SWARAJ MY BIRTHRIGHT is a film which tries to track the unique personality of Lokamanya Tilak. The film chronicles the events from the inception of two iconic newspapers like Kesari & Maratha, established basically to propagate the idea of freedom which was absent during the times.
The film tries to show the herculean efforts on the part of Lokamanya Tilak in trying to make the masses aware of their Indian identity and sense of a nationhood. The film also tries to showcase the courage of Lokamanya Tilak in taking the British rule head on, on various issues like freedom of speech and expression, the role and rights of newspaper editors in the society and absurdity associated with law relating to sedition for which he was hauled to the court thrice during his life time.
The film also tries to depict tough battles between the hardliners led by tough speaking Tilak & soft-liners, like Phirozshah Meheta & Gopal Krishna Gokhale.
The film also tries to bring out the astronomer, indologist in Tilak who came out with brilliant hypotheses in the form of Orion & Artic Home of Vedas. The film also tries to show the enormous intellectual grit while writing a unique treatise on Bhagwat Gita in the form of Geetarahasya during most trying times at Mandalay.
The film tries to highlight the strategic insights of Lokamanya Tilak in trying to build a nationwide consensus with singular passion for that of Swaraj. In this relentless pursuit he told the British in no unequivocal terms that “Swaraj is my birthright & I shall have it”
In a way he was not asking something from British but proclaiming that Freedom was his birthright and no matter what he will have it.
Gopal rao Agarkar, G.K. Gokhale, Phirozshah Meheta, Muhammadali Jinnah, Khaparde, Munje were his contemporaries as such they too appear in the film at various time intervals.
The film features actors like Shriram Lagu, Vinod Nagpal, Tom Alter, Nagesh Bhosale, Vinay Jain Ravi Khare and many others. The lead role of Lokamanya Tilak is played by Amit Shankar.
The film has been shot at Pune, Mumbai, Gwalior, Hajipur, and many other places.
The film is of 2hrs. 22mnts duration and is made available for viewing, free of cost, to the Tilak lovers all over the world on Social media.
Vinay Dhumale
Producer Writer Director
Film on Lokamanya Tilak
tilakfilmteam@gmail.com
