Biswajit approaches Lata Mangeshkar for Netaji Subhash biopic

New Delhi: Veteran actor-director Biswajit is working on the music of his ambitious biopic on Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and he has requested melody queen Lata Mangeshkar to sing a patriotic number in the film.

Biswajit, 78, said his meeting with the singer was very positive as she expressed her keen interest in crooning for the film and her sister Usha has requested the director to have the recording at their residence.

"The title of the song is 'Bharat Mata', it is a shlok-cum-song and who better than Lata ji to sing it. I have asked her. She was very excited about it. Her sister Usha has asked me to record the song at the residence as Lata ji won't be able to travel to a studio. I am awaiting her response but I am very optimistic that she will agree to do it," Biswajit told PTI.

Mangeshkar's last film song was in 2010 film "Dunno Y... Na Jaane Kyun".

Biswajit said that the work on the music of the yet-to-be-titled film is complete and the album will feature Indian National Army anthems like "Kadam Kadam", "Subhash ji", besides other original compositions.

"We have just recorded a song with Sukhvinder Singh. It is a great patriotic track and has come out beautifully."

Currently, Biswajit is busy with the auditions of the film, which is taking place in Mumbai, Kolkata and will soon begin in the capital.

"I am getting actors from everywhere be it regional actors from Bhojpuri, Marathi, South, Bengali film industries or artistes from Japan England and Germany," he said. Biswajit, who has earlier made a documentary and a TV serial on Netaji, is also fine-tuning the script. The film, which will be made in Hindi, English and Bengali, is being written by Alok Krishna Chakravarty.

"I am not satisfied with the script yet and it needs a lot of work," said Biswajit, who wants to begin shooting the film on Netaji's birth anniversary on January 23 next year. "I will either begin shooting the film from Cuttack, Odisha where he was born or Subhasgram in West Bengal, which was his ancestral house," he said.