Nov 08, 2026 1:00pm IST
‘Fauzi’ Actor Subodh Bhave On Marathi And Telugu Cinema: ‘We Can Learn Their Film Language; They Can Adapt Our Theater’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Popular Marathi actor Subodh Bhave makes his Telugu debut in Prabhas starrer “Fauzi.” He portrays the character of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose in the period action thriller. The film is expected to feature him in a prominent role. Bhave speaks to Variety India exclusively about bagging “Fauzi” and what Marathi and Telugu industries can learn from each other.
How did ‘Fauzi’ come your way?
Through a makeup designer working on “Fauzi.” She and her mother are my fans and had seen some of my films. When it came to casting for Subhash Chandra Bose, she suggested my name. The team called me; I went to Hyderabad, I tested, director Hanu Raghavapudi liked my look and then, I got finalized. So yes, it's because of the makeup designer, Soamaa Goswami.
What can you reveal about your character's relationship with Prabhas's character, without giving away key plot points?
I can't give away anything about the film and the script, but yes, it's a very key character in the film and as I said, Prabhas’s character Fauzi belongs to Azad Hind Sena and is very close to Netaji. The entire story will unfold accordingly, but I can't say much about that.
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Your career has been closely associated with Marathi cinema, theatre and television. What does stepping into a major Telugu production represent for you at this stage of your career?
For me, the language doesn't matter. Every film has its own language. I have worked in a Malayalam film (“Pinneyum”), directed by the great Adoor Gopalakrishnan. I even worked in a Bengali film directed by Reema Mukherjee, called “Ardhangini Ek Ardhsatya”, based on Rabindranath Tagore’s novel “Ghare Baire.” The film was made in Hindi and Bengali as well. Then I did a lot of Hindi films. In Marathi, I have been working for years, be it theatre, serials or films. I like to watch Telugu films, learn Telugu and speak it as well. I want to work in every language: be it Odia, Gujarati, Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Bhojpuri, Bengali. Each is as beautiful as Marathi.
What can the Telugu film industry learn from Marathi cinema's relationship with theatre, literature and historical storytelling and vice versa?
Telugu cinema is very big nowadays and the whole of India knows all the stars working in Telugu cinema. Whether it is Allu Arjun, Ram Charan, Chiranjeevi Sir, Nagarjuna Sir, Prabhas, Mahesh Babu or Ravi Teja Sir. People love them across India and outside India as well and they have their special language for film. Marathi has a very strong base in theater, but somewhere we are lacking in the language of film. A few Marathi films did brilliantly well at the box office and garnered critical acclaim, but we can still learn the language of film from Telugu people and they can adapt theater and style from Marathi.
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