Have you heard? Neeraj Pandey to direct RD Burman's biopic; Sudipto Sen on The Kerala Story 2

Neeraj Pandey; (right) Vipul Shah, Sudipto Sen, and Adah Sharma on the sets of ‘The Kerala Story’

From melody to movie

RD Burman and Neeraj Pandey

A biopic on legendary composer RD Burman is reportedly in the works, with Neeraj Pandey set to direct. According to reports, the filmmaker, known for A Wednesday (2008) and MS Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016), has completed the script and conducted recce in Scotland and Hungary. Casting talks are underway, but "no name has been finalised yet". Burman, fondly called Pancham Da, composed for over 300 films and reshaped Hindi film music.

No film without research

(L-R) Vipul Shah, Sudipto Sen, and Adah Sharma on the sets of ‘The Kerala Story'

Filmmaker Sudipto Sen has explained why he is not helming The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond, the sequel to his hit, The Kerala Story (2023). Directed by Kamakhya Narayan Singh, the sequel releases on February 27. Clarifying his absence, Sen said, "I am not part of the sequel of The Kerala Story," adding that he was occupied with his forthcoming film Charak. Referring to the original, he noted, "For the first film, I researched the subject for 10 years. I could stand by every word and visual," stressing that "sensitive subjects require deep research and long-term study."

‘The Kerala Story 2' row
The trailer, unveiled on February 17, has triggered political controversy. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan called it "false propaganda" and "poisonous". A petition has since been filed in the Kerala High Court challenging its theatrical releasevv