Six best films featuring Pawankhind’s Chinmay Mandlekar

After wowing us with his terrific performance as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the Marathi biopic Pawankhind, Chinmay has managed to impress the audience yet again with his portrayal of Bitta in the recently released The Kashmir Files. With Pawankhind making its OTT debut on Amazon Prime Video this week, we think now is the best time to celebrate the many exceptional works of Chinmay Mandlekar. Here are our top picks.

Zenda (Amazon Prime Video and Vi Movies & TV)

Umesh, Santosh, Avinash and Aditya are young and ambitious men who bond over politics. Their journey towards achieving their aspirations is hindered after a major political feud. Chinmay plays Avinash Mohite, a young political volunteer dreaming of making it as a politician. Soon, he realises the realities of building a career in the murky world of politics.

Morya (Amazon Prime Video and Hungama Play)

Manya and Sameer (Chinmay) are staunch leaders of their respective youth groups in their chawls. They are constantly out to one-up each other while celebrating festivals in their respective chawls. After a builder purchases the locality for re-development, Manya and Sameer stop at nothing to decide once and for all the chawl that deserves to be saved.

Reti (Hungama Play, MX Player or Vi Movies &TV)

Did you know people steal sand in real life? That’s exactly the plot of Reti. Shankarya, played by Chinmay, illegally extracts sand from water bodies. Now, the Maharashtra Government must chase the “sand mafia”. What will Shankarya do? Fun fact – acclaimed singer Shaan made his music directorial debut with this film.

Halal (ZEE5, Vi Movies and TV)

Halal is the story of Halim (Pritam Kagne) and Kuddus (Priyadarshan Jadhav). In a fit of rage, Kuddus invokes the triple talaq and divorces Halim. Years later, filled with regret, he wishes to remarry her. Chinmay plays the helpful Maulana, who offers to help the couple reunite, even if it means marrying and divorcing Halim per the Islamic tradition, Halala. What happens when Halim starts falling for Maulana?

Mokssh (Eros Now and Jio TV & Cinemas)

Chinmay plays Parth, an ambitious but struggling film director. Things start to change when he sets out on a pilgrimage. His initial goal of seeking inspiration to make a film on pilgrims turns him on a soul-searching path. He learns what it means to attain Mokssh – to be free from greed and all things mortal.

Fatteshikast (ZEE5 and Vi Movies &TV)

Fatteshikast is set during the reign of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, with Chinmay portraying Shivaji ‘Raje’ Maharaj yet again. The story follows the famous battle between Shaista Khan and Raje at the Lal Mahal. Fatteshikast is a part of Digpal Lanjekar’s trilogy on Shivaji Maharaj, the other two films being Farzand and Pawankhind.

If you’d like a glimpse of Maharashtra’s glorious history, watch Pawankhind now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.