Writer Mahasweta Devi in a film based on her life story

Magsaysay award winner Mahasweta Devi, whose umpteen stories have been converted into films worth the mention, has herself appeared in one being adapted for celluloid. The film in mention titled Ullas consists of three stories, all written by the writer, of which one is Dour (run) in which the writer has brought out her acting talent. The 86-year-old writer herself passed on the information at a press meet at the film hub Nandan where some the film’s clips were shown. Dour revolves around the death of a tribal during a recruitment test for police constables which bears an uncanny similarity with a recent real-life incident in which two young men, appearing for the physical fitness test for the posts of Kolkata Police constables, died in the blazing sun. The Padma Vibhushan awardee said that she had not seen the film and it is just that she penned the stories. Some films based on Mahashweta Devi’s works include Sunghursh that depicted a fictionalized account of vendetta within a Thuggee cult in the city of Varanasi, Rudaali, Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa, Maati Maay based on her short story, Daayen and Gangor based on her short story, Choli Ke Peeche, from the book, Breast Stories.