Thackeray trailer: Nawazuddin Siddiqui is confident playing the late Shiv Sena leader

Director Abhijit Panse’s Thackeray is one of the eagerly awaited biopics of the new year. There is a lot of excitement, especially in Maharashtra, to see the story of the life of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray on celluloid.

After the impressive teaser which was released earlier this year, the trailer of the film keeps the excitement alive.

Thackeray features the life of the protagonist from the time he was a cartoonist running his magazine Marmik. The weekly featured his sentiments in favour of the local Marathi people. To help the local population get jobs, he started the political party Shiv Sena in Mumbai in 1966. 

The film also looks at the controversial episodes of his life with respect to the Babri Masjid demolition, the Mumbai riots that followed and Thackeray’s dictate of not letting India and Pakistan play cricket matches in Mumbai because of soldiers being killed at the border.

The film seems to have recreated the old Bombay successfully in terms of the production design, especially the old version of Shiv Sena Bhavan in Dadar. The court also appears real.

But the protagonist’s statement in court about his party’s involvement in the riots is taken right out of Thackeray’s episode in the television show Aap Ki Adalat.

The only issue here is that the voice of Nawazuddin Siddiqui is not similar to Thackeray's. The late leader’s voice played a big part in him being considered an excellent orator. 

Other than this, Siddiqui is impressive as Thackeray. He oozes the confidence required, be it while standing upright like Thackeray or fearlessly speaking his mind. 

The film also stars Amrita Rao in the role of Thackeray’s wife Meenatai.

This is yet another biopic by Viacom18 Motion Pictures after Manto (2018), Aani... Dr Kashinath Ghanekar (2018) and the upcoming Bhaai; Vyakti Ki Valli (2019).

Thackeray will be released in Hindi and Marathi on 25 January 2019. 

Watch the teaser below and let us know if you are keen to watch this film.