Nawazuddin Siddiqui set to produce a biopic on folk singer Teejan Bai

Nawazuddin Siddiqui and his wife Aaliya Siddiqui are producing a biopic about award-winning folk singer Teejan Bai, reported Bombay Times. Details of the cast and crew are yet to be confirmed and the film is in the scripting stage, the report said.

In an interview to the publication, the Sacred Games and Manto actor said he will also be creatively involved in the project. “Teejan Bai is a legend and we hope we can make this film relevant, not just for the film festivals, but also the audience in general,” he said.

Teejan Bai, who was given the Padma Vibushan in 2019, is a renowned exponent of Pandavani, a folk art from Chhattisgarh which involves narrations and performances from the Indian epic Mahabharata.

Aaliya Siddiqui told Bombay Times that she wishes to see Amitabh Bachchan as Teejan Bai’s grandfather in the film. “Interestingly, we discovered that Amitabhji’s legendary father Harivansh Rai Bachchan was also an admirer of Teejanji,” she said. “Amitji had also invited amma [Teejan Bai] to his home on his birthday.”
“I’ve always wanted to make a film on amma (Teejan Bai). Even at this age, she performs on stage for hours and doesn’t forget a single word. She fought the norms created by the society, at a time when women barely had the right to speak up and that’s admirable. She added.
Nawaz has been a huge admirer of Teejan Bai’s work since his early days as a theatre actor and has seen her perform live. However, the thought of making a film on her was Aaliya’s, who will soon make a foray into cinema as a producer with a film helmed by Sai Kabir. The Teejan bai biopic will be her second outing as a producer.