Slain activist’s story on film

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A popular face on television, actress Nishigandha Wad will now be seen as the protagonist in the Hindi film, In The Name Of Tai. The film, directed by Ujjwal V. Thengdi, is inspired by the real life story of slain activist/lawyer Navleen Kumar.

Nishigandha will depict Navleen’s battles for protecting the land of farmers from the clutches of builders and developers. Her character will be fondly addressed as Tai (elder sister) in the film.
Perhaps due to the controversial nature of the role (some descriptions of the film have mentioned that Tai overcomes sexual and psychological abuse before launching her campaigns) many actresses turned down the film until Nishigandha finally took it up. “I don’t know about the others, but I am honoured that I was asked to play such an important character,” says Nishi-gandha. “Ujjwal Thengdi’s previous Marathi film, Vazir, was critically acclaimed, and I’m hoping there will be a similar response to In The Name Of Tai.”