'Sangeet Manapmaan Is As Big As It Gets'

'We should support cinema that's rooted in our culture and not ape the West.'

The anticipation is building up for the Marathi magnum opus, Sangeet Manapmaan, which promises a grand musical celebration of Maharashtrian culture.

The makers unveiled the music at an event in Mumbai that brought together the film's star-studded cast including Sumeet Raghavan, Vaidehi Parshurami, Neena Kulkarni and Subodh Bhave who doubles up as the film's director.

The celebration showcased live performances of songs, composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, who were also present at the event.

Sangeet Manapmaan is an adaptation of legendary Marathi playwright Krushnaji Prabhakar Khadilkar's 114-year-old iconic play of the same name. Like Bhave's 2015 debut film Katyar Kaljat Ghusali, the film is also a musical set in a bygone era.

"Imagine how fortunate the audiences were to witness the musical magic of Bal Gandharva, Deenanath Mangeshkar and Keshavrao Bhosale live. We were not born in that era so we missed that joy," says Bhave.

"With this film, I hope to bring at least some essence of the same magic. We are confident this film will leave an indelible mark on today's audience," Bhave adds.

Watch: Subodh Bhave shares his vision for Sangeet Manapmaan:

Jio Studios President Jyoti Deshpande deems Sangeet Manapmaan a "rare privilege" to work on, a film that celebrates India's cultural richness.

"We make big money-spinners in Hindi but honestly, my heart lies in regional cinema," says Deshpande.

"One positive thing about COVID is that it took away the language barrier from cinema because it allowed us to watch content from any language. It is no more that only the Punjabi audience will watch Punjabi content or the Telugu audience will watch Telugu content. It is all about watching great content now," adds Deshpande.

"That's why we should support cinema rooted in our culture and not ape the West. Sangeet Manapmaan is that film. It is as big as it gets."

Jyoti, who boasts of box office hits like Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya, Article 370, Laapataa Ladies, Shaitaan, Stree 2 and Singham Returns -- and this is only her 2024 list! -- reveals that she is actually a Tamilian but Marathi has a special place in her heart.

• 'The Audience Can't Be Tricked'

"I am Jyoti Subbarayan. I became Deshpande after marriage. Please don't think that our Marathi mulgi has turned anglicised because that's not the case," she says with a smile about her broken Marathi.

"I was born and brought up in Mumbai and all friends in school used to speak to me in Marathi, so I had no choice but to learn the language. I learnt it but it is not perfect."

Sangeet Manapmaan features 14 classical songs, sung by 18 singers; the album is crafted by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. The musical trio had also composed songs for Katyar Kaljat Ghusli, in which Shankar Mahadevan played a pivotal role as actor.

"This is all Bhave's vision. You need God's blessings to make such a project to happen. It is just impossible otherwise," says Mahadevan on his association with the film.

"After Kaljat Ghusli we wanted to do something more together. When Bhave came to me with Manapmaan, I knew it was a big challenge but we took it up," says Shankar.

"We used old songs and also composed original songs. There's a lot of variety in the album. It has got tremendous depth and cultural value to it, which is very important not only for us but also to propagate it to the next generation. Humne jaan laga di hain isme."

The impressive list of vocalists features Shankar Mahadevan himself alongside Sonu Nigam, Rahul Deshpande, Mahesh Kale, Avdhoot Gupte, Bela Shende, Priyanka Barve, Aarya Ambekar, Pratibha Singh Baghel, Jasraj Joshi, Anand Bhate, Shounak Abhisheki, Savaniee Ravindra, Hrishikesh Badve, Asmita Chinchalkar, Krishna Bongane, Shivam Mahadevan and Shrinidhi Ghatate.

"Collaborating with these 18 incredibly talented singers has been an exhilarating journey," adds Shankar. "The music for Sangeet Manapmaan is distinct, offering a refreshing and distinct sound.

Sangeet Manapmaan is slated to release on January 10.