was conducted between 14 and 26 March 2026, with additional tracker and snap polls carried out from December 2025 to March 2026. A total of 89,693 respondents participated, ensuring representation across all demographics and social segments.
Manorama News has a strong track record of accuracy, with its previous projections closely matching the actual results of the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections as well as the 2021 Kerala Assembly polls.
In Kerala’s famously fierce political battles, this survey suggests the pendulum may be swinging back. Whether the final verdict matches these numbers or throws up another surprise, one thing is clear, the 2026 Assembly elections are shaping up to be one of the most keenly watched contests in the state’s history.
