Filmmaker Mahesh V. Manjrekar will direct the biopic of freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Sawarkar. Titled "Swatantra Veer Savarkar", the film was announced on the freedom fighter's 138th birth anniversary on Friday.

The biopic will be shot across London, the Andaman Islands and Maharashtra. The cast and other details of the project are yet to be revealed.

Veer Savarkar played a significant role in India's freedom struggle and was also a member of the Hindu Mahasabha. Speaking about the project, producer Amit B Wadhwani said: "Veer Savarkar is an important part of India's history that needs to be told. Unfortunately, the optics have prevented the man from being understood, let alone from being celebrated."

"Veer Savarkar is revered and criticised in equal measure. He has been made into a polarising figure today but I feel that's because people don't know enough. No one can deny that he was an important part of our freedom struggle and our attempt is to present a peek into his life and journey. While many revere Veer Savarkar for his role in the freedom struggle, there are others that decry him for his role in the freedom struggle and the aftermath of that along with the philosophy of Hindutva. But Vinayak Damodar Savarkar's story is one that needs to be told," added producer Sandeep Singh.