On Maharashtra Day, looking back at actresses who aced playing Marathi characters

Mumbai, May 1 The film industry is celebrating Maharashtra Day on Wednesday. The day is recognised for the creation of the state of Maharashtra after the Samyukta Maharashtra movement advocated for the formation of a separate Marathi-speaking state on May 1, 1960.

The leading ladies of cinema have portrayed memorable Marathi characters on screen. IANS takes a look at some of the most memorable performances by the actresses of Hindi cinema where they aced the role of a Marathi character.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas has portrayed Marathi characters in three of her films ‘Kaminey’, ‘Agneepath’ and ‘Bajirao Mastani’. Each time, the actress brought something new to the table with regard to her portrayal. While in ‘Kaminey’ she played the role of a gangster’s sister from a lower middle-class background, in ‘Agneepath’ she played a girl belonging to the downtrodden section from Dongri area of Mumbai. However, it was her performance in ‘Bajirao Mastani’ as Kashibai, the first wife of Peshwa Bajirao, which won her critical acclaim. Priyanka played the character to perfection with its inner turmoil, the feeling of being wronged and losing her husband to another woman.

The next on the list is Kangana Ranaut. The actress essayed the role of Rani Lakshmi Bai in her directorial debut ‘Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi’. The actress brought the nuances in the portrayal of the queen who headed the princely state of Jhansi in Maratha Empire. Kangana showed her valiant side as an actress and shone bright in the war sequences of the film which portray resistance and rebellion against the British Raj.

While Sridevi has portrayed many iconic characters on-screen, her portrayal of Shashi in the 2012 film ‘English Vinglish’ is pure gold. Sridevi, who was known for her over-the-top projections of characters, played the character of Shashi with immense subtlety. She perfectly aced the mannerism and the diction of the character who hails from a very protected Marathi background and discovers her true worth while studying a new language with English. Her journey of studying a new language arms her with self-confidence and a new perspective to look at life and find her own footing in a foreign land.

Kriti Sanon played the role of Parvatibai in the 2019 film ‘Panipat’. Like her fellow National Award winner Kangana, Kriti aced both the fight sequences of war and the calm demeanour of the second wife of Sadashivrao Bhau, the commander of the Maratha army, portrayed by Arjun Kapoor, in the film.

A special mention to Deepika Padukone, who played the titular character of Mastani Bai in ‘Bajirao Mastani’. While her character in the film was a follower of Islam, she effortlessly joined the steps with Priyanka’s Kashibai in the song ‘Pinga’. Her styling, the ‘nazakat’, the duet with Priyanka in the song and the way she adopts the Marathi culture in the frame makes for a compelling watch.

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