Amrita Rao to play Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s wife in Thackeray biopic

Actress Amrita Rao will be joining actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the film on late Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray. She will be essaying the role of his wife Meena in the upcoming biopic, titled Thackeray.

Producer Sanjay Raut revealed Rao's casting and why she was the perfect choice for the part. “Meenatai was never in politics, but she was the lady who held the Thackeray family together as also Shiv Sena, the party Balasaheb formed. She was his backbone and the embodiment of matrutwa [motherhood]. When you see her on screen, you will know that she is best suited for the role,” he told Mumbai Mirror, a tabloid.

Raut also shared that Rao has already filmed her role opposite Siddiqui. Meena, born Sarla Vaidya, married Thackeray in 1948. Rao's character will be featured in the film for around three decades, from 1969 until her death in 1995.

Rao has not been seen onscreen since 2013's Singh Saab: The Great where she played a TV reporter. In 2016, she had a pivotal role in the television series Meri Awaaz Hi Pehchaan Hai. She and actress Aditi Vasudev played siblings Kalyani and Ketki Gaikwad in a series loosely inspired by the Mangeshkar sisters and their singing careers.

Thackeray, filmed in Hindi and Marathi, is due to be released on 23 January 2019, on the politician’s birth anniversary.