In the grand tapestry of India’s independence, there are names that history books shout—and then there are names they whisper. Names that lived and breathed freedom not in headlines but in hushed revolutions, in prison cells, in blood, and in silence. One such name is Neera Arya, India’s first female spy in the Indian National Army, a woman whose courage blazed trails through some of the darkest moments in colonial India.
And now, more than seventy years later, the world will finally hear her story—not as a footnote, but as a full-throated legacy—thanks to an upcoming biopic by Kannada filmmaker Roopa Iyer.
A Life Born for Sacrifice
Born on 5 March 1902 in the small town of Khekra Nagar in Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat district, Neera Arya had a childhood shaped by privilege—but not one defined by it. Her father, Seth Chhajjumal, a prominent businessman, ensured his daughter received an education in Kolkata, alongside her brother Basant. But while many in her circle were content with comfort, young Neera was enthralled by something far more consuming: her love for her nation.
That love soon led her to join the Rani Jhansi Regiment of the Indian National Army, an all-women combat unit led by the visionary Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. But her destiny had more dramatic turns than most patriots would face.
A Love Torn by Loyalty
Neera’s father arranged her marriage to Srikant Jai Ranjan Das, a British Army officer serving as a CID Inspector. It was, in many ways, a perfect match—except for one glaring fault: allegiance. Neera’s devotion lay with the revolution; Srikant’s with the crown.
When he discovered Neera’s links to Bose and the INA, suspicion turned into interrogation. His attempts to extract information from her became relentless. But Neera—unyielding and resolute—would not speak.
The clash of loyalty and love came to a head one day when Srikant followed her during a covert meeting with Bose and opened fire, injuring Bose’s driver. What followed was a decision that would change her life forever: Neera stabbed and killed her husband to save Bose’s life.
For this, she was arrested and sentenced to the notorious Cellular Jail in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, also known as Kala Pani, a place synonymous with torture.
Iron in Her Soul
In prison, the British offered her freedom—at a price. Reveal secrets about the freedom movement, give them Bose, betray the cause.
Neera’s response was defiance and silence.
Historical records recount horrifying acts of violence inflicted upon her. It is said she endured the mutilation of her body, including the removal of her breasts, all in a desperate attempt to break her spirit. But Neera, the spy, the soldier, the woman of flame, did not yield.
Instead, she rose from that prison not broken, but reborn as India’s first female spy, an honor personally conferred upon her by Netaji himself.
In her own writings, she spoke of her missions. She described how she and a girl named Saraswati Rajamani, disguised as boys, infiltrated British camps, gathered intelligence, and delivered it to Bose. Together, they were India’s eyes in the shadows.
From Spy to Forgotten
The end of the war and the dissolution of the INA marked a slow fade from public memory for many such unsung warriors. Neera, despite her unmatched valor, lived her final years selling flowers, dwelling in a small hut in Hyderabad’s Falaknuma area. She died on 26 July 1998 at Osmania Hospital, nearly penniless but never defeated.
The Story Comes to Screen
Now, at long last, Neera Arya’s life is set to ignite the screen, as Roopa Iyer brings her story to Bollywood in a biopic that promises justice to her legacy.
Roopa, a seasoned director with acclaimed works like Mukhaputa and Chandra, will also star in the film. In a recent interview, she shared her reasons for bringing this forgotten hero to life through cinema. She explained how stories like Neera’s challenge the usual narratives and deserve to be passed down to generations who know little beyond the most prominent figures in the freedom movement.
With a screenplay penned by National Award-winning writer Varun Gautham, the film is being crafted not just as a tribute, but as a correction to history’s amnesia.
Remember Her Name
Neera Arya was no myth. She was flesh and blood, fire and grit. She didn’t just dream of freedom—she bled for it. She didn’t ask for statues. All she asked for was a country worth dying for.
Now, it’s time we remember her not just as a spy, not just as a warrior, but as a symbol of unshakeable conviction.
As the reel unspools her life, may it awaken a nation’s memory—and may Neera Arya finally take her rightful place in the pantheon of heroes.