Indian actor Celina Vikram Jaitly is returning to feature films as Sister Nibedita, the Irish-born disciple of Swami Vivekananda, in director Ram Kamal Mukherjee’s next biographical drama, after the two last collaborated on his film “Season’s Greetings.”
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Jaitly built her Bollywood career on her 2003 breakout in “Janasheen,” followed by hits including “No Entry” in 2005, “Golmaal Returns” in 2008 and “Thank You” in 2011.
“Sister Nibedita” is produced by Aritra Das Creation in association with Assorted Motion Pictures. It will follow the life of Sister Nibedita – also known as Nivedita – born in Ireland as Margaret Elizabeth Noble, who gave up her homeland to make India her spiritual home and went on to devote herself to social reform, women’s empowerment, education and nation-building.
Vivekananda was a Hindu monk who carried the philosophy of Vedanta to the West, most notably in a landmark 1893 address at the World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago, and remains one of the most influential religious figures in modern Indian history. His guru, Ramakrishna, was a 19th-century mystic and spiritual teacher in Bengal whose teachings on the unity underlying all religions shaped the worldview Vivekananda would go on to spread globally.
The drama will track Nibedita’s evolution from a young Irish educator into a champion of India’s cultural and spiritual awakening, set during a period of sweeping change in the country. It will also examine her relationship with Swami Vivekananda and her part in shaping a national consciousness during that era.
Mukherjee reunites with music duo Sourendra-Soumyajit, who previously scored his “Binodiini Ekti Natir Upakhyan,” his last feature. The screenplay for “Sister Nibedita” is written by Ipsita Acharya. The makers are still finalizing the rest of the cast and creative team.
“A subject like ‘Sister Nibedita’ was waiting to be told. I always felt that Celina would be the right choice for Margaret. While making Binodiini, I was reading books on Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda. That’s when I came across the wonderful journey of Sister Nibedita. I revisited her story and decided to make a movie. I am glad to have Celina as my leading lady, who would understand the pain and passion of woman’s self-sacrifice,” Mukherjee said.
“There are journeys that an actor chooses, and then there are journeys that somehow choose the actor. The last time I had the privilege of collaborating with filmmaker Ram Kamal Mukherjee for ‘Season’s Greetings.’ I never imagined that after almost four years our paths would cross for a story of such profound spiritual significance. As a little girl, I wandered through the peaceful grounds of Sister Nibedita’s last home in Darjeeling, never knowing that one day I would be entrusted with bringing Margaret Noble’s extraordinary life to audiences around the world. With the blessings of Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna Mission, I take a sacred vow to give every ounce of my heart and soul to portraying Sister Nibedita,” Jaitly added.
“‘Sister Nibedita’ is a dream project. After ‘Binodiini’ we wanted to make ‘Sister Nibedita.’ Celina Vikram Jaitly flew all the way from Austria when our director Ram Kamal wanted to see the final look. We were surprised to see the transformation,” producer Aritra Das said.
The project is unveiled on July 4, marking the 124th death anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
The “Sister Nibedita” team plans an international production, shooting across Mumbai, Kolkata and Ireland to capture the settings that shaped Nibedita’s life.