MUMBAI: Acclaimed Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui will play the title role of the late Shiv Sena founder-president Bal Thackeray in the upcoming biopic titled Thackeray.
Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan, Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray and Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut attended the glittering launch function in Mumbai on Thursday evening.
“It’s truly a great day for me. I am fortunate to have got an opportunity to enact the role of such a great personality which any actor in the world would love to do. I am sure Balasaheb will inspire and bless me in this venture,” said the National Award-winning actor in a video message since he was unable to attend the function as he is away shooting in Mauritius.
It’s an honour and pride to portray the Real King of the Country on Screen.
Here comes the TEASER of #Thackeray
Hearty Thanx to Shri @uddhavthackeray Sir, Shri @rautsanjay61, Shri @SrBachchan Sir and Abhijit Pansehttps://t.co/cYHRUkdJEu— Nawazuddin Siddiqui (@Nawazuddin_S) December 21, 2017
The first promotional posters of the Hindi biopic – to be directed by Abhijit Panse – was unveiled by Uddhav Thackeray amid thunderous applause.
Terming Bal Thackeray as “an unparalleled leader of the masses,” Raut – who has scripted the film for nearly four years – exuded confidence that the film would prove popular with the mainstream audiences.
“I had spent much time with Balasaheb, ans associated with him for nearly four decades. I have a deep knowledge of his life and there are many aspects which shall be brought forth in the film,” he said.
Bal Keshav Thackeray, the cartoonist-turned-firebrand politician founded the Shiv Sena and had a gigantic presence in Maharashtra and national politics for over five decades. He died in 2012 aged 86.
Written by Sanjay Raut, “Thackeray” will release on January 23, 2019 in Hindi and Marathi language.
A muslim dude from Uttar Pradesh playing Bal Thackeray in a Shiv Sena puff piece is the most 2017 thing to happen in 2017
— Gatsby (@javeria) December 22, 2017
Nawazuddin Siddiqui to play Bal Thackeray! @Bollyhungama cartoon #BalThackeray #NawazuddinSiddiqui pic.twitter.com/9bxh21DtqI
— Satish Acharya (@satishacharya) December 22, 2017
One Twitter user said,”Bal Thackeray will rise from his grave if he comes to know that a Muslim from Uttar Pradesh is doing his biopic.”
The irony is Bal Thackeray spent his whole life crying that UP migrants will take marathi’s jobs. Finally a U.P migrant is playing him on screen!,” said another with smile.
#FridayFeeling is that if a #Bihari like Ravi Kishan plays Raj Thackeray after a Muslim like #NawazuddinSiddiqui playing Bal Thackeray, I would be able to die peacefully ! #Thackeray pic.twitter.com/PDrdwJ1HFd
— तरुण कृष्णा/𝒯𝒶𝓇𝓊𝓃 𝒦𝓇𝒾𝓈𝒽𝓃𝒶 (@krishnatarun03) December 22, 2017
The one-minute 43 seconds-long teaser begins with an intense scene featuring a young child crying in a poverty-stricken area of Bombay. The brief clip then depicts the two-phased riots which bloodied Mumbai in December 1992-January 1993 in the aftermath of the demolition of the Babri Mosque. However, the highlight of the clip is Nawazuddin’s powerful entry as Bal Thackeray.
The video ends with the introduction of Nawazuddin taking up the stage as Bal Thackeray to address a rally.
IANS inputs