The battle known as Bhima Koregaon is one of the most glorious battles in dalit history. It was a fierce battle fought by the warriors of the Maher community against the Brahmin Peshwa kings. The small-scale Maher agitation against the army is known as a war that has skyrocketed Dalit self-esteem. The attacks on Dalits participating in the Bhima Koregaon War anniversary celebrations in 2018 and the arrests of several activists have recently made headlines. Now the historical battle of ‘Bhima Koregaon’ is getting ready to come in cinematic form. The film, starring Bollywood actor Arjun Rampal, will be directed by Ambedkarite and Ramesh Thette, a Dalit IAS officer from Madhya Pradesh.
The Battle of Koregaon took place on January 1, 1818. The first clashes took place between the army of the Maratha king Peshwa Bajirao and the British East India Company. The Maher community, a Dalit community living in Bhima-Koregaon, was not allowed to fight the Marathas. Their argument was that they could not fight with the lower caste Mahars. This was denied by right-wing and extremist Hindutva activists. Thus the Maher fighters joined the East India Company and the small British-Maher forces defeated the Maratha army. The Maher community considers this war victory as a legendary victory against caste discrimination.
The Bhima Koregaon Historical Struggle is set to come out in cinematic form as the story of the dalit struggle that is unsettling the Indian aristocracy. The film stars Bollywood actor Arjun Rampal in the lead role. The film is directed by Ramesh Thette, an Ambedkarite and former IAS officer. The film covers the period from 1795 to 1818. The film stars Sunny Leone and Digangana Suryavanshi among others.
