Mumbai: Actress Tamannaah Bhatia has been confirmed to join the cast of V. Shantaram, the upcoming biographical drama about one of Indian cinema’s most influential directors. The makers unveiled a first look poster that captures Tamannaah as Jayashree, the actor who married V. Shantaram and played key roles in his films. In the poster, she wears a pink Nauvari saree that reminds of the old style of the 1940s and 50s, establishing the time scale of the film. Tamannaah said she is honoured to portray Jayashree and called the role a special responsibility.
A major biopic that traces cinema from silence to colour
V. Shantaram will star Siddhant Chaturvedi in the title role. The movie traces the remarkable career of Shantaram starting with the silent era and leading to the breakthrough in sound and colour filming. In 1929, Shantaram established the Prabhat Film Company and in 1942, he established Rajkamal Kalamandir. He has directed iconic movies like Duniya Na Mane, Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje, Navrang and Do Aankhen Barah Haath. His movies were both technically innovative and socially oriented addressing such problems as dowry, community cohesion and rehabilitation of prisoners. V. Shantaram was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1985 in honour of his lifetime contribution.
The biopic is written and directed by Abhijeet Shirish Deshpande and presented by Rajkamal Entertainment, Camera Take Films and Roaring Rivers Productions. Rahul Kiran Shantaram, Subhash Kale and Sarita Ashwin Varde are producers on the project.
Who was Jayashree and why the role matters
Jayashree was a respected actress in her own right. Her filmography includes titles such as Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani, Shakuntala, Chandra Rao More and Dahej. She married V. Shantaram in 1941 and was part of his creative world during a formative period for Indian cinema. This couple had three children Kiran Shantaram, Rajshree and Tejashree Shantaram. He later divorced Jayashree in 1956, but her impact on his life and his work makes her an essential figure in the biopic. By assigning Tamannaah, the filmmakers give an indication that Jayashree is going to be considered as a fully-fledged personality with her own trajectory and significance to the story of Shantaram.
Casting that balances star power and period authenticity
Tamannaah joins Siddhant Chaturvedi as the film continues to fill its central roles. The first big revelation was the casting of Siddhant as V. Shantaram. Adding Tamannaah as Jayashree strengthens the film’s balance of performance and period detail. The makers have emphasised authenticity in costume, set design and cinematography, and the new poster already hints at the care being taken with look and tone.
What the filmmakers aim to do with the story
Director Abhijeet Deshpande and the producers are positioning the film as both a celebration and a critical look at a towering creative figure. The narrative will explore Shantaram’s technical experiments, his use of song picturisation and visual symbolism, and his commitment to social issues. At the same time the film will show the human relationships that shaped him. The inclusion of a complex Jayashree promises a layered drama that honours the era while offering modern audiences a strong emotional core.
Why this biopic is important now
The enthusiasm of audiences to watch this well made film biography, which recreates the history of filmmaking and social thinking, is growing, so this story is an excellent tour de force to be dramatized on large scale. The film also gives modern viewers a chance to revisit classics and understand how technical craft and social conscience came together in early Indian cinema.
With Tamannaah’s first look out, the production is likely to announce more casting, schedules and behind the scenes details soon. The film will demand careful research and a visual language that matches the period. The audience and critics will be keen to know how Siddhant, Tamannaah and the creative team are recreating the worlds of Prabhat and Rajkamal.
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