Actor Siddhant Chaturvedi is set to play legendary filmmaker V Shantaram in a biographical drama titled V. Shantaram, the makers announced on Monday, dropping the first look.
In the poster, Chaturvedi gets in the skin of Shantaram, an auteur long recognised as a pioneer of Indian cinema. Dressed in traditional attire, he confidently leans on a vintage film camera.
“The rebel who redefined Indian Cinema is back where he belongs — on the big screen,” reads the caption on Instagram.
Written and directed by Abhijeet Shirish Deshpande, V. Shantaram follows Shantaram’s extraordinary journey from the silent era to the introduction of sound and color, highlighting his growth into one of India’s most impactful filmmakers.
Shantaram (born Shantaram Rajaram Vankudre, 1901) was a pioneering Indian filmmaker whose career spanned nearly seven decades. He founded Prabhat Film Company (1929) and Rajkamal Kalamandir (1942), and directed the first Marathi talkie Ayodhyecha Raja (1932).
Renowned for classics like Duniya Na Mane (1937), Do Aankhen Barah Haath (1957), Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje (1955), and Navrang (1959), his films combined technical innovation with socially progressive themes.
Known for lavish sets, inventive song sequences, and visual symbolism, Shantaram used cinema to inspire social change and was honored with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1985.
“Essaying the role of V. Shantaram is one of the greatest honours of my life,” Chaturvedi said in a statement.
“The more I read about his journey, the more humbled I felt. He wasn’t just a pioneer of Indian and global cinema, he was a visionary who kept pushing forward no matter the obstacles,” he added.
“His courage to experiment and his vision shaped so much of the cinema we know today. Telling his story is an honour, and I hope we do justice to the man behind the legend,” Deshpande said.
Presented by Rajkamal Entertainment, Camera Take Films and Roaring Rivers Productions, V. Shantaram is produced by Rahul Kiran Shantaram, Subhash Kale and Sarita Ashwin Varde.
Further details of the film are kept under wraps.
Chaturvedi has romcoms Dil Ka Darwaaza Khol Na Darling and Do Deewane Seher Mein in the pipeline.