Ajay Devgn approached to play Balasaheb Thackeray in biopic

By Upala KBR

on December 20, 2017

When the Shiv Sena celebrated its golden jubilee in June 2016, Smita Thackeray had announced that she would be producing a biopic titled Saheb on her late father-in-law and Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray. It would be directed by her elder son Rahul, added Smita. The film would show Balasaheb’s life through research and interviews. Now PeepingMoon.com has learned that Bollywood superstar Ajay Devgn has been approached to play the title role. Before that, Amitabh Bachchan and Akshay Kumar were reportedly asked.

Smita is a Bollywood and TV film producer who’s made films like Haseena Maan Jaayegi (1999), Hum Jo Keh Na Paaye (2005, for TV), Sandwich (2006), Kaisay Kahein (2007) and Society Kaam Se Gayi (2011). Rahul, who studied filmmaking in Canada and assisted Raj Kumar Hirani on PK, is a director and distributor in his own rights and made the film Raada Rox in 2011 on five college friends and their love for music with Juhi Chawla in the lead. It is interesting that the mother-son duo have chosen to make a film on the charismatic Thackeray patriarch.

A source close to Ajay admitted that the actor was approached by Rahul a few months ago for Saheb. They had a good story narration and Ajay liked the script. “He is a good choice to play Balasaheb Thackeray,” the source added. “The only problem is Ajay is juggling too many films at the moment. Among them is Tanaji, the biopic on the military leader Tanaji Malusare of the Maratha Empire who fought alongside Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in several wars. The others include Raid and Total Dhamaal. Ajay would love to do Saheb. Which actor would not want to play Balasaheb Thackeray in a biopic?” However, Ajay Devgn was unavailable at the time to comment on this.

Coincidentally, Sanjay Raut, the Shiv Sena strongman and party MP in the Rajya Sabha, is holding a media launch for the teaser of his “film on the life and times of Balasaheb Thackeray” at the Grand Hyatt in Mumbai tomorrow. Its title is said to be Thackeray and unveiling the look will be Amitabh Bachchan, a close friend of the late Shiv Sena supremo, along with party chief Uddhav Thackeray. The actor who has been singled out to play the Shiv Sena chief in this biopic is reportedly Nawazuddin Siddiqui.