Bollywood stars turn Marathi Maanoos onscreen

Mumbai, aka the city of dreams, is also the hub of Bollywood. While the leading man in our Hindi cinema is more often than not shown as a North Indian (Punjabi, Hariyanvi, UPite, Bihari), a number of films have featured Maharashtrian characters as protagonists, which has had a great connect with the Marathi-speaking audience.
In the upcoming Drishyam and Bajirao Mastani, scheduled later this year, not only are the lead characters Maharashtrian, but the movies also promises to showcase some facets of the Marathi culture.

In the Hindi remake of Drishyam, Ajay plays an ordinary Maharashtrian man, Vijay Salgaonkar. A fourth standard fail, he is a cable operator whose life revolves around his family comprising his wife and two daughters. Interestingly, Ajay has played a Mahashtrian in Singham (2011) and Singham Returns (2014) too. Essaying the character of an upright cop who takes on the corrupt, also saw Ajay being made an ambassador for Mumbai Police.
Bajirao Mastani features Ranveer Singh as the Maratha ruler Peshwa Bajirao. Currently under production, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus also delves into the love triangle between Bajirao, his wife Kashibai (Priyanka Chopra) and his lover Mastani (Deepika Padukone).

Previously, Amitabh Bachchan and Hrithik Roshan turned Marathi Maanoos in Agneepath (1990) and the remake, also titled Agneepath (2012), respectively. Their innocent boy Vijay Chavan grows up to be a gangster whose aim is to avenge the killing of his father Master Dinanath Chavan by the mafia don, Kancha Cheena.

Another memorable Maharashtrian character is Raghu Namdev Shivalkar, essayed by Sanjay Dutt in Vaastav — The Reality. The protagonist is content with starting a roadside pav-bhaji business till a fight with a local goon’s brother unintentionally ends with the latter’s death and sets him on the path of crime.

Tusshar, who has played a Maharashtrian rookie cop in Khakee (2004), got a chance to be a Marathi Maanoos again in Shor In The City (2011).

Another Maharashtrian character to become iconic in the movies was in Arjun (1985). Sunny Deol earned immense praise for his performance as Arjun Malvankar, an unemployed youth who gets manipulated by rival politicians for their selfish gains.
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WATCH: Ranveer Singh back on the sets of Bajirao Mastani ! - TOI