Tanhaji

Tracing the life of Maratha warrior Tanaji Malusare, it stars Ajay Devgn in titular role, in addition to Saif Ali Khan and Kajol in important supporting roles, it also features Neha Sharma, Sharad Kelkar and Luke Kenny in other supporting roles. Set in the 17th century, it revolves around Tanaji's attempts to recapture the Kondhana fortress once it passes on to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb who transfers its control to his trusted guard Udaybhan Singh Rathore.The film was originally named Taanaji: The Unsung Warrior but the name was later changed to Tanhaji; The Unsung Warrior.

The film was launched on 20 July 2017, with Raut making his directorial debut in Bollywood. Raut, who previously directed Lokmanya: Ek Yug Purush (2015), for which he received acclaim, the film was simultaneously dubbed in Marathi following popular demand. Principal photography commenced on 25 September 2018, and completed within May 2019. Filming took in mostly across the Film City in Mumbai, and few scenes shot at Pune. The cinematography and editing were handled by Keiko Nakahara and Dharmendra Sharma. The background score was composed by Sandeep Shirodkar; the soundtrack album was composed by Ajay-Atul, Sachet–Parampara and Mehul Vyas and released under the label T-Series.

Tanhaji was released in India in 3D and conventional formats on 10 January 2020.[10] The film received positive reviews, who appreciated performances of Devgn and Saif Ali Khan, visual effects, cinematography, action sequences, art direction, music, score, and editing. The film grossed ₹3.67 billion (US$49 million) worldwide & was declared a blockbuster at the box office, thus becoming the highest grossing Bollywood film of 2020. The film was selected as one of the Best Foreign Film to be screened at the 78th Golden Globe Awards.

Plot

In 1647, Tanhaji's father, Kaloji Malusare trains him in sword-fighting, later succumbing to a Mughal plunder in Umrat. 17 years later in 1664, a now-adult Tanhaji (Ajay Devgn) with his younger brother Suryaji, commands Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's (Sharad Kelkar) Maratha Army to attack an intruding Mughal cavalry.

In 1665, the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb (Luke Kenny) dispatches one of his generals the king of Amber Jai Singh to capture Shivaji to stop his rapid imperial expansion in Deccan, thus he captured Shivaji alongside his 23 forts under his control(battle of purandar). Later, the Mughal general Beshak Khan orders a quick vacation of the strategic fortress Kondhana(now known as sinhagad fort), insulting Jijabai (Padmavati Rao), Shivaji's mother, who swears to remain barefoot until the Marathas recapture the fort. Tanhaji is informed about the treaty as well. Five years later, Shivaji Raje's spy informs him about Aurangzeb's plan to assign the Kondhana fort to his Rajput general Udaybhan Rathod (Saif Ali Khan) and to use it as a base for Aurangzeb's southern imperial expansion. Raje plans to recapture Kondhana, considering himself to lead the campaign as Tanhaji, though an able general, can't be employed due to his son Rayba's upcoming wedding. Meanwhile, Tanhaji celebrates Holi with his family. Marathas begin their war preparations and Shivaji warns his generals to keep Tanhaji from knowing about the campaign. Tanhaji arrives at Rajgad for inviting Shivaji to Rayba's wedding. Chandraji Pisal, a Maratha general, who's attempting to usurp Shivaji Raje's throne, discloses to Tanhaji the secret plan at his nephew Chultya's recommendation. Tanhaji convinces Shivaji and Jijabai to permit him to lead the campaign and postpones Rayba's wedding.

Elsewhere, Udaybhan reaches Burhanpur while the Marathas discuss his route possibilities. Tanhaji coins an attack plan but Pisal sends Chultya to warn Udaybhan about this plan. Pisal schemes of sabotaging Tanhaji's mission and getting him killed so that Shivaji Raje would then appoint him in-charge of the mission. Pisal intends to become influential enough to overthrow Shivaji Raje and join hands with Udaybhan. Udaybhan is also bringing an imprisoned Kamla Devi (Neha Sharma) en route, the sister of his Rajput general Jagat Singh (Vipul Gupta). Chultya informs Udaybhan about Tanhaji's attack plan and he tricks Tanhaji into attacking Maratha soldiers disguised under Mughal attire. Elsewhere, Udaybhan reaches Kondhana and aims a huge cannon at Rajgad, 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 his dead remains and motivates the villagers to betray Udaybhan. He is recommended to participate in a Shivratri event on Kondhana where he kills Chultya for betrayal. Tanhaji is imprisoned and tortured by Udaybhan. 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 (Kajol), Tanhaji's wife, worries about her husband's life and son's wedding. Tanhaji convinces Savitri Bai that everything will be alright, which she replies to by asking him what he wants from her when he returns. Tanhaji makes Savitri Bai promise to wear bridal attire while waiting for him.

Udaybhan hangs the guards responsible for Tanhaji's escape and Jagat Singh agrees to get his sister married to Udaybhan on Ashtami's eve, thus, convincing her to fake the marriage preparation until Tanhaji arrives. Tanhaji now plans to directly attack Kondhana during Ashtami night on 4 February 1670. He scales the fort through various entrances and attacks the Mughal army. The confusion allows Jagat and Kamla Devi to escape. Udaybhan is alerted and Tanhaji dies in the ensuing battle, although he captures Kondhana before killing Udaybhan. Shivaji's army conquers Kondhana but he ends up breaking into tears over Tanhaji's death; saying "Gad aala pan sinh gela" (The fort has been captured but we lost the lion). Later, He 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, and Aurangzeb's dream of winning southern India remains unfilled for 18 years until he himself came and retook it from Marathas.

Production

Development

After completing his work on the directorial venture Shivaay (2016), Ajay Devgn, announced his next film on 29 July 2016, titled Sons of Sardaar: Battle of Saragarhi, a big-budget war film based on the 1897 Saragarhi battle 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 Karan Johar announced Kesari, 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 Om Raut, based on the life of Maratha warrior Tanaji Malusare, who which was titled officially as Taanaji: The Unsung Warrior. The first look of Taanaji 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 Asian Age, 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 Lokmanya: Ek Yug Purush (2015).

A source claimed that the film's pre-production work will go on for 6–8 months, and Ajay Devgn will 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 NY VFXWAALA was brought on board for the film,[ whereas filmmakers planned to release the film in 3D formats, thus delaying the film's shoot to September 2018. On 2 August 2018, Bhushan Kumar of T-Series, 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 Taanaji: The Unsung Warrior was changed to Tanhaji,due to numerological reasons.

Casting

In October 2018, Kajol was reported to play the role of Taanaji's wife in the film. In January 2019, Saif Ali Khan was reported to play the role of Udaybhan Singh Rathore, one of the main antagonist of the film. For his role, Khan had to prepare for sword fighting and horse-riding, as a part of the character, In an interview with Mid-Day, 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 (Laal Kaptaan) made it easier. The physical prep has been rigorous for this film." Devgn and Khan had previously collaborated in Vishal Bharadwaj's Omkara (2004).

Filming

Principal photography began on 25 September 2018, with a muhurat shot given by Om Raut. The film's first schedule was commenced in October 2018, with Kajol filming her portions in Mumbai.

Tanhaji was filmed mainly at the Film City in Mumbai. Director Om Raut claimed that in the movie, the visual effects have played a major part. The director also said that making the Sandhan Valley set was the biggest challenge for them. The makers had to create a big 300 feet long set to make it look like the Sandhan Valley.[citation needed] In the making video of the film, Raut stated: "Creating the 300-foot 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 Andheri. Some parts of the film were also filmed at Pune.[citation needed] 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 diya and rangoli 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 Total Dhamaal (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 Rush (2013) and Inferno (2016).The principal photography wrapped up in May 2019.

Marketing and release

Tanhaji, considered to be one of the most anticipated Hindi films of the year, was initially scheduled to release on 29 November 2019, post-Diwali, 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 Sambhaji Brigade 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 organisation has alleged that the film has intentionally tried to erase Shivaji Maharaj's secular image. They had also taken objection to the dialogues of Kajol who plays the role of Savitribai Malusare. The organisation has also demanded a special screening of the film ahead of its release. Later, Nationalist Congress Party leader Jitendra Ahwad, threatened the makers of the film to make several changes to the trailer of the film, also accused filmmaker Om Raut of depicting history inaccurately and unethically and showing the Maratha warrior Tanaji Malusare in a wrong way. The Akhil Bhartiya Kshatriya Koli Rajput Sangh has filed a petition in Delhi High Court on 13 December 2019, claiming that its director Raut, has concealed the true lineage of the great warrior Tanaji Malusare in the movie. In January 2020, the Central Board of Film Certification deleted controversial references in the film, and ensured multiple disclaimers in the beginning to avoid controversies.

Tanhaji opened up to 4,540 screens worldwide, which included 3,880 screens in 3D and conventional formats in Hindi and Marathi 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 Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation has 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 Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Maharashtra. This film was also released dubbed in Marathi-language following popular demand.

Tanhaji's world television premiere took place on 26 July 2020 at Star Plus, and registered 1.2 crore impressions on its first airing. The film released on Disney+ Hotstar on 6 March 2020.

Reception

Box office

Tanhaji earned ₹15.10 crore (US$2.0 million) at the domestic box office on its opening day. On the second day, the film collected ₹20.57 crore (US$2.7 million). On the third day, the film collected ₹26.26 crore (US$3.5 million), taking total opening weekend collection to ₹619.3 million ₹61.93 crore (US$8.2 million). On the fourth day (13 January), the film collected ₹13.75 crore (US$1.8 million), and film's collection stood at ₹75.63 crore (US$10 million). On the fifth day (14 January), the collection stood much higher after the long holiday weekend owing to Makar Sankranti and the film collected ₹15.28 crore (US$2.0 million), totalling the first five-day collection to ₹90.96 crore (US$12 million). On 15 January, the film hit the ₹100-crore mark, as the six-day collections stood up to ₹107.68 crore (US$14 million). At the end of the first week (16 January), the film collected ₹118.91 crore (US$16 million). The film collected ₹128.97 crore (US$17 million), on the eighth day of its release,[84] 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 ₹202.83 crore (US$27 million). On 3 February, the film collected ₹250 crore (US$33 million) at the box office.[citation needed] At the end of its seventh week, the film collected ₹276.90 crore (US$37 million). The film managed to earn ₹279.60 crore (US$37 million) at the domestic box office, within 50 days of its release.[citation needed] As of 13 March 2020, with theatres closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the film had accumulated ₹329.81 crore (US$44 million), in India and ₹34.85 crore (US$4.6 million) overseas,thus collecting ₹367.65 crore (US$49 million) worldwide, it became the highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2020.

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Tanhaji has an approval rating of 73% with an average score of 6/10, based on 11 reviews.

Anupama Chopra of Film Companion noted it to be an un-nuanced retelling of history right out of Amar Chitra Katha comics, that blended historical spectacles, nationalism, and hyper-masculinity. The storytelling, soundtracks, costumes, and individual performances were specifically praised. Rahul Desai noted it to be a slick work which was but marred by an extensive saffronisation which sought to exploit the political climate in India.

A review over the Hindustan Times noted it to be a magnificent work, which had exceptional individual performances, a captivating story-line and excellent virtual effects.Namrata Joshi of The Hindu 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 The Mint noted it to be a silly cartoon history, which borrowed its physics from Prince of Persia but nonetheless consisted of fluent actions and interesting individual performances. Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV 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 The Wire 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 saffronisation of India.

Shubhra Gupta over The Indian Express noted it to offer a "simplistic, dressed-up slice of the past" that painted hyperbolic tales of Maratha bravery with a Hindu fervor. Sukanya Verma of Rediff noted it to be a mythical retelling of history with a bout of saffron fervor; individual performances and choreography of combat sequences were praised. Rajeev Masand 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 The Economic Times praised the visual effects, computer graphics and editing of the film, making it a must watch film. Stutee Ghosh of The Quint 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 India Today gave two-and-a-half out of five stars stating "Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior is an exaggerated and slow-paced ode to the great Maratha warrior Tanaji Malusare."

Writing for the Firstpost, Devanesh Sharma gave two-and-a-half out of five stars and praised Kajol and Saif Ali Khan's performance while criticising Devgn's characterisation as the review stated "The leading man, though undoubtedly an unsung warrior, as the title suggests, comes across as rather one-dimensional, as Ajay Devgn fails to take his character beyond the written word."Harshada Rege of The Times of India gave four out of five stars and stated "Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior 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 vigour." Sify gave the film 3 out of 5 stars stating "Tanhaji 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 Hindustan Times wrote in her review stating "Tanhaji is a complete package. It’s magnificent, high on visual effects and has powerful action backed by rock solid performances." Rohit Vats of News18 gave three-and-a-half out of five stars stating "Ajay Devgn and Saif Ali Khan ensure that the viewers get enough dose of high-voltage dialogues, along with fascinating action scenes." Nandini Ramnath of Scroll stated "Tanhaji 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 The New Indian Express gave three out of five stars stating "In Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, we get to see iconic warriors of India shed tears copiously. We get to see jingoism masked as Maratha valour. There are a lot of things going for Tanhaji, but, deep inside, it is unsettling to see such polarising historical dramas." A critic from Bollywood Hungama rated four out of five stars and stated Tanhaji is an entertaining and a paisa-vasool film that would be loved by the masses as well as classes. Suparna Sharma of Deccan Chronicle gave three out of five stars stating "Tanhaji: The Unsung, 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 Daily News and Analysis gave three out of five stars stating "Watch it for the magnificent performances by Kajol and Saif Ali Khan who clearly outshine this Ajay Devgn film."