Chandigarh-based author Khushwant Singh’s novel on Maharaja Ranjit Singh titled ‘Maharaja in Denims’ will be made into a film. Khushwant Singh, who is the Punjab state information commissioner, says the rights of the movie had been optioned twice before but this time he thinks it is in good hands. The script needs delicate handling and it has gone to the right person he states in a media statement. The story is an intriguing narrative of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s life, seen through the eyes of a teenager named Hari, who believes he is a reincarnation of the Maharaja. The story weaves through three eras. The movie will resonate with the millennials as the story unfolds through the eyes of a young boy who gets flashbacks of being the Maharaja. On whether Khushwant Singh thinks the movie will appeal to the millennial generation.
Producer Guneet Monga acquired rights to make the film. He is also the producer of Gangs Of Wasseypur and The Lunchbox. The film rights have been optioned by Guneet Monga’s Sikhya Entertainment and Amaryllis: An Imprint of Manjul Publishing House. Talking about the acquisition, Guneet says, “This is a story which shows Punjab from a fresh lens. The landscape is so rich in history, much more than just the Partition stories that we have seen in mainstream cinema so far. It would be exciting to see the celebrated Maharaja Ranjit Singh through a millennial’s lens.”
