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Supreme Court verdict a shot in arm for film on ISRO scientist

Mahadevan has been in close touch with Narayanan since 2015 after a book on his struggle to absolve himself of "the frame-up" came out three years ago.

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Nambi Narayanan was “arrested unnecessarily”, SC said on Friday.
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The Supreme Court's verdict on Friday which said former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan was "arrested unnecessarily, harassed and subjected to mental cruelty" in a 1994 espionage case and even ordered a probe into the role of Kerala police officers couldn't have come at a better time for national awardee filmmaker Anant Mahadevan.

"We were all set to begin shooting next month as we are looking at a release in May next year," said Mahadevan. "This verdict couldn't have come at a better time. It brings curtains on the 24-year struggle Narayanan put up with."

Mahadevan has been in close touch with Narayanan since 2015 after a book on his struggle to absolve himself of "the frame-up" came out three years ago. "I was earlier toying with the idea of making the film in Malayalam and had approached Mohanlal for the title role but things did not fall into place," he told DNA.

This paper has learnt from a source in the know that a very senior police officer conducting the SIT probe who had seen the noose tightening around himself over his "overzealousness and highhandedness" had impressed on the Malayalam acting icon to not accept the role.

Mahadevan told DNA that since then actor R Madhavan came aboard and helped raise funds for the project which is now a trilingual in Tamil, Hindi and English. "Soon after the Malayalam film was shelved actor Kamal Hassan who I'm close to suggested this should also be made in English for an international audience. I'm glad things are falling into place."

He refused to reveal who else is being cast in the film and was also unhappy when asked if this would be a mainstream or festival circuit film. "I find this whole classification disingenuous and misleading. Interstellar and Apollo have been tremendous box office successes and also got a lot of critical acclaim and awards. I only believe in good and bad cinema," said the filmmaker whose films like Rukhmabai Bhimrao Raut and Gour Hari Dastaan have received several international awards and acclaim.

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