“Our Culture Holds Stories the World Needs to See”: Sheena Chohan on Her Award-Winning Turn in Sant Tukaram, Ahead of Its 2027 Re-Release

The Hindi biopic, which stars Subodh Bhave and Sheena Chohan, is heading back to theatres in February 2027 after a legal dispute cut short its original run - buoyed by the box-office momentum devotional cinema has found following Hanuman Ansh.

India’s appetite for stories rooted in its spiritual and cultural history shows no sign of slowing. On the back of Hanuman Ansh’s strong theatrical performance, director Aditya Om has confirmed that his 2025 film Sant Tukaram will return to Indian cinemas in February 2027, giving the biopic a second life after legal complications disrupted its initial release. A specific date has not yet been announced.

Sant Tukaram traces the life of the 15th-century poet-saint whose verses and teachings took direct aim at caste discrimination, preaching instead a message of faith, equality and devotion that still resonates in Maharashtra and beyond. The film originally opened in roughly 300 cinemas across India. In it, actress Sheena Chohan plays Avali Jijabai, Tukaram’s wife and a steady presence beside him in his social battles - a performance that recently earned her the Best Actress in a Leading Role award at Times Applaud in Mumbai.

Announcing the re-release, Om explained the decision to bring the film back now. “I am planning a February re-release of my 2025 film Sant Tukaram, starring Subodh Bhave and Sheena Chohan, after legal issues affected its theatrical run,” he said. “The film opened with good reviews but got stuck in some issues. Now, it’s the right time to bring the film back to theatres as I feel people should know about our greats.”

For Chohan, the timing lines up with a broader shift in what audiences are choosing to watch. “India is home to some of the most extraordinary stories, and Hanuman Ansh has shown how deeply audiences connect with narratives rooted in our culture, religion and spiritual heritage,” she said. “I met the film’s producer just last week, and I’m delighted that Sant Tukaram is returning to cinemas in February, giving more people the opportunity to experience its message that God resides within each of us.”

Building Avali Jijabai from the ground up

Chohan described a preparation process that went well beyond the usual script read-throughs. To find her way into Avali Jijabai, she spent time in villages, sitting with local women, sharing meals and working alongside them. “I put tremendous dedication into developing, researching and understanding this character,” she said. “She stood alongside her husband in the fight for Dalit rights and women’s rights, while embodying the spiritual belief that when you believe deeply in something, you can work towards making it a reality.”

That grounding, she says, is what let her play a historical figure as someone recognisably human rather than a symbol. It’s also where she locates the film’s relevance today - not purely as devotional cinema, but as a human-rights story that happens to be five centuries old. Chohan has carried that theme into other rooms recently, having spoken on related issues at the United Nations in New York. “It is remarkable that a human-rights story from 500 years ago continues to speak to people today,” she said. “The continued desire to hear these stories reminds us that dignity, equality and justice are timeless concerns, and that cinema has the power to keep these conversations alive.”

What’s next

Chohan’s slate beyond Sant Tukaram includes the pan-India film Jatasya Maranam Dhruvam and the Hindi web series Bhaayava, both in the pipeline. She’s clear about the kind of work she wants to keep doing. “I’m personally drawn to culturally rooted Indian stories, particularly biopics, epics and mythological dramas, alongside action and comedy,” she said. “I’m incredibly proud to see this new wave of Indian cinema making such a powerful impact on our culture and taking our stories to the world.”

With Sant Tukaram’s return to screens still a few months out, its reception may offer another data point on whether India’s current wave of devotional and biopic films - from Hanuman Ansh onward - reflects a lasting shift in what audiences want, or a passing trend.