A new movie titled Salahesh: The People’s Hero is slated to go into production this year, producers announced during a function held in the Capital on Monday. The movie will be a biopic of the Maithali king Salahesh, who is believed to have reigned over the Mithila region about 1,500 years ago.

King Salahesh, the protagonist of the film, is believed to have risen to power after the death of King Janak, and is widely-revered figure in the Mithila imagination.

“The film was conceived after a long-term research and study,” said Rajkumar Mahato, film’s producer. Although popular as King Salahesh, his real identity was King Jayabardhan Sailesh. “He is not a folklore character; he was a real emperor, who ruled the Mithila region; we have enough evidence regarding this. Moreover, he was involved in many humanitarian efforts. The reason why he was so popular is clear: he was the ‘king of the people’,” explained Mahato. “He is popular in the region as one who fought against injustice and atrocity.”

The film will be directed by Amitesh Shah. Shah, who has a degree on film-making from Delhi-based Asian Academy of Film and Television, has helmed over 60 plays, and one short film, Kamala, and Salahesh is slated to be his first

feature directorial. Excited about

his debut venture, Shah said, “We will be working on pre-production for about six months, then only will we start up the shooting…we aim to eventually take this movie to international film festivals around the world.” He added that in order to depict and accurate and compelling story the production team will be extensively researching the era where the movie will be set in, including the fashion, jewellery and architecture of the time.

Speaking at the event, sociologist Prof Dr Prem Bahadur Khatri lauded the production team’s desire to make history relatable to today’s audiences through film. “Currently there are several cross-sectional divisions in Nepal, particularly in the Tarai. Movies like this will only help to bridge the cultural divides in the country and bring stories like that

of King Salahesh to the fore, which otherwise are largely missing from the mainstream discourse,” he said.

The film will be shot in Nepal’s Mithila region around districts such as Dhanusha, Mahottari, Siraha, Saptari, Sunsari, Morang, Jhapa and Chitwan, and will also feature shots from parts of India.

The film will be produced under the banner of Bhor Company Pvt Ltd.