By Thomas Scaria

Kochi, April 28, 2022: A Bollywood feature film on Blessed Rani Maria, a martyred social reformer, will be released in August, says director Shaison P Ouseph.

“This is the culmination of a 5-year dream and hard work, which is at the final stage of completion,” Ouseph told Matters India April 27.

Cardinal George Alencherry, head of the Syro-Malabar Church, released the film’s title — “The face of the faceless” — two days earlier.

Ouseph explained that the story line is on the value of “utmost forgiveness and sacrifice” than just the life story and mission of Sister Rani Maria.

“I was more deeply touched and inspired by the gesture of Maria’s mother who not only forgave the killer of her daughter, but accepted him as his son. This is the story of that great mother too,” said the lay man who also wrote the story.

The movie will be released in Hindi and Malayalam in Indian theaters and in Spanish and French in OTT platforms overseas, Ouseph explained.

Cardinal Alencherry, who blessed the project and released the title, said the message of forgiveness and sacrifices, as depicted in the movie, will definitely make an impact.

“Sr. Rani Maria is from our own neighborhood, from Pulluvazhy on the outskirts of Ernakulam and she is truly a social reformer, a martyr and a role model,” said the cardinal who also praised the film crew for undertaking “this great mission.”

Hiby Eden, a Member of Parliament, said the upcoming Bollywood film in Hindi has actors and crew from more than 15 Indian states. It reflects some true realities of society and great values on social reformation.

Malayalam Cine actress Vincy Aloysius plays the role of Sister Rani Maria and Jith Matharu from Punjab as the villain. Father Stanley Kozhichira, the president of SIGNIS-India, too has acted in a lead role.

Father Kozhichira says he was thrilled when called to do a role in the movie. “I was excited because I knew this was a historic moment, and the history in the making. So I gladly accepted roll as Birju, the second in command of the main villain. I have good number of scenes in the movie,” he told Matters India April 28.

The Delhi diocesan priest described as “very exciting to work with over 78 artists from 14 states. And being a Malayali staying in Delhi helped me to be part of both the groups of technicians and actors.”

He said the production unit is from Kerala whereas most actors are from the rest of India.

“I cherish a lot of good memories during the shoot. Since it was a location based schedule all the actors would be in the same place most days, which gave a very family feeling. Also a lot of difficulties because of the climatic conditions at Kandla and Lonavla,” Father Kozhichira explained.

The movie’s background is centered on the life and mission of Sister Rani Maria who worked for landless laborers in a remote village in Madhya Pradesh. She had faced several threats to life that culminated in being stabbed to death in a crowded bus near Indore, the commercial capital of the central Indian state.

Sister Rani Maria Vattalil, a member of the Franciscan Clarist Congregation, was stabbed to death on February 25, 1995, by hitman Samandar Singh at Nachanbore Hill in Indore while she was on her way to Indore in a bus. She was 41 then.

She had 40 major injuries and 14 bruises. As she died she uttered, “Jesus!” repeatedly. The murder was arranged because some landlords were offended because of her work among the landless poor.

She was beatified November 4, 2017, in Indore. A miracle through her intercession will speed up her canonization.

Ouseph said the shooting works is completed and the film is at the final stage of sound mixing, special effects. The editing is being done in Paris with the help of the Don Bosco communications.

He said the most difficult part was to mobilize funds for the film budgeted for 50 million rupees. “Finally, it was the Jesuit managed St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai that took the initiative to support this movie,” said Ouseph who works as the head of the department of films and communications in the college.

The movie is made under the banner of Tri Light Creations and produced by Sandra D’Souza Rana. Script and screen play are prepared by Jayapal Ananthan and cinematography by Mahesh Aney.

(With inputs from Jose Kavi)