Actor Huma Qureshi has come on board to headline the upcoming investigative police procedural drama Bayaan, award-winning producer Shiladitya Bora announced on Friday. Developed at Film Independent, Los Angeles, Bayaan will be helmed by writer-director Bikas Mishra, best known for his acclaimed feature film Chauranga.
Also starring actors Chandrachur Singh and Sachin Khedekar, Bayaan is set to begin production in Rajasthan, this month. The film is jointly produced by Shiladitya Bora (Platoon One Films), Madhu Sharma (Summit Studios), Kunal Kumar, and Anshuman Singh.
The drama is set against the ravishing landscape of Rajasthan and follows the story of a father-daughter duo. "Roohi, a female detective, is sent to a small town in Rajasthan to probe the first case of her career as a lead investigator. She is, however, doomed to fail as her opponent’s influence runs deep within the system. Roohi must strive to live up to her father’s legacy, who is a legend in the world of law enforcement," the logline reads.
The film is supported by the International Film Festival Rotterdam’s Hubert Bals Fund and was developed at LA Residency, a part of the Global Media Makers (GMM) program of Film Independent, Los Angeles. During the course of the residency, Bikas was mentored by Craig Mazin (creator of HBO’s Chernobyl, The Last of Us, Hangover 2 and 3) and received advice on the script from writer Jeff Stockwell and story editor Ruth Atkinson.
"The sheer passion of the director-producer duo, Bikas and Shiladitya, moved me," actor Huma Qureshi said about signing Bayaan.
"Collaborating with such dedicated professionals, who care deeply about filmmaking, is truly exciting. It's a rare combination: a fantastic script, a talented crew, and their complete dedication to their work. Their energy is infectious. I'm excited about Bayaan!" said Qureshi, known for titles like Anurag Kashyap's Gangs of Wasseypur and the Netflix Original Monica O My Darling.
Bikas Mishra, known for his debut feature Chauranga, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles in 2015 and was declared Best Indian Feature at the Mumbai Film Festival (MAMI) in 2014, said, "I feel humbled by the unconditional support Bayaan has received from Shiladitya and Huma. Having assembled the best cast and crew, there is no stopping now. We are going to make a film that will speak to the world, to tell a story we care a great deal about."
Producer Shiladitya Bora said a film like Bayaan perfectly aligned with the vision of his production house. "As a producer, I'm always looking for that one script that will be a breakout film for everyone involved. My job is to back the director's vision and empower him to create a film that will take us places. Huma's backing reaffirms my faith in the project."
Producer Shiladitya Bora has earlier backed projects such as Newton (India’s Official Entry to the 2018 Oscars), and Picasso (Prime Video India's first Marathi direct-to-digital acquisition). His banner, Platoon One Films, is a leading Indian independent film production house that was behind last year’s Berlin Panorama selection Ghaath.
Bayaan boasts a talented crew; three of them, the director, producer, and cinematographer, are alumni of the prestigious Berlinale Talents. Udit Khurana (Ghaath, Netflix’s Hunt for Veerappan) will shoot the film, while Vinay Vishwakarma (Disney-Hotstar's Candy) will serve as the production designer, and Shilpi Agarwal (Prasanna Vithanage’s Paradise, Netflix’s Indian Predator: Murder in a Courtroom) will serve as the costume designer. Location sound will be done by Amala Popuri (Ghajini, Trial By Fire). The casting is put together by Casting Director Rahul Tanwar. Ashok Sen (Newton, Raazi) will be the First AD, Ratan Sil Sarma will be the Head of Production, with Himanshu Malik as Executive Producer.
The film will also showcase many acclaimed actors in pivotal roles, including Avijit Dutt (Piku), Shampa Mandal (Sonchiriya, Sherni), Priti Shukla, Vibhor Mayank and Aditi Kanchan Singh.
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