By Subhash K Jha

Showing a rare grace and sincerity filmmaker Manish Jha has decided to abandon plans of making his bio-pic on Dashrath Manjhi, the man who dug a roadway out of a mountain that separated his village in Bihar from the nearest hospital.

A few months back Ketan Mehta decided to make a film on the Mountain Man with Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the lead, precipitating a legal war with Manish Jha and his producer who claimed their idea had been stolen by a writer and sold to Ketan Mehta.

But now Manish sees the matter more rationally.

Says Jha, `I think it's important that Darshrath Manjhi's story be told. It doesn't matter who tells it. I guess somewhere I was being egoistic by insisting on making my own film on the subject even when I heard Ketan was doing it.

I did feel cheated because I had started work on the subject many years ago. However now I see that every story has its own destiny. If Ketan was destined to tell Dashrath Manjhi's story, so be it. `

Manish says he planned to make Manjhi's story as a bi-lingual. `I had planned it with Dhanush. It was going to be in Hindi and Tamil. We were both very excited. But then I don't know why the delay happened. It killed my dream project. I don't blame anyone for it`

Manish blames himself for the story leaking out.

`If in my enthusiasm over the subject I shared the idea with a writer who passed it on to another filmmaker, it is my fault. After all these years I am still a stranger to the ways of show-business. In spite of being a filmmaker for 12 years I still don't know how the system works, b` says Manish who in a career of 12 years as a filmmaker has directed only two films Matrabhoomi and Anwar.

Manish says he spent his time traveling across India and preparing for the film on Dashrath Manjhi. `But now I will direct something else. I am sure Ketan has done a fine job. `

On hearing of Manish Jha's decision to abandon the Manjhi film Ketan Mehta said, `I am thankful and relieved. My film is looking good and Nawazuddin Siddiqui has given a stupendous performance. We complete the film in December. `