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Dabbawalas
make big screen entry with Marathi film |
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The
film depicts the lives and work of these men who
never fail to reach their patrons
Irada P.P. & Priyanka Bhosale
Mumbai, May 17: Clad in white topis and simple
dhotis, they have made it to the country’s top
most institutes to deliver lectures on their
management skills. They have also been in news
for making it to the wedding of Prince Charles.
And now, film industry has decided to take
notice of them in its own way.
Soon, 5,000 dabbawalas across the city will make
their ‘debut’ in Mumbaicha Dabewala, a
two-and-a-half-hour feature film directed by
Marathi film-maker Manohar Sarvankar.
The Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers
Association has been around ever since the
pre-Independence period, and has finally
captured the fancy of the big screen.
Sarvankar, who feels that such a film is a novel
idea, says, “We have seen films on coolies, but
most of them are fiction-based. This film will
depict the various realities of the lives of the
dabbawalas like the discipline involved in their
profession, their system of law, the problems
they face on personal and professional front.”
The film centres around Namdeo, a dabbawala, and
traces the trials and tribulations of his
professional and personal life. Noted actor
Bharat Jadhav who essays the role of Namdeo,
says, “As a child, I would see dabbawalas
carrying tiffins, but never really knew how
intricate their system was. While I was doing
the film, I learnt a lot about how the whole
system works,” he says.
The film, which was shot in just 25 days, is in
the post-production stage and is expected to
release in a few months. “It took our team two
years to do the required research on the system
of the dabbawalas,” says Sarvankar. Apart from
the lead roles, the film also features the
‘original’ dabbawalas in small roles. “We feel
very honoured to be a part of this film and take
great pride in our association,” says Raghunath
Medge, president of Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box
Suppliers Association. |
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