His tryst with historical fiction has yielded great results and Dev has got rave reviews for that. The pre-teaser of Dev’s film Bagha Jatin dropped on social media platforms on Monday and fans are going all out to shower their love and support. Directed by Arun Roy and starring superstar Dev, the film is set to take the audience on a captivating journey into the life of one of India’s greatest revolutionaries. The film celebrates the spirit of bravery and national pride that defined one of the most important chapters in Indian history. As the nation celebrates its 77th Independence Day today, t2 caught up with Dev to talk about films and I-Day.

The pre-teaser of your much-awaited pan-India film Bagha Jatin has dropped...

It provides a glimpse of the film. Bagha Jatin tells the extraordinary tale of Jatindranath Mukherjee, a freedom fighter and a key figure in India’s struggle for Independence. He was christened Bagha Jatin because he fought a tiger with his bare hands. The movie sheds light on his fearless spirit, unwavering determination and love for his country. This film reminds one once again of the sacrifices made by our freedom fighters, who had sacrificed their lives in the freedom struggle for the love of their country.

People are talking about the VFX work done for the film. Tell us more about it...

The best studios have come on board to work on the VFX for the film. Firefly Creative Studio — a leading visual effects and computer graphics company that had done the VFX work for RRR — is doing the VFX work for Bagha Jatin. Three companies from Calcutta are also working on the VFX work. There is a huge team involved. The VFX work will be of international standard.

Bagha Jatin is an emotion for us. Initially, we had thought of going to Thailand to shoot with real tigers. We saw a lot of footage but didn’t quite see the aggression in them. And then we thought of travelling to Los Angeles. But there they do not have a Royal Bengal Tiger. Then we started on our research work and it took us time to figure out how we would go about it. Finally, we zeroed in on Firefly and we knew that we were on the right path. The decision to present this inspiring story in Hindi opens the doors for millions of viewers across the country to experience the heroic journey of Bagha Jatin.

Why did you decide to produce Bagha Jatin?

Because of who he (Bagha Jatin) was... because of his courage, his exemplary heroism. It is one of our costliest productions. I like watching historical fiction and I’m fascinated by period films.

How does August 15 unfold for you?

I usually attend state programmes and travel to Ghatal (his constituency as an MP). I interact with the people there and then attend all the official meetings. I have seen the youth celebrating nationalism and heard them talking about what nationalism and patriotism mean to them. That’s a great sign.

What’s your message to the youth on this day?

A moment from Byomkesh O Durgo Rahasya, playing in theatres now

Take small steps and start with the little things around you. Keep your neighbourhood and locality clean. Cleanliness impacts development and health and once your locality adopts cleanliness, it promotes healthy living. The concepts of environmental sustainability and green growth have gained tremendous importance and that plays a huge role in nation building. Also, use social media in a positive way. Please do not put down anyone on social media... that’s also a part of your social responsibility. Take care of your home, take care of the elderly. On this day, the young ones can get to know our country better and remember the heroes and their sacrifices. This would inculcate a sense of responsibility for the nation and society among the youth.

Do you watch patriotic movies?

Yes, Border is one of my fave films. Also, the films by Manoj Kumar. I have watched all of them. And, I liked Uri.

How’s the response to Byomkesh O Durgo Rahasya?

We are very happy. Lots of shows went houseful over the weekend. It was a blockbuster Sunday and we got a phenomenal response. I would like to thank my audience for this one. It is really special. The word-of-mouth has been really positive. I always believe that if you do your work with honesty and care, it’ll reflect on the screen. I loved the script and now the audience loves it too.

How long do you bask in the glory of a successful film?

The first three days... till Sunday. Then I focus on my next film. In this case, I’ll get ready for the shoot of Pradhan.