For the first time ever, a biographical film will premiere on television. Set to premiere on '&pictures' channel, the film will trace the life and struggle of real-life hero Shanmughan Manjunath. The Indian Institue of Management Lucknow graduate lost his life in a battle against oil mafia and corruption in Uttar Pradesh.
The channel will also be initiating a candlelight march in the memory of Manjunath, on November 19. A series of interactive sessions were also held in the IIMs at Ahmedabad, Indore and Delhi, with social activists, civil servants and students.
About the biopic, director Sandeep Varma explained that it would set the facts right about what happened before and after the death of the unsung hero. He said: "I think, the subject picked me as I bumped into the life of late Manjunath, who is pretty much alive amongst his supporters, all of whom are still fighting for him and his cause. I was so moved by this real-life story that I planned to make the film."
The film has been shot at real locations that Shanmughan frequented. The world television premiere which aims at reaching out to Indians, as well as audiences across the globe, so they can get a personal look into the heart rending tale of the former manager of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).
The biopic will air on November 19, Manjunath's ninth death anniversary, at 8pm. It stars Divya Dutta and Yashpal Verma.
Manjunath was a marketing manager for the IOC at Lakhimpur Kheri, a remote district in rural Uttar Pradesh. He had ordered two petrol pumps to be sealed, as they were selling adulterated petrol. On November 19, 2005, he was shot to death while he was conducting a surprise raid.
