Om Raut makes selective choices of projects and ensures to bring to life heroic tales from the pages of India’s history. Going by his pattern of filmmaking, with works like Lokmanya: Ek Yugpurush, Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior and the latest announcement of Inspector Zende, Om Raut is not only bringing legendary historic tales to life, but he is also elevating the appeal of cinema through his visionary lens.
Om Raut shares how he has been deeply fascinated and attracted to historical stories about Maharashtrian legends since his childhood. The visionary filmmaker says, “The stories that we have in our culture, the stories that we have in the great history of Bharat, are something that I would like to tell. And because I come from Maharashtra and I am a Marathi boy, these are the stories that I grew up with. These are the stories that were told to me by my grandparents and my parents. So, they have a deep impact on me while growing up. From everything that I have understood, I have only tried to recreate that in cinema.”
Elaborating about immortalizing the heroes from India’s history on the big canvas, Om Raut says, “When it comes to Marathi, I believe I’m an extremely proud Marathi boy. As I come from a Maharastrian culture, I am deeply fascinated and attracted by stories of Indian legends. I feel that there are so many tremendous contributions of all these forces to create today’s Bharat, including people from the pre-Independence era and the post-Independence era.”
He adds, “Going by all this, I love to tell tales of grassroot stories. That’s why we created Lokmanya: Ek Yugpurush and Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, which focused on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s lieutenant, Tanhaji Malusare. These legends come from the soil of Maharashtra, including Inspector Zende. The way these people have contributed to the richness of our nation is something that’s very important. With everything that I know about such legendary people, I like to bring all of it in front of the audience.”
As he embarks on his next adventure with Inspector Zende, Om Raut shares how the film came to life. He says, “Inspector Zende is a story that my father was attracted to. My father was a journalist, and Inspector Zende was serving in the Mumbai police and they had a few interactions in the past. My father was deeply fascinated with the great achievements of Inspector Zende. So, I only try to use that in my medium, the cinema. That’s how this film came to life. He is a very fascinating person, and it’s a whole different feeling to bring his story to the fore.”
Going by his creations, Om Raut is surely uplifting the spine of cinema by creating pieces that not only leave an impact, but also keep alive the tales of India’s rich history. By weaving stories that are real and rooted in history, Om Raut is redefining what it means to make the most of cinema, all while reshaping the dynamics of the evolving space.