‘I Am Kalam’ Writer Now Wants to Pen a Biopic on Kalam

Scriptwriter Sanjay Chouhan who wrote the film ‘I Am Kalam’ now wants to make a biopic on the late former President

The writer of Paan Singh Tomar and I Am Kalam, Sanjay Chouhan feels a reel adaptation of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam’s life story would be an interesting as well as challenging project to do.

Like me, I am sure everyone is fascinated by Dr Kalam’s journey from Rameshwaram to President Bhavan. A great scholar and a secular individual, he had as much knowledge of Upanishad, Islam, spiritual teachings as he had about science.
– Sanjay Chouhan, Writer

Expressing his desire to see Kalam’s story on silver screen, Chouhan says, “I would love pen his biopic or another film with elements of his life. Right now I am not sure what the film’s take would be and which parts of his life I would use in the story. There would be some flaws as well in him that one can find after talking to people who worked with him at ISRO or other places. He was one of the last few heroes – on whose death everyone really felt a sense of loss irrespective of your religion, political affiliation or otherwise.”

Reminiscing about how director Nila Madhab Panda and he zeroed in on Kalam as the inspiration for their earlier film, I Am Kalam, Chouhan explains how Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shashtri and APJ Abdul Kalam were few of the politicians who were popular among children.

Shastri used to swim across a river to go to school since he didn’t have money for a boat ride. But then we thought today’s kids may not remember Shastri but they identify with Kalam – their newest hero. Kalam was very popular among kids.
– Sanjay Chouhan, Writer

He adds, “I remember there was a part in his biography, which mentioned that he used to distribute newspapers as a kid and the money he earned from that was used to pay for his school fee. That was my springboard to jump into this story of I Am Kalam, which was inspired from his life.”

Chouhan observed that the kids working at tea stalls have no name or identity and are called Chotu or Ramu. “One day one such kid listens to Kalam on TV and wonders if a newspaper seller can become a President why can’t he, a dhaba worker becoming something. So when asked his name he says his name is Kalam and that becomes the central point or seed of the film.”

Since the makers hoped to use Kalam’s name in the film’s title, they requested for an appointment to get the two kids to meet Kalam and get his blessings. Since Smile Foundation was co-producing the film, a lot of street kids were also part of it.

Chouhan remembers meeting Kalam twice, one of which was during his tenure as the President of India. “I was a journalist then. It was interesting to be around him. Temperamentally he was a teacher. He would say something and ask senior journalists to repeat it and they would do so. He was a naughty child throughout his life.”