Mumbai: At a plush hotel in Santacruz on Thursday, the teaser of Balasaheb Thackeray's biopic was released by renowned actor Amitabh Bachchan. Amid roars and whistles, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut announced that the movie will have a world premiere in 2019.
"This is a difficult movie to make. But looking at the response of the audience, the film is already a hit," Balasaheb Thackeray's son and Sena president Uddhav Thackeray said. He was present with his family for the launch.
Revealing facets of the movie, Uddhav said that Balasaheb was a strong public leader, but a very soft and innocent man from within.
"The crux of the movie is that Balasaheb stood by the poor and rid them of the injustices done to them," he said. Complimenting Sanjay Raut, he said there is no better person to accept the challenge of making a movie on Balasaheb. "The movie will cast light on Balasaheb's personality for all the coming generations."
Revealing the reason for making the movie, Sanjay Raut said he was inspired to make Thackeray after watching Gandhi and Nelson Mandela biopics. "Balasaheb Thackeray is a once in a lifetime phenomenon. His greatness should be captured in a biopic," he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Amitabh Bachchan said, "My relation with Balasaheb was very intimate and personal. In 1982, when I was injured during the shooting of Coolie, I was brought from Bangalore to Mumbai. At that time, it was the Shiv Sena ambulance which came to take me to hospital when no other ambulance service was available."
Recollecting memories about their association, he said he was immensely touched when he saw a photo of himself on the side of bedridden Balasaheb. "It was intolerable to see him suffering. I never wanted to see him like that on the hospital bed."
He also offered to help Sanjay Raut for making the movie. "I have come here out of fear. Your pen acts more like a sword, and I am scared of it," Amitabh Bachchan told Sanjay Raut, who is also the executive editor of Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana.
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