'Shukranu' to recount India's sterilization drive during Emergency

A slice-of-life comedy, "Shukranu", will recount India's sterilization drive during Emergency of the seventies. The film marks the digital debut for producers Reliance Entertainment and is directed by National Award winner Bishnu Dev Halder. It features Divyenndu, Shweta Basu Prasad and Sheetal Thakur as its primary cast.

"'Shukranu' is a humorous take on one of the dark phases of our democracy when the government's family planning programme was forced upon the people. The idea is to make people laugh while talking about a serious issue. The story dives deep into the many comical situations the protagonist Inder, essayed by Divyenndu, faces when he is forced to undergo sterilization. We have had multiple narrations and all of them have reverberated with laughter," said Halder.

The actors are excited too.

"My character Inder goes through a lot of emotions as a result of forced sterilization which makes it a challenge to play as we want it to be sensitive and entertaining both," said Divyenndu.

Talking about the film, Shweta said: "This subject is so interesting and not explored before. We recently started shooting the film and are sure that it will create a ripple of laughter amongst audiences."

Adding to this, Sheetal said: "'Shukranu' is a unique script and I am ecstatic to be part of it. Working with Divyenndu, Shweta and the entire cast has been amazing so far."

"Shukranu" went on floors last week and is scheduled to premiere in early 2020 on ZEE5.

Said Sweta Agnihotri, CEO, content syndication, Reliance Entertainment: "'Shukranu' is a promising story and it is sure to be lapped up by audiences instantly. We are confident about the script and the shooting is now in progress."

According to Aparna Acharekar, programming head, ZEE5 India: "'Shukranu' is sure to be an interesting mix in our content library. The film is packed with twist and turns. Our team has laughed their way through the narration, and we are sure the pulse of the film will entertain our viewers and leave them in splits."

( With inputs from IANS )