Biopic on Daya Bai in the offing

A Hindi biopic on the renowned social activist Daya Bai will soon hit the screens. Bengali actor Bidita Bag is playing the protagonist. The first schedule, directed by Sree Varun, has already gone on the floors in Madhya Pradesh. 

Daya Bai will portray how Mercy Mathew, a Malayali, transformed herself into Daya Bai, a social activist. Her work for the betterment of the tribal people of Madhya Pradesh will also be depicted.

While a few portions will be shot in Kerala, there will be sequences in Mumbai and Nirmala Bhavan, Kolkata. Says director Sree Varun, “Daya Bai has always influenced me. I always wanted to make a movie on her. When we met at Wayanad, she wasn’t convinced in the beginning. But, then she put forth a condition, that the movie should portray her life truthfully. So, our movie has no fictional element but has portrayed her life as it happened.” 

Daya Bai will trace every incident, including the physical assault she had to suffer. “Her life is a struggle and many a time she was subjected to cruel treatment, like the time she was attacked by the police when she went to talk to them,” says the director. But, Sree Varun says the movie won’t have any offbeat flavour. “Daya Bai is a realistic movie in every aspect. We haven’t tried to push in any commercial elements,” he adds.

The filmmaker also thinks that since Daya Bai spent her life mostly in North India, her biopic demanded to be made in Hindi. On Bidita Bag portraying the lead lady, Sree Varun says she is perfect to play the role. “They share a lot of resemblance. We chose her after considering many other actors.”