Review of movie Thackeray

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Rating:3/5

Balasaheb Thackeray, as he was fondly called by the public and his peers, was an influential leader and an equally controversial figure. His political career had many fiery moments characterised by crowd-cheering speeches, some of which resulted in riots and violence, too. The film presents both the applauded and the less appreciated shades of Thackeray’s life and career. Powered by a stellar performance by Nawazuddin Siddiqui, this biopic rises above an inconsistent screenplay, to present an intriguing political career.

The story begins in the late 60s, when Bal Thackeray was a cartoonist at the Free Press Journal and it travels right through the 70s, 80s and 90s, as he rises up the ranks of the world of politics. While it’s easy for a biopic to glorify its subject, in a welcome departure, Thackeray presents the bare truth of the protagonist’s career. It does take a few liberties, but for most part, the film portrays him as the belligerent leader that he was. So much so, that he even stands in court and declares that his party’s workers contributed to the demolition of the Babri Masjid. Whether he’s in a court of law or at a political rally, Thackeray is presented as a leader who’s unapologetic about his beliefs and aggression. He was not one to mince his words, and director Abhijit Panse’s film follows the same rule by using strong, divisive language in the leader's speeches. It doesn’t try to paint a rosy picture of Thackeray, but it does attempt at establishing him as the hero of the masses.