The Nawazuddin Siddiqui starrer film Thackeray collected around Rs 40 crore in its Hindi and Marathi versions despite being a region-specific biopic. And now the makers have started work on the second part. Shiv Sena party senior leader Sanjay Raut, who has penned the biopic, had registered the title Thackeray II with the Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association (IMPPA) a few days ago.
The biopic on Thackeray came in for some criticism for the brazen dialogues against South Indians when the trailer and the film released. Raut and his director Abhijit Panse fell out over ‘seating issues’ at the premiere of the film, which saw Shoojit Sircar and others present. It was even being rumoured that Shoojit was directing the second part. Shoojit denied directing the sequel to us with a simple, “no!” But sources confirm that Shoojit is a part of the creative process. “Shoojit and Raut go back a long way. Shoojit is also said to have given his inputs for the biopic on late George Fernandes, former trade unionist, and MP. Since Shoojit is busy with his biopic on Udham Singh, he has not been able to direct the sequel though he was keen to work with Raut,” says a trade source. As it stands, the producers are in the process of finalising the director to take the story ahead. Sena sources tell us that Raut may well direct the second part, as he has the script completely in mind, having been close to Bal Th
ackeray.
