Tendulkar to spread message of friendship with first film

Mumbai, July 30 (IANS) India's master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, who is also the brand ambassador of a slew of products, will make his big screen debut with Marathi film "Vighnaharta Shri Siddhivinayak", which aims to convey a social message.

"Though the movie is about the miracles of the Lord Ganesha, I would rather call it a social than a mythological film. I want the movie to convey a social message of friendship and have it conveyed through the easily-recognised icon, Sachin Tendulkar," Rajiv Singhvi, movie's producer, told IANS.

The movie is devoted to Siddhivinayak Temple, one of Mumbai's most frequented shrines. Subhash Mayekar, the Siddhivinayak Trust chairman, said that they have given entire responsibility to Singhvi's Vista Media to make the movie.

"We will only provide the religious inputs," he informed.

Singhvi revealed that a number of movie stars, mostly from Bollywood, who are devotees of the Lord Ganesha, will make guest appearances in "Vighnaharta Siddhivinayak".

Tendulkar will start shooting as soon as he returns from his cricket tour to Sri Lanka and the film will have voice-over by Amitabh Bachchan.

"I want each one of them to convey a social message through the movie," said Singhvi.

Yashwant Ingle will direct "Vighnaharta Siddhivinayak" and Anil Mohile, a long-time associate of Lata Mangeshkar, will score the music for the movie.

By debuting in a movie, Tendulkar follows a trend set by cricketers like Salim Durrani, Sandip Patil and Ajay Jadeja.

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