Devendra Fadnavis Lauds Suniel Shetty's Kesari Veer For Honouring Somnath Warriors
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis praised the teaser of Suniel Shetty's film "Kesari Veer: Legend of Somnath" at the Devabhavo Kabaddi Spardha in Wardha.
It was an evening of kabaddi, culture, and cinema in Wardha, Nagpur, where Maharashtra's Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made a heartfelt pitch for Suniel Shetty's upcoming film Kesari Veer: Legend of Somnath. At the Devabhavo Kabaddi Spardha, the CM took a moment to heap praise on the teaser and trailer of the historical epic, calling it a much-needed tribute to the forgotten heroes who fought to protect the Somnath Temple.
Sharing the stage with him were some notable names from the political and film world – Rajya Sabha MP Praful Patel, Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, Tribal Development Minister Ashok Uike, Dr. Pankaj Bhoyar, Indranil Nayak, and Ramdas Tadas. And of course, the film's stars – Suniel Shetty, Sooraj Pancholi, and Akanksha Sharma – were all smiles as the crowd cheered them on. Also present were the film's producer Kanu Chauhan and director Prince Dhiman, soaking in the love.
The film dives deep into the inspiring story of Veer Hamirji Gohil, a warrior who led a small group of brave souls in a ten-day standoff against invaders. Playing the part is Sooraj Pancholi, who went full method for the role, turning vegetarian and training in sword-fighting and horse-riding for months. He plays the fearless warrior who stood up against the Tughlaq Empire to protect the Somnath Temple and defend the Hindu faith.
The trailer kicks off with an epic shot of the Shivling, setting the tone for the action-packed drama ahead. We then meet Sooraj Pancholi, who plays the valiant Hamirji Gohil, ready to fight for his temple and his people. Vivek Oberoi is all set to bring the villain to life, playing Zafar Khan, and Suniel Shetty steps into the role of Vegdaji.
Watch the trailer here:
Kesari Veer: Legend of Somnath hits theatres on May 23, 2025.
First Published:
May 14, 2025, 17:22 IST
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Trump to Zelensky: 'No NATO Entry, No Crimea Return' Before White House Talks
Parineeti Chopra & Raghav Chadha's tricolour-themed Independence Day feast: pure patriotic elegance Parineeti Chopra and her husband, Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, celebrated Independence Day 2025 with a cozy, tricolour-themed lunch at their Delhi home. Adorned in saffron and white, the couple celebrated with marigold-decorated tables, banana leaves, and family love. Their Instagram post—'an afternoon at home, drenched in the colours of our country'—captured heartfelt patriotism. Fans flooded the comments with warm wishes, celebrating both the union of entertainment and public service. 1.2K views | 1 day ago
Hans India
4 hours ago
- Hans India
Cultural events mark Krishnashtami
Vijayawada: The Vijayawada Mahanagar branch of Samskarabharathi celebrated Sri Krishnastami with devotion and festive cheer on Saturday at Sri Velidandla Hanumantharaya Grandhalayam Hall. The event beautifully blended cultural expression with traditional fervour, drawing enthusiastic participation from children and art lovers. To encourage young talent and promote Hindu culture, the organisation conducted drawing competitions in the morning and 'Sri Krishna' fancy dress competitions in the evening. Nearly 60 children showcased their creativity and devotion through art and performance. The disciples of 'Natyacharya' K Vasudevarao presented captivating classical dance items portraying the essence of 'Krishna Tatvam'. A highlight of the evening was the soulful depiction of the 'Yashoda–Krishna' item by Sahiti and Snigdha Hamsini, which received warm applause from the audience. In the drawing competition (senior category), Srinitya, Aasritha, A Manikantha received first, second and third prizes. And in junior category K Ritvik, Md Rahil Zayaan, A Srihaasm received. The consolations were given to Priya Jain, Ravuri Sri Krishna Vardhan, S Nihar, K Naga Akhila, K Adityaram Karthikeya. In the fancy dress competition, first three prizes were given to P Yosham Naga Venkata Ayyappa, Y Lyshitha, T Hemanth Sai Karthikeya and consolations to P Kushi Skandaanshi, I Chaitrasrim, P Sujan Karthikeya, J Sowjanya, Akshaya, V Dhatri Lakshmi, Havish Sai, R Sai Snigdha Hamsini, G Pragnya Twaritham, Parnika. The celebrations were graced by Dr PVN Krishna, P Vijaya Bhaskara Sarma, and Jonnalagadda Jaganmohan Rao, who commended the efforts of Samskarabharathi in nurturing values among children. The proceedings were smoothly anchored by B Roopasri, P Sai Sankar,and Sravana Kumar. The day's festivities concluded with the joyous spirit of Sri Krishna Janmashtami, leaving the audience with a sense of devotion and cultural pride.
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Time of India
Don't reduce grandfather to a Muslim-hating kasai, says Gopal Pattha's kin; sends notice to Agnihotri
1 2 Kolkata: Vivek Agnihotri 's 'The Bengal Files' has met with opposition from unexpected quarters. Santanu Mukherjee, the grandson of Gopal Mukherjee — the legendary 'Gopal Pattha' — who was a key defender of central Calcutta's Hindu neighbourhoods during the Direct Action Day communal clashes of Aug 1946, has sent a legal notice to Agnihotri, claiming the movie "belittles, dehumanises and demonises an important figure from the history of India's independence struggle. " On Saturday, the film's trailer was screened at ITC Royal Bengal, triggering a war of words between Agnihotri and Trinamool, with the former accusing Bengal administration of "anarchy and dictatorship". TMC said the film "was a political video made as part of a pre-election political assignment". You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata | Gold Rates Today in Kolkata | Silver Rates Today in Kolkata The Mukherjee family does not want to be a part of the politics but has firm ideas about its most famous forebear, Gopal Pattha. Santanu had filed an FIR against the movie on July 14, apprehending "denigration of not only his (Gopal's) words or deeds but his ideological conviction along with historic struggle". "Listening to interviews and reading previews of the film, I was apprehensive about how my grandfather would be portrayed. The trailer has confirmed those suspicions," Santanu told TOI, sitting at the family's 200-year-old ancestral home in central Kolkata's Malanga Lane near Wellington Square. The family's biggest issue with the film is its apparent portrayal of the Kolkata strongman as "a rabble-rousing Muslim-hating butcher". "Grandfather also protected Muslim families in our neighbourhood during the communal clashes of 1946," Santanu said. Pointing to the house opposite, his sister Niharika added: "He sheltered members of that Muslim family on our terrace. Grandfather also protected the family of a rickshaw-puller... we called him Rafique Chacha. Even today, families who own the Islamia medicine shop or Mullickbazar's Haji meat shop respect our family. " This Aug 16 marked 80 years of the communal clashes that unfolded on Malanga Lane. Ahead of the 1946 riots, Muslim League volunteers had started gathering in different parts of Kolkata, Santanu said. On Aug 16, at a public meeting at Shaheed Minar, a call went out that before India's Independence, the League must be given Pakistan. After that, looting started at the arms shops around Esplanade. Killings and plunder followed. The "action" then spread to Narkeldanga and Colootola. The film, Santanu fears, will negate Gopal Pattha's message to his followers: "Don't kill the innocent. Protect children and women, whether Hindus or Muslims." He said: "To resist the riots, my grandfather organised his followers and took up arms. He had declared, 'if League rioters kill one, you must kill 10. But no harm must come to any innocent Muslim'." "The trailer crystallises my grandfather's persona in a single phrase — 'Ek tha kasai'. We think Gopal Pattha was much more than a mere butcher. He was a freedom fighter and social worker," Santanu added. The "Pattha" term, too, leaves a lot of scope for misinterpretation, feels Santanu. "Local Biharis started calling my grandfather 'Gopal Pattha' because of his bravery... from the Bengali phrase 'buker paata'. 'Pattha' never referred to 'pnatha' or goat. The film, I apprehend, is ill-researched and do my grandfather's reputation more harm than good," he said, adding that Gopal Pattha was "a known follower of both Mahatma Gandhi and Netaji". Highlighting a part of the trailer where actor Sourav Das (who plays the character of Gopal Pattha) is seen saying, "Bharat Hinduon ka rashtra hai... is yudh me Hindu haar rahe hain... Jeet kaun raha hain? Jinnah... Hum sab nashe mein chur hain aur is nashe ka naam hain Gandhi ki ahimsa", Santanu said: "My grandfather had started as a follower of Gandhi. Then, like Netaji, he felt there had to be an armed struggle. To reduce him to a hater of Muslims and Gandhi is just not on. The trailer shows Gopal Pattha running with a sword with saffron flags in background. That's absolutely wrong." Gopal Mukherjee opened his meat shop on Premchand Boral Street in 1935, with the family's primary earner — Gopal's uncle freedom-fighter Anukul — in jail, said Santanu's elder sister Neeta. The shop closed in 2015. The family, however, has another meat shop in Jadubabur Baazaar. "My grandfather used to buy goats from Muslim traders — before and after Direct Action day," said Santanu. Gopal died in 2005 at 92. Santanu wrote in the police complaint and legal notice: "These nefarious activities of Vivek Agnihotri are willfully, wantonly and maliciously besmirching the reputation of grandfather, stereotyping him as a communal thug and is aimed at flaring up communal tensions based on baseless depictions of my late grandfather's historic actions." Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
