Prem to bring Indo-Pak war hero Field Marshal Cariappa’s life to the big screen

One of the most distinguished military officers from Karnataka, Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa is one of only two Indian Army Officers to ever be bestowed the five-star rank of Field Marshal (followed by Sam Manekshaw).

In a military career spanning almost three decades, Field Marshal Cariappa led Indian forces in the Indo-Pakistan war of 1947, among others. And now, his story is getting an onscreen adaptation. Featuring Kannada actor Prem as Cariappa, the as-yet-untitled project by the makers of Premam Poojyam will not be a biopic, instead, it will pick important events from his lifetime.

To be directed by Dr Raghavendra BS, who has also made Prem’s Premam Poojyam, the plan is to make this project for the international market, given Cariappa’s global status. According to an Indian Express report, Prem has said that the mega-budget project will be Karnataka’s tribute to its hero, and presented to the world as an international film. The period film will also focus on the Field Marshal’s journeys across the world, and will hence be extensively shot abroad.

The report adds that this ambitious project is still in planning stages, with the team involved in extensive research to present factually correct versions of incidents in Cariappa’s life. Also, to ensure the film meets international technical standards, the team is getting technicians from Hollywood on board. Once the script is locked, there will be a formal announcement from the team about further details.

In the meantime, they will focus on the theatrical release of Prem’s milestone 25th film, Premam Poojyam, which also stars Brinda Acharya and Aindrita Ray in pivotal roles. In August, Prem had taken to social media to announce that they had locked in on October 29 as the release date for the film. But with reports gathering steam that Shivarajkumar’s big-ticket Bhajarangi 2 may choose the same date, it remains to be seen if Prem will look at clashing with Shivanna at the box office or move to another date.