Farooque Shaikh to play famous Bangladeshi leader in The Bastard Child

One of the most important leaders of the Bangladesh Liberation War (1971), Kader Siddique — famously known as Tiger Siddique — is the inspiration for Farooque Shaikh’s role in Mrityunjay Devvrat’s The Bastard Child.

One of the most important leaders of the Bangladesh Liberation War (1971), Kader Siddique — famously known as Tiger Siddique — is the inspiration for Farooque Shaikh’s role in Mrityunjay Devvrat’s The Bastard Child. The movie reportedly traces the story of the birth of Bangladesh, and the struggle by its people that eventually led to their independence.


“In the , Farooque sir will be portraying a strong character — the leader of the Dhakka Guerrillas. His role is that of an influential, liberal man who stands against the atrocities in east Pakistan, and fights for a free nation,” says an insider from the film’s unit.

When contacted, Devvrat confirms, “The character of Mojid (played by Shaikh), to a large extent, is defined and inspired by Tiger Siddique — a real-life hero who put everything on the line for freedom. He inspired many to fight against the atrocities committed by the Pakistani soldiers. Farooquesaab has portrayed this role perfectly and has done complete justice to the character.”

On his part, the veteran actor, famous for his films like Umrao Jaan (1981), Chashme Buddoor (1981) and the more recent Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, says the film is “about the spirit of joie de vivre (spirit of liveliness). If you have that spirit, then the numeral in your age is merely a number,” he says.

The film also stars Victor Banerjee, Pavan Malhotra, Raima Sen and Tillotama Shome.