After Baapjanma (2017) and Dhappa (2018), director Nipun Dharmadhikari’s next is the biopic on the music legend Vasantrao Deshpande. While the name of the actor playing the titular role is currently kept under wraps, the filmmaker told us that he hopes to release the film early next year.
"I have another film which I have shot in July. It is a biopic on the life of Vasantrao Deshpande. Right now, we are working on its edit and post-production. So, I hope I am able to release it at the start of 2020," Dharmadhikari said.
Deshpande, a renowned classical vocalist, is known for his important contribution in musical dramas. But he also acted in films. He started off as a child artiste in Bhalji Pendharkar’s Kalia Mardan (1935) where he played the role of Krishna.
His most iconic performance as an actor came in playwright Purushottam Darvhekar’s classic musical play Katyar Kaljat Ghusli where he played the role of Khan saheb. Years later, the role was reprised by Sachin Pilgaonkar in its film adaptation Katyar Kaljat Ghusli (2015), which was directed by Subodh Bhave.
Interestingly, Deshpande’s character was recently played by Padmanabh Bind in Mahesh Manjrekar’s Bhaai: Vyakti Kee Valli Purvardha (2019), the biopic on Pu La Deshpande. It will be interesting to see if Pu La’s character also finds a place in Vasantrao Deshpande’s biopic.