News

Nawazuddin to play lead in Ketan Mehtas Mountain Man

16 Aug 2012

Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who impressed one and all by his fiery act as Faisal Khan in Gangs of Wasseypur, has been signed to play the main lead role in Ketan Mehta's next film titled Mountain Main.

Mountain Man is the soul stirring story of the amazingly inspiring Dashrath Manjhi-famous for being the man who broke a mountain for love. The film was announced earlier today in Mumbai on the occasion of the 'Punyatithi' of this noble man. Mountain Man is a humble tribute to the power of the human will. It is the untold story of a hero, who achieved the unachievable, and conquered the unconquerable, benefitting generations from his selfless act.

Set in 1960, the film tells the inspiring real story of a man who single-handedly, armed just with a hammer and chisel, worked day and night for 22 years and broke a mountain. He managed the feat of constructing a 360 feet long, 30 feet high and 25 feet wide passage through Gehlour hills in Bihar reducing the distance between Atri and Wazirganj in the Gaya district from 75 km to just one km.

Said Ketan Mehta, "To me, Dashrath Manjhi, the 'Mountain Man', is Mr. India. He embodies the spirit of independent India, the amazing, indomitable, never say die spirit of achieving the impossible against all odds. It is the story of 'Mind over Matter'. The film depicts the victory of an idea - the idea of being the change. But above all it is a great love story, set amongst the wretched of the earth. His sheer perseverance and determination as they say would 'move the mountains' of apathy- a fighter whose weapon was not a gun but the human will, fuelled by Love!"

And to play the eponymous role of this altruistic man, Ketan has chosen none other than the rising star of Indian cinema, Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Speaking about the film & his role Nawazuddin said, "As an actor I always crave for challenges, and working with Ketan Sir is a huge opportunity & honour. I'm also fortunate to get the opportunity to essay the role of such a great man. What Dashrath Manjhi has done is greater than anything anyone could've ever done for love. He made a monument of love, with his own hands. And his monument of love for me went even beyond being just a thing of beauty like the Taj Mahal - it actually transformed the lives of millions of people. I cannot wait to begin the shoot for this film."

Said producer Deepa Sahi, "I am most excited about Nawazuddin acting in this film. Unfortunately I had not seen him before I saw Kahaani but the moment he stepped into frame as 'Khan' I knew a great actor had come in. How he handled the difficult scenes in Gangs of Wasseypur confirmed that belief. Watch out for this new age actor as 'Dashrath Manjhi' in Mountain Man."

The script has been co-written by Mehta himself, along with Anjum Rajabali & Mahendra Jhakar. The rest of the cast will be finalized soon and the film will go on floors later this year.