Bhonga, film about use of loudspeakers for azaan, to be released on 24 September

Director Shivaji Lotan Patil’s Marathi film Bhonga will be released in theatres on 24 September.

The social drama, which stars Amol Kagne, Kapil Kamble Gudsurkar, Shripad Joshi and Dipti Dhotre, won the National award for Best Marathi Film in 2019.

Bhonga revolves around the use of loudspeakers for azaan, the Islamic call to prayer. It tells the story of a nine-month-old boy who suffers from hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, a type of brain injury in newborns caused by oxygen deprivation and limited blood flow. Because of his condition, the sound of azaan from a neighbouring mosque troubles the child.

'What the villagers do to free the nine-month-old from the trouble and what happens later forms the rest of the film,' read a note by the makers. 

The first poster for Bhonga depicts a devotee offering prayers with the image of the mosque in the background. 

The movie marks Shivaji Lotan Patil's return to serious subjects. He had tried his hand at comedy in his last film Vajvuya Band Baja (2020), which starred Mangesh Desai, Sameer Dharmadhikari, Pritam Kagne and Chinmay Udgirkar.

Patil’s second outing Dhag (2014) had won three National awards, including for Best Director.