Movie on the life of Apostle Thomas to be produced

A Christian movie on the life and ministry of Apostle Thomas is set to hit the silver screen for the first time in 2009.

According to reports, the two–and–half–hour feature film, will be produced by the Archdiocese of Madras–Mylapore for a budget of Rs. 30 crore (US $10million).

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi will inaugurate the film on July 3, at the feast of St. Thomas in San Thome Basilica campus, Chennai.

The movie which will be a collaboration of Hollywood and Bollywood bigwigs, will commence its shooting by December, this year.

The project will also be backed by Ivan Cardinal Dias, the Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of the Propagation of Faith, and the bishops’ community in Tamil Nadu.

Containing a message of peace and harmony, the movie will be produced with the theme of human equality and dignity for all.

The film would initially be made in Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi and later dubbed into various other languages, including English and French.

The south Indian states, Kerala and Tamil Nadu hold special significance, as St. Thomas, one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus, spent many of his years preaching and establishing Churches in these states.

Apostle Thomas was believed to have landed at a port named Palayoor in Kerala in AD 52, where he established seven churches. He is believed to have been martyred in 72 AD in Mylapore.