Prabhas To Play an Azad Hind Fauj Soldier in ‘FauZi’
Set in the 1940s, the upcoming war drama follows an extraordinary mission of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s INA during India’s freedom struggle
Prabhas is set to step into one of the most patriotic roles of his career. According to industry sources, the pan-India star will reportedly play an Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army) soldier in director Hanu Raghavapudi’s ambitious period drama, Fauzi, set during India’s freedom struggle in the 1940s.
“Legendary Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s Azad Hind Fauj forms the historical backbone of the story. Prabhas plays a British Indian Army soldier who defects to join the Indian National Army and fight for India’s independence under the leadership of Netaji,” reveals a source.
The mega-budget period action-war drama reportedly revolves around the courage, honour, and sacrifices of Bose’s Indian National Army. “Rather than being a conventional biopic on Netaji, the narrative follows a battle-hardened battalion undertaking an extraordinary mission for India’s freedom while upholding the ideals of the Azad Hind Fauj,” the source explains.
Raghavapudi had earlier hinted at the film’s emotional core, describing it as an alternate take on the Mahabharata. “Imagine if Karna had fought the Kurukshetra war on the side of the Pandavas. That’s the kind of emotional shift we are exploring,” he said.
Netaji has been portrayed in several Indian films, including Shankar’s Bharateeyudu. More recently, Telugu films such as Spy and Devil have revisited the iconic freedom fighter’s legacy through fictional narratives inspired by his life. Producer Lagadapati Sridhar welcomes the renewed interest in portraying Netaji on screen. “It is encouraging to see Telugu filmmakers bringing Netaji into contemporary cinema. His patriotism, vision, and determination deserve to be introduced to the younger generation. If recreated authentically with quality visual effects, such films can educate as well as entertain,” he says.
