‘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
Marathi

magnum
opus,

Sangeet
Manapmaan,
which
promises
to
offer
grand
musical
celebration
of
Maharashtrian
culture.

The
makers
unveiled
the
music
at
the
event
in
Mumbai
that
brought
together
the
star-studded
cast
of
the
film,
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
upcoming
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.
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,”
says
Bhave.

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
reveals
that
she
is
actually
a
Tamilian
but
Marathi
has
a
special
place
in
her
heart.

“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.