The main source of Samudragupta’s history is an inscription engraved on one of the rocks set up by Ashoka the Great in Kausambi ( present day Allahabad). In this inscription Samudragupta details his conquests. This inscription is also important because of the political geography of India that it indicates by naming the different kings and peoples who populated India in the first half of the fourth century AD. The inscription to Samudragupta’s martial exploits states that its author is Harishena, who was an important poet of Samudragupta’s court.

The beginning of Samudragupta’s reign was marked by the defeat of his immediate neighbours, Achyuta, ruler of Ahichchhatra, and Nagasena. Following this Samudragupta began a campaign against the kingdoms to the south. This southern campaign took him south along the Bay of Bengal. He passed through the forest tracts of Madhya Pradesh, crossed the Orissa coast, marched through Ganjam,Vishakapatnam, Godavari, Krishna and Nellore districts and may have reached as far as Kancheepuram. Here however he did not attempt to maintain direct control. After capturing his enemies he reinstated them as tributary kings. This act prevented the Gupta Empire from attaining the almost immediate demise of theMaurya Empire of Ashoka the Great and is a testament to his abilities as a statesman. The details of Samudragupta’s campaigns are too numerous to recount here. These can be found in the first reference below. However it is clear that he possessed a powerful navy in addition to his army. In addition to tributary kingdoms, many other rulers of foreign states like the Saka and Kushan kings accepted the suzerainty of Samudragupta and offered him their services.

Much is known about Samudragupta through coins issued by him. These were of eight different types and all made of pure gold. His conquests brought him the gold and also the coin-making expertise from his acquaintance with the Kushana. Samudragupta is also known to have been a man of culture. He was a patron of learning, a celebrated poet and a musician. Several coins depict him playing on the Indian lyre or Veena. He gathered a galaxy of poets and scholars and took effective actions to foster and propagate religious, artistic and literary aspects of Indian culture. Though he favoured the Hindu religion like the other Gupta kings, he was reputed to possess a tolerant spirit vis-a-vis other religions. A clear illustration of this is the permission granted by him to the king of Ceylon to build a monastery for Buddhist pilgrims in Bodh Gaya.

“Coming from a Chief Minister who has been the flagbearer of change and progress in my home state, that’s the biggest endorsement I could have asked for,” says the director. “The last film Nitishji admitted to having watched was Raju Hirani’s 3 Idiots and he compared its positive energy to ours.”

The film’s mouthful of a title was what drew Nitish Kumar to the film, admits Praveen Kumar, saying that they had started with a more conventional Yeh Jo Mohabbat Hai. The shooting title was Keshu The Truck Driver that changed to Na Woh Mili Na Ya Mila during the editing. “Jo Dooba So Paar — It’s Love In Bihar came much later from a Amir Khusrau couplet and seemed apt because the film is about learning to love fearlessly. Interestingly, when I went to IMPAA, I was told that a year ago, I had already registered,” reminisces the filmmaker.

The film’s financier and music composer, Manish J Tipu, are from Bihar, along with the director and lead actor Vinay Pathak. Yet, Praveen Kumar admits he was wary of shooting there, and a major chunk was filmed in Madhya Pradesh and Mumbai.

“But we needed to shoot the climax in Bodh Gaya and hence applied for the necessary permission. But since no one had heard of Praveen Kumar, security cover wasn’t provided for,” admits Praveen Kumar. “We shot in the middle of Gaya without a single policeman escorting us and without a single untoward incident. Full credit to Nitishji for this. He’s given us a New Bihar where love and not violence reigns. And our film reflects that Bihar.”

Courtesy: Hindustan Times