Tanhaji

<p>In 1647, ‘s father, Kaloji Malusare, trains him in sword-fighting, only to succumb to a plunder in Umrat. 17 years later in 1664, a now-adult Tanhaji, with his younger brother Suryaji, commands ‘s to attack an intruding Mughal cavalry. In 1665, the , , dispatches his uncle and trusted general, Maharaja of , , to capture Shivaji, which will stop his rapid imperial expansion into the . He successfully captures Shivaji, alongside his 23 forts that are under his control, in the . Later the Mughal general, Beshak Khan, orders a quick seize of Shivaji’s strategic fortress, , insulting , Shivaji’s mother. She swears to remain barefoot until the Marathas recapture the fort. Tanhaji is informed about the treaty as well. Five years later, in 1670, Shivaji’s spy informs him about Aurangzeb’s plan to assign Kondhana to his general, Udaybhan Rathod, and use it as a base for Aurangzeb’s southern imperial expansion. Shivaji plans to recapture Kondhana, considering himself to lead the campaign as Tanhaji, though an able general, cannot be employed due to his young son, Rayba’s upcoming wedding. Meanwhile, Tanhaji celebrates Holi with his family. The Marathas begin their preparations for war and Shivaji warns his generals to keep Tanhaji from knowing about the campaign. Tanhaji arrives at , to invite Shivaji and Jijabai to Rayba’s wedding. Chandraji Pisal, a Maratha general, who is attempting to usurp Shivaji’s throne, discloses the secret plan to Tanhaji at his nephew, Chultya’s recommendation. Tanhaji convinces Shivaji and Jijabai to permit him to lead the campaign, who reluctantly agree. He postpones Rayba’s wedding. Elsewhere, Udaybhan reaches , while the Marathas discuss the possibilities of his route. Tanhaji coins an attack plan, but Pisal sends Chultya to warn Udaybhan about the plan. Pisal schemes of sabotaging Tanhaji’s mission and getting him killed, so that Shivaji would then appoint him in-charge of the campaign. Pisal intends to become influential enough to overthrow Shivaji and join hands with Udaybhan. Udaybhan is also bringing the imprisoned Kamla Devi, en route, the sister of his Rajput general, Jagat Singh. Chultya informs Udaybhan about Tanhaji’s plan. He successfully tricks Tanhaji into attacking Maratha soldiers dressed in Mughal attire. Elsewhere, Udaybhan reaches Kondhana and aims a huge cannon, named , at , threatening Shivaji’s safety. Dejected, Tanhaji reaches Kondhana alone to learn about a secret thief-entrance inside. Udaybhan kills a guard for disobeying the security protocol. Tanhaji recovers the remains of the guard and motivates the villagers to retaliate against Udaybhan. He is invited to participate in celebrations, on Kondhana, where he kills Chultya for betraying the Marathas. Tanhaji is imprisoned and tortured by Udaybhan, as a result. Jagat Singh secretly releases Tanhaji, revealing Udaybhan’s plan to marry his sister. Tanhaji promises to release them from Udaybhan’s clutches. Tanhaji escapes from the thief-entrance and returns to Umrat where he informs his people about the upcoming war. Savitri Bai, Tanhaji’s wife, worries about her husband’s life and son’s impending wedding. Tanhaji convinces Savitri Bai that the campaign will be a success for the Marathas, to which she replies by asking him what he wants from her, when he returns from the campaign. Tanhaji makes Savitri Bai promise to him that she will don Marathi bridal attire, while waiting for him. Udaybhan hangs the guards responsible for Tanhaji’s escape and Jagat Singh agrees to get Kamla Devi married to him, on ‘s eve. He convinces her to fake the wedding preparations until Tanhaji and his army arrive. Tanhaji now plans to directly attack Kondhana during Ashtami night on 4 February 1670. He scales the fort through various entrances and begins the attack on the Mughal army. The ensuing confusion allows Jagat and Kamla Devi to escape. Udaybhan is alerted, who prepares to fire directly at Rajgad. Tanhaji and his army wipe out most of the Mughal soldiers. Just as Udhaybhan lights , Tanhaji arrives on horseback to stop the cannon from being fired. Though successful, Udhaybhan hacks off Tanhaji’s arm in the process, gravely injuring him. With his remaining strength, Tanhaji fights Udhaybhan to death. It culminates with Tanhaji tying Udhaybhan to and pushing it off a cliff, ending Udhaybhan’s brief reign. Before collapsing from his injuries, he plants the , successfully capturing Kondhana. Shivaji and his army arrive and conquer Kondhana, but Shivaji breaks into tears over Tanhaji’s death, uttering “Gad Aala, Pan Sinh Gela” (the fort has been captured, but we lost the lion). Later, Shivaji personally oversees Rayba’s marriage, while Savitri Bai fulfill’s her promise to Tanhaji by adorning herself as a bride behind closed doors, as she awaits his return. Aurangzeb’s aim of ruling remained unfilled for 18 years, until he himself came to try to claim it from the Marathas. After completing his work on the directorial venture (2016), , announced his next film on 29 July 2016, titled , a big-budget war film based on the between 21 Sikhs and 10,000 Afghans. Made on a huge scale, Devgn planned to start the production work in late 2016, and decided to release the film on Diwali next year; However, when announced , another film based on the battle of Saragarhi, Devgn decided to postpone the project after September 2017. In late February 2019, it was reported that Devgn had shelved the project. Meanwhile, Ajay Devgn, decided to do another period film with , based on the life of Maratha warrior , which was titled officially as . The first look of was released on 20 July 2017, through Devgn’s official Twitter account, and pre-production work commenced the following day. In August 2017, a report from , claimed that the film will also be made simultaneously in Marathi language, due to the demand of the story, and also Raut’s popularity in Marathi, after the success of (2015). A source claimed that the film’s pre-production work wouldgo on for 6–8 months, and Ajay Devgn would start the shoot of the film in March 2018. However, the team undertook heavy VFX works for the film for 6–8 months, and Devgn’s was brought on board for the film, whereas filmmakers planned to release the film in formats, thus delaying the film’s shoot to September 2018. On 2 August 2018, of , undertook the project in collaboration with Ajay Devgn’s production company and planned to start the shoot in end of September. In March 2019, the film’s title was changed to , due to numerological reasons. In October 2018, Kajol was reported to play the role of Taanaji’s wife in the film. In January 2019, was reported to play the role of Udaybhan Singh Rathore, one of the main antagonists of the film. For his role, Khan had to practise sword fighting and horse-riding, as part of the character. In an interview with , he stated “A chunk of the research has been done by Om, who has done a thorough job. Since it is an action-packed film, I was required to look leaner. I had to be adept in horse riding. The fact that I was coming straight off Navdeep’s [Singh] film ( ) made it easier. The physical prep has been rigorous for this film.” Principal photography began on 25 September 2018, with a given by . The film’s first schedule was commenced in October 2018, with Kajol filming her portions in . was filmed mainly at the in Mumbai. Director Om Raut claimed that in the movie, visual effects played a major part. The director also said that making the set was the biggest challenge for them. The makers had to create a 300-foot (91 m) long set to make it look like the Sandhan Valley. In the making video of the film, Raut stated: “Creating the 300-foot (91 m) long gorge inside a theatre was extremely difficult,” adding that the production designers “went and took moulds of the stones and rocks which are there in the valley and they built a wall. And what we did in the effects after that is we put in effects on it.” The team of the film also shot some parts at Chitrakoot Ground in . Some parts of the film were also filmed at . In January 2019, the team kicked off a song shoot which has been mounted on a lavish scale and that a special set was erected for this number. Kajol, however, shot for this number last year, in the last week of December. As the song was so elaborate that the shooting schedule for the same was as long as a week and the number will feature some amazing and setup representing that era. Keeping in the mind the period that the film is set up in, Kajol sported wearing a traditional Maharashtrian outfit in the song. In March 2019, a source claimed that 60% of the shoot was completed, and the team took a break, after Devgn being busy for the promotions of his film (2019). In April 2019, a climax shoot featuring Devgn and Khan was filmed in a huge scale, and the stunt sequence was choreographed by Ramazan Bulut, who worked in the stunt department for Hollywood films (2013) and (2016). The principal photography wrapped up in May 2019. The film’s soundtrack album was composed by , Mehul Vyas and Prasenjit Kosambi with lyrics written by Anil Verma and Abhijit Kosambi. The background score of the film is composed by . The album features four tracks with vocals by Mehul Vyas, , , , , , Ganesh Chandanshive, and Prasenjit Kosambi. It was released on 20 December 2019 by . The soundtrack album for the Marathi version had reused the same set of vocals, excluding for some songs, whose vocals were provided by and Kirti Killedar. Debarati Sen of , writing for the soundtrack album in her review, praised “Maay Bhavani” stating “Ajay-Atul has excelled in the beautiful merging of different tempos, and deftly woven in the varied nuances of classical and folk in one single package.” Vipin Nair, in his review for , stated “With three hummable numbers, the film’s music is enjoyable but nothing out of the ordinary.” Joginder Tuteja of reviewed “The soundtrack of delivers as expected. Though there aren’t many memorable songs out there, they do well enough to keep the film’s narrative engaging.” , considered to be one of the most anticipated Hindi films of the year, was initially scheduled to release on 29 November 2019, post- , but the release was postponed to the necessity of VFX works in a large scale needed for the film. On 28 March 2019, the makers rescheduled the release date to 10 January 2020. Prior to the release of the film, the faced objection of some scenes from the trailer which released in November 2019. In a letter written to the crew members, dated 20 November 2019, the organization had alleged that the film has intentionally tried to erase Maharaj’s secular image. They had also taken objection to the dialogues of Kajol who plays the role of Savitribai Malusare. The organization had also demanded a special screening of the film ahead of its release. Later, leader , threatened the makers of the film to make several changes to the trailer of the film, also accused filmmaker of depicting history inaccurately and unethically and showing the Maratha warrior in a wrong way. The had filed a petition in on 13 December 2019, claiming that its director Om Raut has concealed the true lineage of the great warrior in the movie. In January 2020, the deleted controversial references in the film, and ensured multiple disclaimers in the beginning to avoid controversies. opened up to 4,540 screens worldwide, which included 3,880 screens in and conventional formats in and versions and 660 screens overseas. A day before its release, the makers premiered a special screening of the film on 9 January, featuring Devgn and his family, along with the cast and crew. Later on 13 January, Devgn hosted special screening of the film, for 600 school children at the Inox Megaplex in Mumbai, to know about the history of Tanaji Malusare. Another special screening was held on 20 January for the army and navy officials. The had tied up an association with the Directorate of Tourism and the film’s team to attract tourists to know about the history of Tanaji Malusare and its legacy. The film was declared tax-free in , and . This film was also released dubbed in -language following popular demand. s world television premiere took place on 26 July 2020 at , and registered 1.2 crore impressions on its first airing. The film released on on 6 March 2020. On the website , 75% of 12 critics’ reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6/10. A review over the noted it to be a magnificent work, which had exceptional individual performances, a captivating story-line and excellent virtual effects. of noted of the film to have started off well, before floundering in the middle but regaining brilliance at the end, delivering a catharsis and adrenaline rush. Uday Bhatia of noted it to be a silly cartoon history, which borrowed its physics from , but nonetheless consisted of fluent actions and interesting individual performances. of noted it to be a historically inauthentic work that ironed out any and all nuances in its portrayal of a saffronized Hindu-Muslim binary; however, he noted the overall production to be crisp and backed by powerful individual performances. Tanul Thakur of noted it to be a work that had excellent cinematography but was intensely buoyed down by its ahistorical religio-nationalist propaganda, catering to the overall saffronization of India. over noted it to offer a “simplistic, dressed-up slice of the past” that painted hyperbolic tales of Maratha bravery with a Hindu fervor. of noted it to be a mythical retelling of history with a bout of saffron fervor; individual performances and choreography of combat sequences were praised. noted it to be a dubiously stereotyped fictional work, which appealed to the hyper-nationalistic climate but had robust filmography, visceral battle scenes, and superb individual performances. A critic from praised the visual effects, computer graphics and editing of the film, making it a must-watch film. Stutee Ghosh of noted it to be a visually stunning film with strong individual performances, despite its broad liberties with historical accuracy and problematic prejudices. Jyoti Kanyal of gave two-and-a-half out of five stars stating ” is an exaggerated and slow-paced ode to the great Maratha warrior Tanaji Malusare.” Writing for the , gave two-and-a-half out of five stars and praised Kajol and Khan’s performance while criticizing Devgn’s characterization as the review stated “The leading man, though undoubtedly an unsung warrior, as the title suggests, comes across as rather one-dimensional, as Devgn fails to take his character beyond the written word.” Harshada Rege of gave four out of five stars and stated ” scores on various counts – superior performances, powerful action, visual impact, and most of all, it unfolds a story from the pages of history that deserved to be told, with just this kind of intensity, passion and vigor.” gave the film 3 out of 5 stars stating ” is substantially enriched by its technical crew that has worked to create a splendid canvas for the cast to shine upon. It tells the story of a lesser known hero from the chapters of Indian history, which makes this an intriguing film.” Monika Rawal Kukreja of wrote in her review stating ” is a complete package. It’s magnificent, high on visual effects and has powerful action backed by rock solid performances.” Rohit Vats of gave three-and-a-half out of five stars stating “Devgn and Khan ensure that the viewers get enough dose of high-voltage dialogues, along with fascinating action scenes.” Nandini Ramnath of stated ” loudly sings its hero’s praises, creating a spectacle that is thrilling when in battle mode and troubling when considering the dynamic between the Marathas and the Mughals.” Avinash Ramachandran of gave three out of five stars stating “In , we get to see iconic warriors of India shed tears copiously. We get to see jingoism masked as Maratha valor. There are a lot of things going for , but, deep inside, it is unsettling to see such polarizing historical dramas.” A critic from rated four out of five stars and stated is an entertaining and a paisa-vasool film that would be loved by the masses as well as classes. Suparna Sharma of gave three out of five stars stating ” , whose plot is essentially a march towards the battle, is not a bad film. It is, in fact, quite entertaining when it is at war.” A critic from gave three out of five stars stating “Watch it for the magnificent performances by Kajol and Khan who clearly outshine this Devgn-led vehicle.” earned (US$2.04 million) at the domestic box office on its opening day. On the second day, the film collected (US$2.78 million). On the third day, the film collected (US$3.54 million), taking total opening weekend collection to ₹619.3 million (US$8.36 million). On the fourth day (13 January), the film collected (US$1.86 million), and film’s collection stood at (US$10.21 million). On the fifth day (14 January), the collection stood much higher after the long holiday weekend owing to and the film collected (US$2.06 million), totalling the first five-day collection to (US$12.28 million). On 15 January, the film hit the 100-crore mark, as the six-day collections stood up to (US$14.53 million). At the end of the first week (16 January), the film collected (US$16.05 million). The film collected (US$17.4 million), on the eighth day of its release, with a strong opening on the second Friday. The film crossed the 150 crore mark on the tenth day of its release. On 25 January, the film crossed the 200 crore mark, as the overall collection stood up to (US$27.37 million). On 3 February, the film collected (US$33.74 million) at the box office. At the end of its seventh week, the film collected (US$37.37 million). The film managed to earn (US$37.73 million), at the domestic box office, within 50 days of its release. As of 13 March 2020, with theatres closure due to the , the film had accumulated (US$44.91 million), in India and (US$4.7 million) overseas, thus collecting (US$49.62 million) worldwide, it became the . In the final fight against Udaybhan Rathod, Tanhaji lost his shield, not his arm. Tanhaji’s brother Suryaji Malusare also fought bravely. Tanhaji never a threw stick at Chhtrapati Shivaji Maharaj as depicted in this film. In 17th century warriors used shields made up of the back of tortoise, they did not use shields made up of metals as shown in this movie. In one scene a barber helps Udaybhan but this incident has no historical truth. Tanhaji was never captured and held captive by Udaybhan Rathod as depicted in this film. Moreover, some sources reveal that Udaybhan was killed by Shelar Mama, and not by Tanhaji, as depicted in the movie. became the highest-rated film of the year. A report from stated that the film is the third most searched film on Google. The film was selected as one of the Best Foreign Film to be screened at the in January 2021.</p>