LOS ANGELES -  Animus Films has optioned rights to Ashok Rajamani's Pulitzer Prize-Luminary commended memoir, The Day My Brain Exploded: A True Story (Algonquin Books), with plans to adapt it for the big screen. Tribeca Film Institute and Sloan Foundation will be backing the movie.

 

One of the first Indian American memoirs of its kind, The Day My Brain Exploded: A True Story tells, with dark comedy,  the astounding tale of Ashok’s survival and recovery from an unexpected, near-fatal brain hemorrhage at the age of twenty-five, a catastrophic event which explodes not only his brain, but the world around him.  On his road back to life, Ashok has to relearn even the most basic of things, of piecing together a past, of reclaiming a life, of dealing with the rage that results from such extreme brain injury, and of coping with the societal prejudice inflicted on those with handicaps. 

 

With humor and irreverence,  Ashok’s memoir shows how the will to survive can triumph even the most daunting experiences, all while tackling issues such as racism, disability, illness, and the stigmas and perceptions surrounding afflictions of the brain and mind. 

 

Animus Films is responsible for many acclaimed motion pictures,  released by studios such as Paramount Pictures and IFC Films.  Some of these movies include The Man Who Knew Infinity (Dev Patel, Jeremy Irons) and The Words (Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Dennis Quaid).
 

Said Ashok, “Animus is known for independent, prestigious, groundbreaking films.  I am honored to have this amazing production company bring my life story to the big screen. Nothing like eating popcorn in a dark theater while watching your brain explode in technicolor.”


Vijay Gopalan  | 2019