Sepoy Ganesh Hansda was 19 years old when he laid down his life on June 15, 2020, fighting against the Chinese forces at Galwan valley on the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The braveheart has brought glory to Jharkhand and its tribals, but not everyone knows the youngster who made the supreme sacrifice for his country.
Director Surendra Tudu is set to remedy this with his feature film on Hansda’s life, ‘Galwan Veer — The Fighter Ganesh Hansda,’ which will hit the screen in September.
The official trailer of the movie was released a month ago and has so far generated 300K views on YouTube.
Though originally cast in Santhali, it is also simultaneously being dubbed in Hindi. “The film is about the life and struggles of Ganesh Hansda,” Tudu says. “Overall shooting, including in the remote areas of Jharkhand, is complete. It was filmed at other locations too, but we won’t disclose everything at the moment. The film is likely to be released in September this year.”
The movie is expected to be a statement on life in the Indian armed forces — aimed at aspiring youths as well as those who raise questions on issues related to territorial security. It may also prove another feather in the cap of Jharkhand’s budding film industry.
Shaheed Gharonj Films is producing ‘Galwan Veer’ and Shashank Shekhar Mahato has written the script. The film stars Surendra Tudu, Dinesh Hansda, Gangarani Thapa, Jagaran Murmu, Somay Mardi, Pinky Munda, Anjaly Sardar, Rupali Tudu, Mangal Hansda, Dulmu Taisom and Dashrath Hansda.
Sepoy Ganesh Hansda was born in Kosafalia village in the Baharagora block of East Singhbhum district.
He was to appear for his final year intermediate exams from Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial college, Jamshedpur, when he abandoned his studies in 2015. Consequently, Hansda joined a three-year NCC certificate course and was selected for the Army job during a recruitment drive in Ranchi in 2018.
After nine months of training at the Bihar Regimental Centre in Danapur, he was posted to Leh.
When asked about the sepoy’s personal life and love, Tudu admits a lack of “significant clues. We tried to explore this aspect.”
Meanwhile, Jamshedpur-based Nischay Foundation has released a comic, ‘The Fighter of Galwan Valley, elaborating Hansda’s fight. The cover has a picture of the martyr and other Indian soldiers from the border area with Tricolour fluttering in their hands. His parents Subda and Kapra Hansda were present at the release of this comic.
The Jharkhand Government has provided a Class IV job on compassionate grounds to his mother, which she was initially reluctant to accept.
Hansda, like Param Vir Chakra Albert Ekka, will clearly never be forgotten.
