Shekhar Kapur has loads of interesting projects in his kitty. One of them is a historical biopic about vaccine pioneer and bacteriologist Waldemar Haffkine.
Haffkine, little known to the general public, was the Ukrainian-Jewish scientist whose work on cholera and plague vaccines in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries helped save millions of lives.
The British Raj appointed Haffkine as their State Bacteriologist in India, but falsely accused him of killing nineteen people from tetanus in what became known as “the Second Dreyfus Affair,” as per Deadline.
The film’s scope
Set across Odesa, Paris, London, Mumbai and Kolkata, the film “will follow Haffkine, a brilliant outsider, as he is shaped by persecution, exile and personal loss, but who repeatedly risks his own body and reputation in pursuit of scientific truth.”
The project is being produced by Helen Hadfield (Snapper Films), Alexandra Stone (Streetcar Productions), Egor Olesov (United Heroes), and J.D. Zacharias (Curiosity Rights). Casting discussions are underway with producers currently on the ground at the Cannes market to discuss the film with potential partners.
Why Haffkine matters
Waldemar Haffkine’s work in India is considered foundational to modern vaccinology. He developed the first effective vaccines against cholera (1892) and bubonic plague (1897). The Haffkine Institute in Mumbai, established in 1899, stands as a testament to his legacy.
His wrongful implication in the tetanus incident – which claimed 19 lives due to a contaminated vial, not his vaccine formula – derailed his career. He was eventually exonerated, but the personal and professional toll was immense. The film aims to bring this overlooked chapter of medical history to light.
Kapur’s busy slate
Meanwhile, Shekhar Kapur is busy making the much-anticipated sequel to Masoom. The 1983 film Masoom was a poignant Hindi drama about a family’s struggle to accept an illegitimate son. Starring Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi, it featured soulful music by R D Burman and lyrics by Gulzar.
The film swept the 1984 Filmfare Awards, winning Best Film (Critics), Best Actor (Naseeruddin Shah), and Best Music Director (R D Burman). Its iconic soundtrack includes the timeless ghazal ‘Tujhse Naraz Nahin Zindagi’, the playful children’s classic ‘Lakdi Ki Kaathi’, and the soulful ‘Do Naina Aur Ek Kahani’.
Looking ahead
With Foreign Bodies, Kapur moves from the intimate family drama of Masoom to the sweeping international story of a scientific hero. The film has the potential to introduce audiences worldwide to a man whose name deserves to be as famous as Pasteur or Koch.
As casting discussions continue at Cannes, anticipation is already building for what could be one of the most significant historical biopics to come out of Indian cinema in recent years.
