We had earlier reported about actors Pushkar Jog and Manjari Fadnnis coming together for the Marathi film, Adrushya. We’ve now exclusively learnt that the Kabir Lal directorial will also feature Riteish Deshmukh in a pivotal role.

Interestingly, Kabir and Riteish’s bond dates back to the latter’s debut film, Tujhe Meri Kasam, for which Kabir was the cinematographer. Happy about collaborating with the cinematographer-director again, Riteish says, “Kabir Lal is the reason I am in films. He had seen me on a Subhash Ghai film’s set where I had just gone to see the shoot. Maybe he thought that I wanted to be an actor, although I had nothing in mind about getting into films then. So, when Tujhe Meri Kasam (TMK) was being made, he recommended me for the film. He was the cinematographer for the film which launched my career.”

Riteish adds, “It feels great to be reuniting with him for a film after almost two decades. We shot for TMK in 2001. The fact that Adrushya is his first Marathi directorial makes this collaboration special. We had a lot of fun bonding and recalling old days while shooting.”

Besides Pushkar and Manjari, Adrushya also features Saurabh Gokhale, reportedly in a negative role, and Ajay Kumar Singh. While details about the film and Riteish’s role in it haven’t been divulged, the film is said to be adapted from the Spanish film Julia’s Eyes. This will be Riteish’s third Marathi outing as an actor, after Lai Bhaari and Mauli. He is also slated to appear as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in an upcoming Marathi trilogy on the Maratha warrior king, to be helmed by Nagraj Manjule.