Hours after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) three dialogue cuts suggested in the films, the makers on Wednesday went ahead and released the trailers of the Marathi and Hindi versions of the much-awaited biopic on late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray “Thackeray”.
Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, who was present at the release of the trailers of both Hindi and Marathi versions of “Thackeray” held at the Carnival IMAX theatre at Wadala in north-central Mumbai, responded tersely to the three dialogue cuts suggested by the CBFC. “Whatever has happened has happened. But there is no point in hiding things. If the CBFC does not take immediate decision (in clearing the film), it is better if it would be better if the immediate decision in Babri matter”.
Expected to be used by the Shiv Sena as a vehicle for its campaign in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, “Thackeray” features actors Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Amrita Rao in the lead roles as Bal Thackeray and his wife Meenatai respectively.
Executive Editor of the Sena mouth-piece “Saamana” and Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut has only written the script and screen play, but he has also produced the film. Well-known Marathi filmmaker Abhijit Panse has directed the film.
There is confusion about the exact date of the release of the film. While the makers have said the film will release on January 25, 2019, Uddhav said that the film would hit the screen across the country on January 23, 2019 – the birth anniversary of late Thackeray.
Responding to the cuts suggested by the CBFC, Raut said: “When we talk of late Balasabeh, who will decide as to what is right or wrong ?. The film is true story of late Balasaheb. Balasaheb’s life is not a fiction. Balasaheb’s life was an open book, Not event relating to Balasaheb’s life is hidden. It takes time CBFC to understand this. For some people, it has taken 50 years to understand for what Balasaheb. For instance, Madhya Pradesh’s new chief minister Kamal Nath is now talking about preference to local people – a thing that Balasaheb crusaded 50 years ago”.
Of the three cuts suggested by CBFC, two are remarks “ Utao Lungi bajao Pungi” and “Endu Gundu walle” that late Thackeray had made in reference to south Indian migrants settled in then Bombay in late sixties which witnessed attacks by the Shiv Sainks against the migrants from south India. The third reference relates to the Babri Masjid.
The two trailers – Marathi and Hindi – have different set of dialogues. The Marathi trailer talks about the lack of jobs for local because of south Indian migrants, late Thackeray’s references about them, Shiv Sena’s against Air India demanding jobs for locals, his utterances against late Prime Minister Morarji Desai, his famous dialogues “Aap Apne Desh ke cricket bare me sochthe hain me cricket khelnewale desh ke bare me sochta hun” and “Ramlalla Pakistan me Paida Hue the?”
The Hindi version trailer contains dialogues like “Bheek mangne acha hain, goonda banke apna hak china”, threat handed to then Union Home Minister Morarji Desai (for early resolution to the Belgaum (Karnataka-Maharashtra) border dispute) that he will not be allowed to enter Maharashtra, agitations to force cinema owners in Mumbai to screen Marathi films, his explanation for saying “Jai Hind, Jai Maharashtra” ( For me, nation comes first, then my state), court room scenes where he insists that Lord Ram was born in Ayodhya and rebuts a lawyer questioning as how sure he was that Lord Ram was born in Ayodhya by saying “ Nahi tho Ramlalla Pakistan me Paida Hue the kya?”, his saying whether he is right or wrong will be decided by the people of the country and how he handles media questions about the Sena’s role in the communal riots in Mumbai in the post-Babri Masjid demolition period.