Dhanush is playing India's former president and aerospace scientist Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in Kalam biopic
The biopic will revolve around the life of Dr. Kalam from Rameswaram to Rashtrapati Bhavan
Om Raut is helming the upcoming project
Filmmaker Om Raut has joined hands with Dhanush for the biopic on India's former president and aerospace scientist Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. The film is titled Kalam: The Missile Man of India, where Dhanush is playing the titular role of Dr. Kalam. The first look of the film was unveiled at the Cannes Film Market in May this year.
Raut is happy to be collaborating with the National award-winning actor, and he feels that there could be nobody better than him.
Om Raut on Dhanush playing A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
In an interview with PTI, Raut called Dhanush a "phenomenal" actor, and he is glad that the actor has accepted to play the part. "He is somebody that I really look up to and I’m looking forward to working with him on this film,” said the National award-winning director.
Om Raut on challenges in making biopics
Raut made his directorial debut with Bal Gangadhar Tilak's biopic, Lokmanya: Ek Yugpurush (2015), followed by another biopic, Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior (2020), which was his Hindi debut.
Raut said it's a challenging genre as it is difficult to make a film on any personality. "The episodes of their life that you select to go in the film, versus the episodes of their life that you choose not to put is important. You let go of a few things and realise that whatever you’ve selected is good, and what’s omitted is even better. Having said that, one wants to make the best effort to tell the story and make it inspirational," he said.
Raut on Abdul Kalam
He called Kalam an "inspiration" to him when he was growing up. His books have changed his life. Raut said that if he can tell the story that becomes inspirational to a lot of people, especially the youngsters, it would be great.
The biopic will revolve around the life of Dr. Kalam from Rameswaram to Rashtrapati Bhavan, as a celebrated aerospace scientist, visionary, teacher, and people’s president.
Kalam is produced by Bhushan Kumar and Krishan Kumar of T-Series and Abhishek Agarwal and Anil Sunkara of Abhishek Agarwal Arts.
