First, a towering cutout of the man. Then, his side profile followed by a shot of his foot landing on the ground in slow motion. Dust flies tidily. A hand materialises from behind a white Ambassador car, and when waved, the masses go into a frenzy. This is Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s introduction as Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray in the video of Aaya Re Thackeray, the first song from Abhijit Panse’s Thackeray.
The song has been sung by Nakash Aziz. Sunil Jogi is the lyricist and Rohan-Rohan (Sanju) are the composers. The video, released on YouTube on Saturday, positions Siddiqui’s Thackeray as a mass leader in sweeping shots, bleeding saffron in every frame, and populated by hundreds of cheering extras. The hookline goes, “Aaya re sabka baap re, kehte hain isko Thackeray.”
Co-starring Amrita Rao, the January 25 release looks at the rise of Thackeray as the founder of the Shiv Sena and leads up to the 1992-1993 riots in Mumbai. Thackeray will be released in Hindi and Marathi alongside the Kangana Ranaut-starrer Manikarnina: The Queen of Jhansi, based on the life of Rani Laxmibai.
