Exclusive: Vishal Tyagi announces a film on INA veteran Neera Arya

Producer Vishal Tyagi has announced a film on freedom fighter and Indian National Army (INA) veteran Neera Arya, based on the book 'Neera Arya: Naagin Ki Atmakatha'.

Tyagi has also acquired the right of the book for its cinematic adaptation. Further, writer Armaan Singh Dhillon has been roped in to work on the screenplay for the film.

Tete-a-tete with Vishal Tyagi & Armaan Singh Dhillon

Speaking about the upcoming project in an exclusive interview with BollywoodMDB, Tyagi said: "We reserved the rights of the book some six months back. The complete, in-depth research on the subject has been done by Dhillon Sahab. He's a young talent and is contributing majorly to the script."

On why he zeroed-in the particular book to serve as base for the film, Vishal justifies by saying that not everything is available on Internet and social media. "This book contains a lot of information which you do not find in any history books. Some facets are controversial and not many are aware of these. This is why we decided to base our story on this book," he revealed.

When asked about his plans as to who would helm the project, Vishal said he has approached several well-known directors, given them a copy of the book to read and now awaiting response. "Let's see how things shape up ahead," he added.

Need a well-known actress to play Neera Arya on screen

Emphasizing the fact that Neera Arya is a strong, historical female character, Tyagi admits that casting a well-known actress is crucial for the film.

"Since not many people know about Neera Arya, it is very important that a well-known actress is cast to play the titular role. While people are well versed with Indian National Army (INA) and Subhash Chandra Bose, not many know about Neera Arya who played a prominent role in Netaji's army and was nicknamed as 'Naagin'," he said.

"Thus, casting a popular actress will only enhance the visibility of the character and the film," he added.

Neera Arya's story needs to be told, says writer Armaan Singh Dhillon

Expressing contentment over his collaboration with producer Vishal Tyagi, writer Armaan Singh Dhillon said: "When we talk of INA, not many names crop up in our mind except that of Subhash Chandra Bose. Therefore, when this film is made, people will take notice of Neera Arya and her contribution in the INA. She is one of the lesser-known figures of the INA and her story needs to be told."

On the future course of action with regards to the film, Dhillon reveals that the project would get going soon. "The journey from getting the rights of the book to writing the screenplay has been incredible... We hope to start the production work of the project soon," he concluded.

Who was Neera Arya?

For the unversed, Neera Arya (b. 05 March 1902 - d. 26 July 1998) was a veteran of the Indian National Army (INA), who served in the Rani of Jhansi Regiment.

Arya killed her husband Shrikant Jairanjan Das, a British CID officer, after he attempted to assassinate Subhash Chandra Bose. For this, she was imprisoned and brutally tortured in the Cellular Jail at Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar Islands (known as the dreaded Kaalapani in British era).

Known for being the first lady spy of the INA, Neera Arya was released from jail after Independence. She spent the rest of her life in Hyderabad where she eventually passed away in 1998.