'Mumbai Tiger' is not based on Thackerays, says Kokate

"'Mumbai Tiger' is not based on Thackerays. It is something like 'Sarkar' or 'Sarkar Raj', in which current socio-political situation was presented," Kokate said. Stories of 'Mumbai Tiger' being based on Balasaheb Thackeray and the battle between his son and nephew to claim the veteran leader's political legacy have kept the rumour mills abuzz but the director is unfazed by the comparison.

"It is inevitable. However, I am not making a movie on Thackerays. Today even if I make a movie on cricket, the protagonist may be modelled after master blaster Sachin Tendulkar. That necessarily does not mean that it is his biopic," he said. 'Mumbai Tiger' revolves around a seasoned politicians in his late 70s, who remote controls entire Mumbai, be its politics, crime or law and order. It is based on politics in today's Mumbai.

"The central character, played by veteran actor Ramesh Deo, has different shades. It is for the audience to decide whether it is negative or positive character, the filmmaker said. "It is not me but people who are comparing Ramesh Deo with a real-life politician. The get-up of the character may be similar, but it is just that," Kokate said.

The second schedule of the movie would commence from October 7 and the shooting would be over by this month end, the director said adding the Hindi movie would have a nation-wide release by January next. "I am confident of movie. Let any other big-budget movie release with 'Mumbai Tiger'. I am sure that my movie would get more eyeballs," he said.

Kokate said that though the movie is an out-an-out a commercial venture, he wants the audience to see it for the characters and not actors. "I want that people should watch 'Mumbai Tiger' for the characters we have sketched. It has a very strong subject. It has been quite often observed that movies with big stars bomb at the Box Office only because it does not have a strong subject," he said. An effectively told strong subject is what matters at the end of the day, the director added.