New Delhi, Dec. 31 -- Docu-drama "Nanda Master'nka Chatasali", directed by acclaimed Odia filmmaker Pranab Aich, chronicles the extraordinary yet understated life of the late Padma Shri awardee Nanda Prusty, a grassroots educator who devoted more than seven decades to providing free education in rural Odisha.
Fondly known as Nanda Master, Prusty ran one of India's last traditional open-air schools or Chatasali, for more than 70 years, teaching children and villagers without charging a fee. His service was recognised in 2021 as he was awarded the Padma Shri.
"The film was never about celebrating a hero," director Pranab Aich told UNI. "The film seeks to understand a man who never saw himself as a hero, but simply acted out of a sense of du...