At a tender age of 20, he used to stand on the chair to get a good view of her performance. We are talking about Nawazuddin Siddiqui and veteran folk exponent Teejan Bai. The actor is excited as his wife Aaliya Siddiqui, along with Manju Garhwal, under the banner of YS Entertainment, has announced a project  based on the life of Teejan Bai. The makers are now planning to approach either Vidya Balan, Rani Mukerji or Priyanka Chopra to play the title role. 

“It’s true as we want either Rani Mukerji, Vidya Balan or Priyanka Chopra to play the role,” says Aaliya.

She feels that the writing should do justice to Teejan Bai’s biopic. She also wishes someone apt writes the lyrics. “We are approaching Gulzar saab to write the lyrics,” she adds.  

“Teejan Bai is legendary. I have faith in Aaliya that she can make this film relevant to the general audience, and not just film festivals,” says Nawaz, who is backing his wife. “Teejan Bai continues to enthrall audiences the world over, with her unique folk singing and her powerful voice. She is passing on her singing to the younger generation,” adds Garhwal.

A renowned exponent of Pandavani, a folk art from Chhattisgarh which involves narrations and performances from the Mahabharata, Teejan Bai was married off at the young age of 12. She was expelled by the community, the Pardhi Tribe when they found her singing Pandavani. Her struggles started then as she built herself a small hut and started living on her own. “She never left her singing, which eventually paid off. There are many facets in Teejan Bai’s life that can be written about. I felt that a film based on her life should definitely be made,” says Aaliya. 

Teejan Bai has been awarded the Padma Shri in 1988, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1995, an honorary doctorate in 2003, Padma Bhushan in 2003, M S Subbalaxmi Centenary Award in 2016 and more recently, The Fukuoka Prize in 2018 and the Padma Vibhushan, this year.