Neerja director's next is a web series on Bodhidharma

The last time that someone tried to portray the life of Bodhidharma, the 5th Century medical and martial artiste who became an iconic figure in China, was AR Murugadoss in his Tamil film 7am Arivu in 2011. The film received mixed reviews from critics.

Now Neerja director Ram Madhvani is all set to make a web series on this ancient enigmatic figure. Elaborating on what is known about his subject, Ram explains, “Not much is known about Bodhidharma. He was a Tamil philosopher, healer and martial arts disciple who acquired godlike status when he migrated to China. At first, he was looked on with suspicion and distrust by the locals in China. Then he gradually won them over with his skills, wisdom and art, so much so that they didn’t want him to leave China.”

Ram is yet to decide who will play Bodhidharma. “In all likelihood, we are going to cast newcomers in the series, as we don’t want audiences to approach the drama with any pre-conceived ideas,” he adds.

The director is having a blast experimenting with new mediums of filmmaking. He says, “It is very liberating to try out yet another format of filmmaking. I’ve made ads all my life. I’ve done feature films. Now I am trying out a web series.”

Ram says the best part of doing the web series on the life of Bodhidharma is that he gets to collaborate with some of the best talent in the entertainment industry. “I am collaborating with Prasoon Joshi for the first time. His thought process and writing are so precise and clear we can almost feel the entire series unfolding in front of our eyes.” Parts of the series may be shot in China.