National Award-winning filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar has set his next directorial project: Syama – The Missing Chapter, a historical drama chronicling the life and political legacy of Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee, the educationist, barrister and statesman who founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh.

Announced on Friday (October 23), the film is being developed as a historical drama infused with the tension of a political thriller. It will trace Mukherjee’s arc from his tenure as the youngest Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calcutta, through his place in India’s first Cabinet after independence and the ideological disagreements with Jawaharlal Nehru that led to his resignation, to the founding of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1951, his 1953 campaign against the permit system in Jammu and Kashmir, and the circumstances of his death in detention.

The production is a collaboration between Bhandarkar Entertainment and AKH Ventures, with Aditya Kumar Halwasiya producing. “Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee’s life is a powerful reminder that true leadership lies in courage, conviction and service to the nation,” Halwasiya said. “Through Syama, we aim to bring his remarkable journey to the screen and inspire a new generation to discover our history.”

For Bhandarkar — a Padma Shri honoree whose filmography includes Chandni Bar, Page 3, Fashion and Indu Sarkar — the project is a first: he has never before made a film on a historical personality, and describes it as both a challenge and a demanding task he hopes to meet “with honesty, sensitivity and a fresh perspective.” Production is slated to begin in 2027, after Bhandarkar completes his upcoming The Wives of Bollywood; casting has yet to be announced.