What is "The Killing of Meghnad" film about?

"The Killing of Meghnad" is the first cinematic adaptation of Michael Madhusudan Dutt's epic poem "Meghnad Badh Kabya."

Where will "The Killing of Meghnad" premiere?

The film "The Killing of Meghnad" will premiere at the Rotterdam Film Festival on January 30.

How long did it take to film "The Killing of Meghnad"?

It took seven years, from 2017 to 2024, to complete the filming of "The Killing of Meghnad."

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First-Ever Film Adaptation of Meghnad Badh Kabya

18 Jan

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Summary

The film adaptation took seven years and spanned 12 locations across India.
It is the first cinematic adaptation of Michael Madhusudan Dutt's 150-year-old poem.
The film premieres at the Rotterdam Film Festival on January 30.

First-Ever Film Adaptation of Meghnad Badh Kabya

The epic poem "Meghnad Badh Kabya" by Michael Madhusudan Dutt has been brought to the screen for the first time in "The Killing of Meghnad." This cinematic endeavor, a seven-year-long collaboration, spanned 12 distinct locations across India, including the salt marshes of Kutch and the high altitudes of Ladakh. The production team sought landscapes that conveyed a sense of primal civilization, avoiding tourist spots to better reflect the poem's scale.

Filming commenced in 2017 and concluded in 2024, with post-production finishing in 2025. The adaptation meticulously selected dialogues and dramatic encounters from the poem's original text, preserving its radical complexity. Director Ashish Avikunthak emphasized staging the epic within India's raw terrains rather than resorting to conventional mythological cinematic extravagance.