Mumbai, June 19 : On Shiv Sena Foundation Day on Tuesday, actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who essays the political party's late supremo Bal Thackeray in an upcoming biopic, says doing the movie is quite an experience.
Nawazuddin moved dates and schedules to be a part of "Thackeray".
"Balasaheb Thackeray was a transparent personality who empowered the common man and it is a lifetime experience essaying him," Nawazuddin said in a statement.
The actor, along with Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut and Shrikant Bhasi, Founder and Chairman of Carnival Group, spent time on the sets of the Raut'ers Entertainment's movie on the eve of Shiv Sena Foundation Day.
Raut, who believes "Balasaheb made the common man into superman", said that while director Abhijit Panse was scouting for the right actor, he always had Nawazuddin's face in his mind.
"I knew Nawaz bhai was the right one. And the moment I set my eyes on him when he walked into our meeting room, he was locked in my head," he said.
Bhasi said: "Balasaheb Thackeray is the tiger who took the nation by storm, a person who no one can ever match. We are glad to be associated with 'Thackeray', a film that boasts of the penmanship of Sanjay Raut and the histrionics of Nawazuddin Siddiqui."
The movie will release next year.
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Udupi (Karnataka) (PTI): The VHP on Saturday demanded the immediate withdrawal of a proposed amendment to the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020, accusing the state government of weakening a law that has deterred illegal cattle transport.
The organisation's Go Raksha Wing, Karnataka South, has also announced district-level protests on December 8.
According to officials, the existing law mandates a bank guarantee for securing the release of vehicles seized for alleged illegal cattle transportation.
On December 4, the state Cabinet proposed an amendment enabling the release of such vehicles on an indemnity bond instead.
Addressing reporters in Udupi, VHP leader and Prantha Goraksha Pramukh Sunil K R, said the government's move amounted to "sympathy for cattle lifters" and claimed that it was part of broader actions "targeting Hindus".
He argued that the law in its current form is stringent and has played a crucial role in reducing incidents of illegal cattle transport and theft.
Under the Act, vehicles involved in offences can be surrendered and, upon conviction, permanently seized by authorities. "Diluting these provisions will embolden offenders," Sunil said.
The VHP leader warned that easing the process of vehicle release would not only encourage violators but also result in rising cruelty against cattle.
Sunil further claimed that the strict enforcement of the 2020 law had brought down cases of cattle-related offences significantly. Rolling back these provisions, he said, could reverse those gains and would lead to an increase in illegal transport.
He reiterated that the government must reconsider its decision and preserve the integrity of the existing law.
