Mahesh Manjrekar steps down as director of Randeep Hooda's 'Swatantra Veer Savarkar

SwatantryaVeer Savarkar, starring Randeep Hooda and produced by Anand Pandit Motion Pictures and Legend Studios, will go on floors as planned, even though director Mahesh Manjrekar has had to exit the project, owing to several commitments including Bigg Boss Marathi. The new director will be announced soon. According to the latest report of Peepingmoon, Randeep, who was cast to play the lead role only, will now also shoulder the responsibilities of the director of the upcoming biopic. The report also added that the shoot would kickstart in Maharashtra next week. However, the report did not mention the reason for Mahesh Manjreker’s exit.

Talking about the film, the first look poster of Swatantra Veer Savarkar was dropped on the 139th birth anniversary of the freedom fighter which is on May 28. While sharing the look poster, Randeep wrote, “This is a salute to one of the tallest unsung heroes of India’s struggle for freedom and self-actualisation. I hope I can live up to the challenge of filling such big shoes of a true revolutionary and tell his real story which had been brushed under the carpet for so long”, in the caption. To fit in the character and get into the skin of it, Hooda has lost almost 25kgs. The film is jointly produced under the banner of Anand Pandit Motion Pictures and Legend Studios. The makers have not confirmed the release date of the film yet. Producer Anand Pandit said, "Mahesh Manjrekarji is a very good director. We will definitely work together in future. Our film, Swatantrya Veer Savarkar requires absolute dedication and time. But due to Maheshji's prior commitments we could not match the dates as per our decided shooting schedules."