Love for Bengal drove me from NASA to Bollywood

Love for Bengal drove me from NASA to Bollywood
Monday, October 08, 2012 13:04 IST
Love for Bengal and a burning desire to present the forgotten story of a Bengali freedom fighter to people outside the state, drove senior NASA scientist Bedabrata Pain to land in Bollywood

Pain, 49, said he decided to turn a filmmaker to tell the story of Masterda Surya Sen, who plotted and executed the famous Chittagong uprising against the British in the 1930s through a film.

Pain said he hardly found anyone outside West Bengal being aware of the courageous story of the raid of the British armouries by a handful of patriotic revolutionaries in Chittagong, now in Bangladesh, which shook the British colonialists.

"I spent 26 years outside Bengal and 15 years of which I worked as a senior research scientist at the NASA. But the Bengali in me would never go away. After I found in 2006 that not many people in India knew of the Chittagong uprising, I decided to make a film on it," Pain said.

Pain was one of the inventors of the active pixel sensor technology that produced the world's smallest camera. He was inducted into the US Space Technology Hall of Fame. Pain says the film, 'Chittagong' which releases on October 12, was made in Hindi because he wanted a pan-India audience to see it.

"If Masterda Surya Sen were born in Europe, by now there would be a hundred films on him as it is a David vs Goliath story," the director felt. Starring Manoj Bajpai and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, 'Chittagong' deals with a group of schoolboys and young women, led by Surya Sen, a teacher, who raided two armouries in the place.

The recent success of Bengal based Hindi films like 'Kahaani' and 'Barfi', has left the debutante director elated. "I hope mine will be a hit too as the country is now taking note of Bengali talents," he said. At NASA's jet propulsion lab, which he quit four years ago, Pain has 87 patents to his name. "A Bengali will always have this love for art, culture and creativity.

Now with this mission to tell a tale from Bengal to the whole world I plan to channelise my creativity in a different direction," he said, adding he found a sync between inventing technologies and making films. He said that the decision is a big risk for him as he has hardly been to a film's set before this.

"I felt that this was the right time to take the plunge. There is a fine line between foolishness and bravery. I don't know yet where I fall," said Pain, who now lives in Mumbai.

To research for his film, he read a lot of books, historical records and even met some of the eyewitnesses in Bangladesh. "Although I have taken liberty at some places, but my film is based essentially on historical facts," he added.
Priyanka Chopra Glows Radiantly as She 'Plays with the Sun'!

Global icon Priyanka Chopra Jonas recently stunned her fans with a series of sun-kissed photos that radiate elegance and charm. The actress, known for her timeless beauty and international appeal, shared the pictures on Instagram, leaving fans

Thursday, November 21, 2024
Ananya Panday Sparks Buzz with Unseen Photo of Nani Enjoying Beer!

Bollywood actress Ananya Panday recently stirred conversations on social media by sharing an unusual yet endearing birthday tribute to her grandmother. The actress posted a previously unseen picture of her Nani holding a beer mug, capturing both

Thursday, November 21, 2024
Varun Dhawan Enjoys His 'Vitamin Sea' and Prepares for Upcoming Blockbusters!

Bollywood heartthrob Varun Dhawan, known for his energetic performances and versatility, recently treated fans to a glimpse of his seaside retreat. The actor, currently

Thursday, November 21, 2024
Rithvikk Dhanjani shares his joy on his new rom-com Half Love Half Arranged Season 2!

Amazon MX Player, Amazon's free video streaming platform, recently launched the eagerly anticipated second season of Half Love Half Arranged. The slice-of-life drama revisits the journey of Riya Tanwar, a gynecologist whose life seemed perfectly

Thursday, November 21, 2024
Abhishek Bachchan Gets Emotional on KBC 16: Talks about being a 'Girl Dad'!

This Friday, get ready for a laughter-packed and heartwarming episode of Amitabh Bachchan hosted 'Kaun Banega Crorepati 16' on Sony Entertainment Television as this special edition will bring together the charismatic Abhishek Bachchan along with the

Thursday, November 21, 2024
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT