Amidst the storm of language disputes, renowned Marathi poet Sant Tukaram’s film released in Hindi Tremendous craze for the film across Maharashtra and the entire country

New Delhi
It is a strange irony that at a time when language disputes are at their peak in Maharashtra and several other cities across the country, a biographical film on world-renowned poet Sant Tukaram has been made in Hindi. The film’s young director, Aditya Om, will be releasing this biopic in all cities of Maharashtra exclusively in Hindi on July 18.

Aditya Om came to promote his film at Big Odeon Multiplex in New Delhi. On this special occasion, many theater artists, literary figures, writers, senior journalists, and high-ranking officials were present, along with the film’s lead pair — Marathi film superstar Subodh Bhave and actress Sheena Chouhan, as well as actors Shiva Suryavanshi, Shishir Sharma, and renowned theater artist Arvind Gaur — all of whom joined the promotional campaign.

The young director and writer Aditya Om, amidst a barrage of questions from the media, shared that he had carried the passion to make a film on 17th-century saint and social reformer Sant Tukaram within him for many years. After years of research and meeting numerous Marathi writers, as well as drawing inspiration from older films made on Sant Tukaram, when he finally began work on this project, he even received threats. However, he did not give up, and when Marathi film industry superstar Subodh Bhave agreed to play the lead role of Sant Tukaram, his energy multiplied manifold.

Lead actor Subodh Bhave, who has acted in more than 90 Marathi films — many of them biopics that have been superhits at the box office — told journalists that he did extensive homework for this role. He read many scriptures related to Sant Tukaram’s life and even met several devotees of the saint to bring authenticity to the character. Bhave said that this film on a Marathi saint, made in Hindi instead of Marathi, is a slap on the face of those who create controversies and do politics in the name of language. It proves that no language brings conflict, but rather conveys a message of love.

The film’s lead actress, Sheena Chouhan, said she feels fortunate to have gotten the opportunity to play a lead role alongside Marathi legend Subodh Bhave early in her career, as she has done only nine films so far. Sheena shared that the film was shot in a village near Kolhapur, and during the shoot, Subodh Bhave, along with director Aditya, treated the entire unit to Marathi food.

On this occasion, the other actors also spoke in detail about their characters and the film. Director Aditya Om revealed that Arun Govil, who played Lord Ram in the TV series “Ramayan,” plays the role of Lord Vitthal in this film. According to Aditya, Arun Govil’s character is a turning point in the story.

Produced under the banners of Purushottam Films and Curzon Films, this film proves that language does not give rise to disputes, but instead conveys a message of mutual love.