'Kashmir ki Kali' Sharmila Tagore back in movies after 12 years with family drama

Veteran and acclaimed actor Sharmila Tagore is all set to return to the screen, albeit the OTT one, after a gap of 12 years, with a family entertainer, Gulmohar, which will stream on Disney+Hotstar in August.

According to news reports, Tagore will play the matriarch in this family drama, which will also feature National award winners Manoj Bajpayee and Amol Palekar. The film also stars south Indian cinema’s Simran Rishi Bagga, Suraj Sharma of Life of Pi fame and has original music composed by none other than Siddhartha Khosla, known for his work on the popular series This is Us and Only Murders in the Building.

The shooting of Gulmohar, which revolves around the multi-generational Batra family who are all set to move out of their 34-year-old family home, is completed. The plot is on how the “moving out” triggers a re-discovery of the bonds that have held them together, as a family, while grappling with personal secrets and insecurities.

Tagore, who had made her debut in cinema with Satyajit Ray’s Apu Sansar (The World of Apu), also went on to become Bollywood’s sweetheart for her romantic movies with the 70s superstar Rajesh Khanna like Aradhana and Daag. And, has acted with all the leading stars of Bollywood like Shammi Kapoor (Kashmir Ki Kali), Amitabh Bachchan (Besharam), Sanjeev Kumar (Mausam), Shashi Kapoor (Aa Gale Lag Jaa) and Dharmendra, who she did seven films with.

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The77-year-old National Award winner, who was last seen in the 2010 romantic-comedy Break Ke Baad, with Deepika Padukone and Imran Khan, said she is thrilled to be back with her latest project.

Tagore said, “After a considerable gap, I am very happy to be in the familiar and well-loved ambience of a film set. I agreed almost immediately to be a part of team Gulmohar– after the moving narration of this heartwarming and beautifully written story. It is a very layered and absorbing family drama…”

Meanwhile, Bajpayee, who posted a picture of the film on his Instagram handle, said he had signed up for the film, directed by Rahul Chittella, (Azaad fame) because of its “candid and relatable” narrative and because of the opportunity of working with Tagore. “Rahul always came across as an intelligent talent and a man of integrity. What more could I ask for? I hope that the audience too will love it, as much as I am loving being a part of it,” the actor said.

Chittella, known for his anthology Shor Se Shuruaat as well, wrote this film along with Arpita Mukherjee. He described Gulmohar as an intimate story about family and home.

“I’m excited to wrap the shooting with such an incredible ensemble of actors and crew members, all of who are collaborating with utmost purity to tell this story! We can’t wait to bring it to the audience soon,” the director added.

Gulmohar is a Fox Star Studios production in association with Chalkboard Entertainment and Autonomous Works.