History And The Movie Tanhaji

India is a gold mine of many wonderful stories. Perhaps Baahubali was the first to show Indian cinema how commercially valuable it was in Amar’s films. Bahubali has shown that mythological and historical stories such as Mughal-e-Azam have come up in Hindi and the past, but can make a film on such a large scale with a lot of crores. It was after Baahubali that Bollywood began to walk that way. If Baahubali was a fiction, then Bollywood would have preferred to film actual events. Bajirao Mastani, Padmavat, Kesari, Panipat and Manikarnika have been the subject of a long line of films. Despite the claims that the film was made after a long period of research, it is the only film in the world that is more involved in films than history. The Mohd Jedaroil directed by someone like Ashutosh Gowarikar has had to accept the ridicule of history students for using jewelery and clothes which were not heard in those days.

Anyway, when you look at these films Tanaji is no different. As stated at the outset, the authentic record of Tanaji’s life is scant. Those years were one of the bloodiest in history. Tanaji was confined to a small part of it. Nowadays there are many different myths. It also contains stories fabricated to sing about his courage. In any case, the freedom of the absence of authentic documents has been well used by filmmakers. Myths have been avoided altogether. Even the ugly story that could have been the best thing to shock the audience. Ajay Devgn, who is also the producer of the film, explained in an interview that the reason they entered the fort using Udumbi was because it was just a matter of hearing them and not recorded anywhere. The palaces, costumes and jewelery of the time were also presented in moderation. If you don’t see that there are some small stones. For example, at the beginning of the film, Tanaji’s father has a metal ring in his hand. There is a scene he puts on his son’s hands before he dies. Tanaji is seen wearing this ring with his son before going to the final battle. However, Tanaji’s now-living descendants have raised quite a stir by saying that there is no such custom in the tribe (which is probably why the people of the film have stirred them up for publicity). However, the picture differs from the fact that even after looking through all these, there are only so many flaws. That is how Shivaji is portrayed in the film. There is not even a scene where he fights with his sword. She has also tried to portray herself as a normal human being who weeps and tears over her childhood friend.

Tanaji is a Bollywood movie

I saw the 3D version of this movie. You can tell the truth. This is a breakthrough movie. Unlike Bahubali, there are no supernatural conflicts or miracles. Moreover, the story is a bit more believable compared to Bahubali. Take the example of Tanaji. The Mughal army, who had crossed a rocky shore, had been swept away by the seas, and then they had hanged themselves on the ropes from above and attacked Tanaji. The castle climbing scene is the most important part of the movie. It is commendable that they have tried to show the logic of the uddam’s story after it was blown away.

Except for the fact that the VFX looks a little artificial in the elephants and in the nighttime castle scenes, all is well. Ajay Devgn, who played Tanaji, and Saif Ali Khan, who played Udayan, made their own characters. Sharad Kelkar is the best casting Shivaji has ever presented. He is sitting on the screen as Shivaji in knots and beds.

The camera was shot by Keiko Nakahara, the cinematographer for a handful of films like Mary Kom. Keiko is a Japanese citizen but is more popular in India. Keiko’s cinematography has all the seriousness needed for a film on such a large canvas. Shakuntala Devi: Human Computer featuring Shakuntala Devi, a Vidya Balan human computer. Expect more pictures from Keiko. The film tells the story in a way that will appeal to any age group. You will surely like it.

The same can be said about the film. Now, a little history. There have been some criticisms that Tanaji is a nationalist, Islamo phobia growing up film. Below is an attempt to understand the backdrop for the film. The available articles and books are referenced and understood by friends here. Sorry for the mistakes

Mughals in Bollywood “historical” films

From old-fashioned Bollywood films to contemporary history films, Mughal rulers have been portrayed in a tone. They appear on the screen in the same makeup as grossly violent people, women lovers and cheaters. In South India, there are a generation of people who have experienced such invasions, violence, riots, migrations, communal tensions and divisions, the coming of the British, the struggle for independence and the crises in post-independence India. These films are being brought down to such an audience. Naturally, such stories and characters may be influenced by the sentiments and commercial interests of the filmmakers. That is one of the reasons why the Mughals have brought a positive change in India and a failure in our films. They came to distort the history of religious extremism which they had successfully applied during the British occupation. Recall that in the text books and history books, the Mughals, like other Islamic rulers, were created by all who came later.

Nationality and the Bollywood film Tanaji

Tanaji has been criticized for being the biggest commercial commodity of the time and selling it. It is true that Hindi cinema is making good use of this issue. As far back as the days of Hindi films, the title of Hindi films has gone from being a movie name in Urdu. As the big corporates ventured into filmmaking, films were only being released to show their political interests. But Tanaji is not such a movie. The film does not highlight Hindu or Muslim hatred. Rather it is just a story of the Marathas’ love for their country and their struggle. On the other hand, anyone who watches the movie on Tuesdays feels the same way. Then, one might ask, why did Uday Bhan Rathod give a costume and make-up like that of a Mughal king? The reason for this is stated above. Then there is only one reason why all this is coming into the movie. Most of the society is eager to see such stories. That ‘s it. If you start looking for good and bad, all the empires that India has seen can tell stories of massacres, delusions and loot.

For someone who was born and raised in a state like Kerala, these are just stories read in school textbooks. We have not seen or experienced the tragedy of any of the major conflicts in India. Let me give you a brief example. The king of Mysore, Tipu Sultan, committed atrocities against Hinduism and temples in Kerala. Historian CK Kareem describes this in his book Kerala Under Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan. It also states that Hindus and Christians were forced to convert to religion by using mappilas. This same Tipu Sultan had appointed Hindus in his own army and palace. Some international journals have reported that grants have been given to temples. In general, the Malayalees do not see Tipu as an enemy. At the same time this is not the case in our nearest neighbor, Kodagu. The reason is simple. They have suffered all the brunt of that attack. The descendants of those victims are still alive. Naturally, their hatred has not yet subsided. The Keralites are different from the warrior tyrants. The kings of our country were very different. Some, like Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, wanted to do something for the community and have done it. The contact with many foreigners who came to Kerala many years ago has greatly influenced our thinking. Malayali is never a prototype of India. This is the only reason why a Malayali’s emotional reactions to such matters are not forthcoming elsewhere. Otherwise they are either unintelligent or narrow-minded

Overall: Its all about a Maratian being loving their motherland filled with “Hara Hara Mahadev” in every single shot.

Verdict: 2.5/5