Mumbai, March 19 Filmmaker Richie Mehta said on Thursday that he was initially hesitant to direct a film about Phoolan Devi, the notorious Chambal dacoit-turned-politician, but eventually agreed.
“It happened when Kanwal, Kishore, and Shareen approached me after I finished 'Delhi Crime' seven years ago. They had acquired the rights to Phoolan Devi's autobiography. They said to me, 'We think you're the right person to tell this story.' I said, 'I think you're wrong'," Mehta said.
We went back and forth about this for five years, and they persisted, saying it was me, he added.
“About a year and a half ago, I realized that I knew how to tell this story within the context of the film. I pitched it to them, and they said, 'Absolutely, let's do it,' and here we are," he said.
"Phoolan: Trapped and outnumbered by 2,000 armed men, Phoolan Devi fights a brutal 48-hour siege that will either end her life – or rewrite the rules of a man’s world," reads the official synopsis.
The upcoming film is an Amazon Original, and Mehta said he has had great experience working with the streamer.
“I've never felt more empowered to express everything that's in my heart about a subject. Because of you (Prime Video) and because of the team here," Mehta, who worked with the streamer on "Poacher," said.
The film is produced by Mehta, Shareen Mantri Kedia, Kishore Arora, and Kanwal Kohli.