'Sant Tukaram' Review: Poetry Meets Power in This Stirring Biopic

Sant Tukaram

In theaters

Cast: Subodh Bhave, Arun Govil, Twinkle Kapoor, Sheena Chohan, Sanjay Mishra & more

Director: Aditya Om

Producer: B. Gautham

Banner: Curzon Films

Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes

Release Date: 18 July

Rating - *** (3/5)

Aditya Om’s Sant Tukaram takes a revered chapter from India’s spiritual history and shapes it into an emotionally rich, cinematically alive biographical drama. More than a saint’s journey, this is the story of a man who rose from the ashes of personal loss and social discrimination to become a guiding light for generations.

Subodh Bhave offers a stunningly restrained performance as Tukaram Maharaj. He carries the weight of grief and revelation without melodrama, allowing the inner turbulence of a seeker to gradually bloom into transcendence.

Faith Rooted in a Broken World

The narrative opens with a tale from Tukaram’s lineage, when Vishwambhar Ji, played with joyous energy by Sanjay Mishra, discovers a divine idol of Vithoba in his garden. This sets the tone for a story that marries mythology with human struggle.

As Tukaram is born into a household that manages money but is still marginalised, the tension between outer status and inner worth begins to form. Gauri Shankar as Bolhoba reflects the struggle of maintaining dignity in a deeply biased society. From an early age, Tukaram witnesses the rot of caste and prejudice, which lights a fire in him far deeper than religious piety.

From Family Tragedy to Spiritual Revolution

Tukaram’s journey is punctuated by heartbreak. His first wife Rakhma Bai, portrayed with grace by Rupali Jadhav, suffers ill health. After her passing, Avali enters his life. Sheena Chohan brings both sharpness and vulnerability to Avali, a woman who remains rooted in practicality even as her husband floats away into divine detachment.

The death of Tukaram’s loved ones hits like a silent tsunami. The cinematography and Bhave’s performance collaborate to create a sense of grief that feels vast but never performative. It is this emptiness that gradually makes room for his immersion into devotion. The moment Tukaram picks up his pen to compose Abhangs feels like a natural extension of his mourning rather than a mystical calling.

Friction Between the Worldly and the Divine

As Tukaram’s words begin to resonate with the common people, resistance from the orthodoxy flares up. Shiva Suryavanshi is perfectly cast as Mamba Ji, a character dripping with disdain, ego and insecurity. His rage against Tukaram’s growing influence becomes a mirror to society’s fear of losing control over spiritual power.

Meanwhile, Tukaram finds himself in communion with Lord Vithoba, who appears to him in varied forms. These interactions are not treated with heavy CGI or melodrama. Instead, they emerge as dreamlike moments that evoke awe without breaking the emotional rhythm of the film.

The turning point comes when the priestly order demands that Tukaram discard his written Abhangs into the river. This scene is a masterclass in cinematic tension. The sight of his poems returning unspoiled feels like both a divine wink and a challenge to the status quo. Shishir Sharma as Rameshwar Shastri delivers quiet gravitas when he transitions from skeptic to devotee.

Legacy Carried on Thunder and Silence

The film’s final act introduces a more public phase in Tukaram’s life. From guiding peasants to blessing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, played with sincerity by Arun Govil, the transformation from local poet to cultural icon becomes complete.

But the film resists ending on grandeur. Even the climax, in which Tukaram vanishes during a storm while on pilgrimage, is handled with eerie restraint. There are no loud declarations, only the sound of rain, thunder and the haunting absence of a body. It is this minimalism that makes his myth feel even more profound.

Final Thoughts

Sant Tukaram is not a spectacle. It is a soulful, reverent, yet provocatively political work that asks questions about caste, spiritual ownership and what it truly means to be divine. Subodh Bhave leads a talented ensemble with depth and humility, while Aditya Om’s direction balances faith with fire.

For viewers seeking not just a film but a feeling, Sant Tukaram offers a lasting echo.