India, July 12 -- In Shyam Benegal's classic film 'Junoon' (1978), set against the backdrop of the 1857 freedom struggle, an extended sequence depicts a British family seeking refuge at night in a secluded temple alongside a ghostly bridge. This scene unfolds after the head of the family, an army officer, is killed by Indian revolutionaries during a Sunday church service. The church utilised for this fictional incident was St Thomas' Church, still extant in Lucknow Cantonment, while the temple was the Shiva Temple established by 'Raja' Tikait Rai. This temple is situated alongside a Nawabi-era bridge spanning the Behta river near Malihabad, which continues to carry his name.

Known as Raja Tikait Rai Bahadur, 'Raja' and 'Bahadur' being ho...