When Raj Thackeray almost quit politics to become film producer — and why he changed his mind

MNS chief Raj Thackeray

Although Raj Thackeray has never made substantial electoral gains, he is counted among the top political figures of Maharashtra. At one point, he grew disillusioned with politics and considered switching to another profession. However, a friend's advice helped him stay afloat in the political sphere.

A turning point in Raj Thackeray's political career was the Kini case, involving the death of a Mumbai man named Ramesh Kini. While Raj avoided incarceration, his friend and party colleague Ashutosh Rane was arrested by the CBI in connection with Kini's death. This case marked the beginning of Raj’s marginalization within the Shiv Sena. Uddhav excluded Raj from the decision-making process and created an inner circle of his close associates. Raj’s allies were further sidelined during ticket distribution for the 1997 BMC elections and the 1999 Vidhan Sabha polls.

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Feeling dejected by such treatment, Raj believed his political influence was waning and concluded that politics might not be for him. He decided to leave politics and venture into filmmaking. Being a film enthusiast, he had a vast movie library at home with thousands of titles. Before moving forward with his plans, Raj consulted his Bollywood friends, including veteran producer Sajid Nadiadwala.

When Raj met Nadiadwala to discuss his idea of producing films, Nadiadwala was unimpressed. In Nadiadwala's view, a film producer has to be submissive to many people which wouldn't suit Raj's temperament. He advised Raj against leaving politics, convincing him that it was a field more suited to his personality.

Raj took Nadiadwala's advice to heart and abandoned his plans to enter filmmaking. In 2005, he resigned from the Shiv Sena and, the following year, founded his own party, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). In the 2009 Vidhan Sabha elections, the MNS emerged as a formidable challenger to the Shiv Sena, winning 13 seats and contributing to the defeat of Shiv Sena candidates in over 50 constituencies. Raj's friendships with Bollywood figures have endured, and many participate in his Deepotsav inauguration every Diwali.