On the occasion of Veer Savarkar’s Jayanti, May 28 actor and producer Ram Charan announced a new film based on the life of Savarkar and his contribution to the freedom struggle. The announcement comes at a time when the nation is celebrating the 140th birth anniversary of the brave soldier of the motherland by inaugurating the new parliament on this day.
The movie, titled “The India House,” will feature actors Nikhil Siddhartha and Anupam Kher in prominent roles. The film is based on Savarkar’s role in India’s struggle for independence.
The title of the movie, “The India House,” holds great significance. India House was a historic residence located in London, where Veer Savarkar resided during his exile from 1906 to 1910.
Sharing the promo, Ram wrote, “On the occasion of the 140th birth anniversary of our great freedom fighter Veer Savarkar Garu we are proud to announce our pan India film – THE INDIA HOUSE headlined by Nikhil Siddhartha, Anupam Kher ji & director Ram Vamsi Krishna! Jai Hind! @actor_Nikhil @AnupamPKher @ramvamsikrishna @AbhishekOfficl @AAArtsOfficial @VMegaPictures #TheIndiaHouse #JaiMataDi #RevolutionIsBrewing #ThisIsYoungIndia (sic).”
The India House also served as a crucial hub for Indian political activism and played a pivotal role in connecting Indian revolutionaries of that time. Later it became a centre for discussion, debate, and planning of various activities to fight against British colonial rule.
Back during the independence struggle Savarkar and his aide used this place to strategize and propagate the idea of nationalism among the people.
Patrons of India House published an anti-colonialist newspaper, The Indian Sociologist, which the British Raj banned as “seditious”. A number of prominent Indian revolutionaries and nationalists were associated with India House, including Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Bhikaji Cama, V.N. Chatterjee, Lala Har Dayal, V.V.S. Aiyar, M.P.T. Acharya and P.M. Bapat. In 1909, a member of India House, Madan Lal Dhingra, assassinated Sir W.H. Curzon Wyllie, political aide-de-camp to the Secretary of State for India.
Impressed and influenced by the Italian Wars of Independence, Savarkar believed in an armed revolution in India and was prepared to seek assistance from Germany toward this end. He proposed the indoctrination of Indian soldiery in the British army, just as the Young Italy movement had indoctrinated Italians serving in the Austrian forces.
In London, Savarkar founded the Free India Society (FIS), and in December 1906 he opened a branch of Abhinav Bharat. This organisation drew a number of radical Indian students, including P.M. Bapat, V.V.S. Aiyar, Madanlal Dhingra, and V.N. Chatterjee. Savarkar had lived in Paris for some time and frequently visited the city after moving to London.
With Ram Charan, Ram Vamsi Krishna is all set to make his directorial debut with The India House.
The announcement glimpse shows Nikhil named Shiva reaching the India House on a small boat and the house is set on fire before he arrives. It’s evident through the video that The India House will have nationalistic elements. The film unfolds a love story during a time of political turmoil around The India House in 1905.
Before The India House, a biopic was made on Savarkar’s life back in 2001 title, ‘Veer Savarkar’. This version was released on DVD format. This film is produced by Savarkar Darshan Prathisthan, under the president-ship of Sudhir Phadke.
The Movie was premiered on 16 November 2001, in Mumbai, New Delhi, Nagpur and six other Indian cities.
On May 28, 2012, its Gujarati language version was released by then Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi
The film was screened retrospectively on August 13, 2016, at the Independence Day Film Festival jointly presented by the Indian Directorate of Film Festivals and the Ministry of Defense, commemorating the 70th Indian Independence Day. Produced by Sudhir Phadke who also composed music for this, it has been directed by Ved Rahi. Prabhakar Mone has been its chief production controller.
