Biopic on martyrdom of ‘Shaheed Shirishkumar’
In the history of Indian Independence fight, lies sacrifices of many unknown heroes, one of them being teenager Shirishkumar Mehta. The contribution of many martyrs is very significant who sacrificed their lives for the freedom we enjoy today. As we turn the pages of history, we see the patriotism and dedication of many such knights. The participation of many revolutionaries has been invaluable in liberating our country from the tyrannical rule of the British.
Mahatma Gandhi started the ‘Bharat Chhodo’ movement against the British in 1942, during the Indian independence movement which included people from all ages. Many were martyred including Shirishkumar Mehta, a 15-year-old child revolutionary from Nandurbar. The Marathi film ‘Shaheed Shirishkumar’, which evokes the memory of his martyrdom, will be produced by Bhavesh Productions.
The film was recently announced at the ‘Shirishkumar Memorial’ in Nandurbar on the occasion of Shirishkumar’s Memorial Day. The film is based on a true story and will be directed by Bhavesh Patil from Nandurbar. Director Bhavesh Patil, Producer Madhuri Wadalkar, Production Manager Vijay Mali, Girish Suryavanshi, Nishikant Valvi, Ramlal Mishra were present on the occasion.
In Nandurbar, on September 9, 1942, ‘Prabhat Pheri’ (Morning Walk) was started ordering the British to ‘leave’ India. Shirishkumar Mehta and his friends participated in this round. Shirishkumar Mehta, 15, was leading a protest against the government with the slogan ‘Vande Mataram’. Despite the opposition of the police, patriotic Shirishkumar continued chanting slogans like ‘Bharatmata Ki Jai’ and ‘Vande Mataram’. Eventually the police started firing. Shirishkumar collapsed on the spot in the police firing, but he did not leave the flag in his hand till the end. Along with him, Dhansukhlal Wani, Ghanshyam Das, Shashidhar Ketkar, Laldas Shah, all his four friends were martyred too.
Director Bhavesh Patil says that he is making this film ‘Shaheed Shirishkumar’ to remind today’s generation of the dedication of the patriot who sacrificed life. According to Bhavesh Patil, Shirishkumar Mehta’s sister Anuradha Thakor and her husband Umesh Thakor have given their permission for the film.