A bust of Mangal Pandey -- the hero of the 1857 revolt against British rule in India -- was unveiled in West Bengal, coinciding with the nationwide release Friday of a biopic that has captured popular imagination.

Nearly 150 years after he led the first known uprising against the British, Mangal Pandey's bust was unveiled at the Barrackpore cantonment near Kolkata.

The occasion coincided with the much-anticipated release of the big budget Aamir Khan-starrer "Mangal Pandey - The Rising" across the country Friday.

The fibreglass statue was unveiled at a function in which historians, defence personnel and politicians paid tributes to Mangal Pandey and recalled the exploits of a man believed to be the first hero of Indian independence.

The bust, made by artist Durjoy Sen, commemorates the area where Mangal Pandey began his revolt in March, 1857.

A sepoy of the 34th Native Infantry, Mangal Pandey revolted against his British superiors over cartridges made of cow and pig grease, which were unacceptable to both Hindus and Muslims in the army.

Following a court-martial, he was hanged at Barrackpore on April 8, 1857. As a collective punishment for his mutiny, the entire regiment was dismissed.