Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Amrita Rao, Laxman Singh Rajput, Radha Sagar
Director: Abhijit Panse
Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)
Thackeray Story: This biopic traces the rise of Bal Keshav Thackeray, as he goes from being a cartoonist, to establishing a new political party for Maharashtrians, the Shiv Sena. The film takes us through the journey of his political life and also gives us a glimpse of his personal story. All of this as Thackeray becomes the most influential political leader in Maharashtra.
Thackeray Review: Balasaheb Thackeray, as he was fondly called by the public and his peers, was an influential leader and an equally controversial figure. His political career had many fiery moments characterised by crowd-cheering speeches, some of which resulted in riots and violence, too. The film presents both the applauded and the less appreciated shades of Thackeray’s life and career. Powered by a stellar performance by Nawazuddin Siddiqui, this biopic rises above an inconsistent screenplay, to present an intriguing political career.
The director takes some smart decisions, like presenting most of the first half of the film in black & white. The monochrome helps establish the period setting of the film, as the production design by Sandeep Ravade, assisted by CGI shots, recreate the old Bombay quite well. The film also features a lot of real political leaders with their actual names and the casting is bang on. But, the inconsistent screenplay doesn’t help the film at all. The director also gets a bit indulgent on occasions, employing ambitious cinematic transitions (a hammer banging on the top of the Babri Masjid swiftly transitioning into the judge’s gavel in Court) that stick out like a sore thumb.
What works wonderfully for the film is Nawazuddin’s performance as Bal Thackeray. The fact that the actor doesn’t try to modulate his voice or pickup a Marathi accent is a wise decision.
The only strong female character in this story has no real impact. There are several performances by the actors playing leaders like George Fernandes, Sharad Pawar and more, which are brief, but lend perfect support to Nawaz’s efforts.
While the honesty is commendable, it comes across that the lead character’s political motivations lack clarity. Perhaps a more seasoned writer could have fleshed out Thackeray’s character and eccentricities a lot better. But its Nawaz’s nonchalant performance that overshadows the flaws and leaves a lasting impact.
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