MUMBAI: Marathi film Bal Gandharva will have its world premiere at this year‘s Cannes International Film Festival.

The film, based on the life and times of one of the greatest singers and actor of Marathi theatre Narayan Shripad Rajhans, better known as Bal Gandharva, has been produced by art director Nitin Desai.

Bal Gandharva was not just an actor and singer but a showman with a divine voice who dedicated his life to his art. He was a famous for his roles of female characters in Marathi plays. Women would not act on stage in those days.
The songs rendered by him are, to date, considered as classics and his singing style is greatly appreciated by Marathi critics and audiences.
 
He acted in plays written by Annasaheb Kirloskar, Govind Ballal Deval, Shripad Krishna Kolhatkar, Kakasaheb Khadilkar, Ram Ganesh Gadkari and Vasant Shantaram Desai.

Apart from Cannes, the film is likely to be screened at the Venice, Berlin and Toronto festivals while in India the film will release in Marathi with subtitles in English.

Bal Gandharva will release in India on 6 May.