For a debutant director, Abhijeet Deshpande sure stole the show with Ani...Dr Kashinath Ghanekar (2018), a biopic on the late actor Kashinath Ghanekar. The film not only went on to become one of the highest grossers in the Marathi film industry last year but also received critical acclaim for its treatment and approach.
And this time again, the director has set out to tell a story differently. His second film, based on one of the most famous folklores of Maharashtra, is set in the times of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. “It is a real incident. However, because of its magnificence and breathtaking narrative, it kind of became a folklore. The protagonist of the film is Baji Prabhu Deshpande,” he says. The story will revolve around the brave night at Pavankhind when Bajiprabhu enabled the escape of Shivaji Maharaj from Panhala with just 270 soldiers. The film will be the first part in a trilogy.
The shoot will begin at the end of February 2020 and the team is looking at a Diwali release next year. Abhijeet says, “Like my first film, I am being backed by Sunil Phadtare and most of the technical team is the same.”
{{/usCountry}}The shoot will begin at the end of February 2020 and the team is looking at a Diwali release next year. Abhijeet says, “Like my first film, I am being backed by Sunil Phadtare and most of the technical team is the same.”
{{/usCountry}}Interestingly, Abhijeet had written the script for this film way back in 2013. “For some reason, Kashinath happened first and this script took a back seat. However, now it seems like the right time. I made my debut at a time when a lot of biopics were being made. But my film came in and disrupted the genre. It did not glorify the protagonist but showed sides to his personality which people were reluctant to showcase before. I am hoping to do the same with this period and historical film,” he says.
He shares that the film will show a side of Shivaji Maharaj which is not shown very often. “It is a story of valour, sacrifice, humanity and freedom. You will see Shivaji Maharaj in ways no one has ever seen before. It will have a human perspective to it as well,” he says.
The film will be shot in real locations of Kolhapur, Sangli and Panhala, among others.