It is probably the first film to be made on the life of an social media influencer Raju Kalakar and about his journey from puppeteer to a social media star.
Raju Kalakar, aka Raju Bhatt, a puppeteer from Surat, Gujarat, surged to viral fame after a poignant performance of “Dil Pe Chalai Churiya” in which he kept time with broken stones. The percussive, stone-based arrangement connected with a vast online audience, earning him millions of views and world-wide recognition.
Raju’s latest trending version of the song Dil Pe Chalai Churiya has fetched over 4 Crore views on the internet. This highly demanded song features – Raju Kalakar along with Anjali Arora, Rajan, Rishabh & Deepak. Bollywood veteran singer Sonu Nigam also praised Raju and made a remake of the song with him, which was produced by T-Series.
“The film Raju Kalakar is sure to connect with Gen Z because there is something like inner emotions in everyone, no matter howsoever modern cultured today’s youth is, with them connected to technological changes,” said director Rocky Mulchandani, associated with ad films and several Gujarati feature films like ‘EkDe Ek’ and has just completed his upcoming Gujarati film ‘FACTORY’ starring Hitu Kanodia, Smit Pandya, Prem Gadhvi, Hemang Shah and Hemin Trivedi. “The film Raju Kalakar will be an inspirational, motivating story emphasizing of not to give up in life no matter whatever the circumstances.
Produced under the banner of Shri Rang Entertainment, producer Sudarshan Vaidya (Shambhubhai) and director Rocky Mulchandani, Raju Kalakar is a biopic of an artist who has become a hero from zero and is shaking the hearts of Bollywood legends. The film is currently titled Untold Story of Raju Kalakar.
Talking about the film, producer Shambhubhai said that this is not just the life of an artist but can become a source of inspiration for many people. The way Raju has faced many difficulties and achieved a prominent place in the art world is unimaginable. The unparalleled success that Raju got after the struggle he had to achieve a goal can change the lives of many struggling people.
Raju, who was present at the film’s launch, said that he dreamed of earning a name in the world of music along with supporting his family through hard work. However, I never imagined that one day he would get so much fame that Bollywood veterans would appreciate his art.
Raju, a resident of Nagaur, Rajasthan, had a puppet show as his main occupation, in which he played the drum. However, Raju never gave up despite facing difficulties. Since the sources of income in Rajasthan were limited, he came to Surat, Gujarat. Here he earned a living by doing small and big jobs. While traveling in a train, I saw two stones being made into music by keeping them between my fingers, and I soon mastered that art.
“However, the turning point in my life came when a friend of mine made a reel and shared it on social media. However, the video uploaded in June did wonders. In the video, the song Dil Pe Chalai Churiyan from Bewafa Sanam (1995) was sung to the tune of the music of two marble stones. This video went so viral that more than 17.4 crore people watched it, 44 lakh people shared it and it got 1.61 crore likes,” reveals Raju.
Director Rocky Mulchandani added that the script of the film is being finalized. Along with this, the process of selecting the artists will also be completed. “The shooting of the film is planned to start this year itself,” revealed P C Kapadia, the PR of this film.
