Fans were left stunned when it was reported that Nawazuddin Siddiqui was chosen to play late Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray a.k.a. Bal Keshav Thackeray in an upcoming film produced by Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut. An official announcement in this regard will be made later this evening, but we came across a picture of Siddiqui where the actor looks all set to play the late icon.
Apparently, a source informed that the picture was taken during the look test. Siddiqui deserves a thumbs up with regards to coming close to resembling Balasaheb. Akshay Kumar and Irrfan Khan were said to be approached before for the role, but looking at Siddiqui in the picture, the Mom (2017) actor seems like the perfect fit.
A grand teaser launch will take place in Mumbai today, with Amitabh Bachchan set to unveil the teaser. The event will be graced by Shiv Sena chief and Balasaheb’s son Uddhav Thackeray. The film is directed by writer and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) member Abhijit Panse.
Characters based on Thackeray have been seen before on screen. Amitabh Bachchan’s Subhash Nagre in Ram Gopal Varma’s Sarkar franchise was famously one of them. The Marathi film Zenda (2010) was also based on the rivalry between the Shiv Sena and its offshoot, the MNS.
