The role of Singh was played by actor Maninder Singh in 'Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey' (2010) and actor Jaideep Ahlawat in 'Chittagong' (2012).
Among the most controversial autobiographies in Bengali literature, 'Keu Bole Biplabi, Keu Bole Dakaat' tops the list. The title translates to 'Some Call Him a Freedom Fighter, Some a Dacoit'. And now, a Bengali film is being made on the book, with superstar Jeet playing the lead. But who was this so-called dacoit-revolutionary? Well, not many in today’s generation know his name, but it was Ananta Lal Singh, one of the key figures in the 1930 Chittagong Armoury Raid led by Surya Sen. A man both admired and condemned, Ananta's actions sparked debate even among his own countrymen. To some, he was a fearless rebel fighting for India’s freedom. To others, he was a dangerous outlaw who took things too far.
So, as we gear up to celebrate India’s 79th Independence Day, let’s revisit the story of a man whose life was no less thrilling than a Bollywood blockbuster.
Ananta Singh's story began in the politically charged landscape of Bengal. Born into a modest Baidya family, he grew up under British rule and saw its inequities firsthand. His father, a schoolteacher, encouraged education, but young Ananta found himself increasingly drawn to the revolutionary undercurrents swirling through Chittagong.
As a student at the National High School, he was swept up in the tide of the Non-Cooperation Movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920. But where Gandhi’s call for peaceful resistance stirred hearts across the country, Ananta felt it wasn’t enough. He was more inspired by the call for armed struggle. Drawn to Surya Sen (known fondly as “Master Da”), Ananta joined Anushilan Samiti, a revolutionary secret society. There, he trained in combat, studied strategy, and prepared for a fight that would change his life forever. The death of Lala Lajpat Rai in 1928, after a brutal lathi-charge by British police, became personal to him.
Ananta Singh’s life walked a fine line between outlaw and liberator. To the colonial authorities (and even some of his fellow countrymen, he was a dangerous criminal who looted banks and spread anarchy. But to many, especially those fed up with decades of British exploitation, he was a brave soul who took the fight to the enemy in the only way he could, with courage and cunning.
So why did he rob banks? Well, it was not for personal gain, but to fund the revolution. As part of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA), he believed that armed struggle needed arms, and arms needed money. In the late 1920s, he led several bank and railway treasury raids, including the high-profile looting of the Assam-Bengal Railway treasury in 1928. The money funded the purchase of firearms and ammunition that would fuel future resistance efforts.
The British charged him with dacoity, sedition, and arms possession. But among the people of Bengal, tales of his exploits spread like wildfire. He became a symbol of fearless defiance, someone who dared to do what many only dreamed of. Yet not everyone approved; especially supporters of Gandhi’s non-violent path called his actions dangerous and misguided. The moral debate around Ananta Singh continues to this day. Was he a criminal, or was he simply choosing a different route to the same dream?
April 18, 1930, was the night Ananta etched his name into the pages of Indian history. Under the leadership of Surya Sen, he and a band of young revolutionaries launched the Chittagong Armoury Raid, an ambitious mission to capture British armouries, cripple communication lines, and ignite an armed uprising.
Ananta, just 26 then, played a leading role. While Ganesh Ghosh and Lokenath Bal tackled other targets, Ananta led the attack on the police armoury, successfully capturing a cache of rifles. Though the group failed to seize the ammunition depot, they hoisted the Indian flag and declared the city free from British rule, if only for a short time.
The British crackdown was really swift. A bloody encounter at Jalalabad Hill followed, where 12 revolutionaries lost their lives and dozens were arrested. Ananta was injured but escaped into the hills and jungles, living on the run for nearly three years before his arrest in 1933. Despite the setback, the raid sent a powerful message: the British were not untouchable.
Years later, Jawaharlal Nehru would reflect on the raid’s significance: “It was not the success of the operation, but the daring and vision of these young men that shook the colonial administration.”
After enduring years in the notorious Cellular Jail in the Andamans, Ananta Singh emerged not just as a survivor but as a storyteller. After independence, he joined the Communist Party of India. And he poured his experiences into his memoir, 'Keu Bole Biplabi, Keu Bole Dakaat'. The title itself reveals his inner conflict, the constant tension between how he saw himself and how the world labeled him. The book remains one of the rawest and gripping autobiographical accounts of a revolutionary’s life in Bengali literature. Besides, his other literary works include 'Chattagram Yubabidroha', 'Agnigarbha Chattagram', 'Masterda on Surya Sen', 'Surya Sener Svapna O Sadhana', and 'Ami Sei Meye'.
Beyond writing, Ananta dabbled in cinema too. In post-independence India, he tried his hand at film production, another way of keeping the revolutionary spirit alive. Between 1960 and 1966, he produced three Bengali films, including the hit 'Jamalaye Jibanta Manush'.
Despite his larger-than-life story, Ananta Singh has largely remained in the shadows of history. But cinema has occasionally brought him back into public memory.
In 2010, Maninder Singh portrayed him in 'Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey', a Hindi film directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. In 2012, Jaideep Ahlawat’s intense performance in 'Chittagong' further spotlighted Ananta’s bravery during the raid.
And now, a new Bengali film is in the works, with superstar Jeet stepping into his shoes, promising to revive the legend for a new generation of viewers.
Ananta Singh still remains a paradox - a man who stole to serve, and who fought for freedom with a fire that didn’t dim even in exile.
