First look out: Siddhant Chaturvedi steps into V. Shantaram’s enduring cinematic legacy

A fresh first look at Siddhant Chaturvedi as iconic filmmaker V Shantaram has sparked buzz across film circles after makers dropped the announcement poster on December 1. Camera Take Films unveiled the image with a punchy caption: “The rebel who redefined Indian cinema is back where he belongs, on the big screen.”

The poster shows Chaturvedi sporting a classic white dhoti-kurta, layered with a brown blazer, and posing beside an old-school camera — a nod to the visual world Shantaram shaped over seven decades. The film positions him as the visionary who navigated Indian cinema’s shift from silent films to sound and colour.

According to Variety, the biopic charts Shantaram’s expansive journey, spotlighting his evolution as a filmmaker who used cinema to push social change.

Born Shantaram Rajaram Vankudre in 1901, the filmmaker founded two landmark studios — Prabhat Film Company in 1929 and Rajkamal Kalamandir in 1942. His pioneering work included directing Ayodhyecha Raja (1932), the first Marathi talkie. His filmography boasts classics such as Duniya Na Mane (1937), Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje (1955), Do Aankhen Barah Haath (1957) and Navrang (1959), all known for technical experimentation, grand sets, and socially charged themes ranging from prisoner reform to dowry issues.

Shantaram’s contributions earned him the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1985, cementing his legacy as one of the most influential storytellers in Indian cinema.

The biopic aims to reintroduce his artistic spirit to a new generation — with Siddhant Chaturvedi leading the charge.