The Marathi film industry has been abuzz ever since Akshay Kumar took to social media to speak his heart out in ‘Marathi’ about the film ‘Chumbak’ which is presented by none other than Akshay Kumar himself.The team of Chumbak have now released the first look of two more key characters in the film – Prasanna Thombre played by the two-time National Award winner noted lyricist, singer, musician and writer Swanand Kirkire and Disco played by debutant teen actor Sangram Desai who hails from a village near Kolhapur.
Acting in a leading role for the first time, Swanand Kirkire plays the role of a mentally slow simpleton from a village near Solapur.
Nominated for the Best Actor award at the recently concluded New York Indian Film festival, Swanand Kirkire was the top choice for the part because he has the innocence of a child which Prasanna’s character needs, director Sandeep Modi says. Though he credits producer Naren Kumar and writer Saurabh Bhave for suggesting Swanand Kirkires for this unconventional choice, as this is the first time
One of top lyricists and music artist of the country, Swanand says “I had assumed the team wanted to meet me for it’s music, but I was taken aback once I realized they wanted me to act, that too in a leading part, that too in one of the toughest parts I have heard! But hearing the script and the faith the team had, we dived into it all together – me, Sandeep, Saurabh and Naren.”
“Building on the part of a mentally slow naive man with our own personal observations of people around us and extensive research with doctors and counselors working in this area, we all built this part together brick by brick, with the love and dignity we wanted to bring to it,” adds director Sandeep Modi.
On the other poster, Sangram Desai plays Disco, a migrant mobile repairer in Mumbai.
The casting team led by Romil Modi and Tejas Thakkar unexpectedly discovered Sangram from a village near Kolhapur. Playing a part of a street smart migrant, Sangram who had never been to Mumbai spent a month in the city observing and learning it’s pulse under the guidance of director Sandeep Modi and writer Saurabh Bhave to build the part.
Acting for the first time, Sangram even learnt the basics of repairing a phone for preparing the part.
Chumbak presented by Akshay Kumar, will be released all over Maharashtra on 27th of July 2018.