Manjhi, 22 Year Solo Struggle An Epic Film

Films made as Biopic based on inspirational lives of people around us serve a great deal of encouragement for everyone to achieve something in life. Off late, this has become a success formula and many writers are conducting researches on lives of great human beings whose names are renowned in common public.

Dashrath Manjhi of Gaya district is not a popular name in South India but when we refer him as ‘Mountain Man,’ some of us might at least appreciate it. Manjhi is a laborer and resident of Gehlaur village in Atri block of Gaya district in Bihar is so famous because of 22 years solo work he did silently to construct a deep road of 360 feet long, 30 feet wide and 25 feet deep through a Gehlaur mountain.

Manjhi carved a path through this big mountain by using a simple hammer and chisel working on it for 22 years from 1960 to 1982. Only then, Government recognized his efforts when the distance between Atri and Wazirganj is reduced from 55 Kms to 15 Kms. The entire story unfolded in 1982 when Manjhi’s wife Falguni Devi got hurt taking food for husband. Later Manjhi died at the age of 72 in 2007 but his inspiration and motivation is given an on-screen shape by director cum producer Ketan Mehta.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Radhika Apte played top leads in the film titled ‘Manjhi’ releasing in theaters on August 21. Bihar Government declared ‘Manjhi’ as a tax free film in their state.