Editing Bal Thackeray (section)

== In popular culture ==
In 2005, [[Ram Gopal Varma]] directed the [[The Godfather (1972 film)|Godfatheresque]]-[[Sarkar (2005 film)|''Sarkar'']], a super-hit thriller was inspired by the life of Bal Thackeray and North Indian politics. In this film, [[Amitabh Bachchan]]'s character was inspired by Thackeray.<ref name=":2" /> 

The 2011 documentary ''[[Jai Bhim Comrade]]'' depicted a speech by Thackeray at a public rally, in which he articulated "genocidal sentiments" about Muslims, stating that they were the "species to be exterminated." The documentary followed this by showing several [[Dalit]] leaders criticising Thackeray for his beliefs.<ref name="Matzner 2014">{{cite journal |last1=Matzner |first1=Deborah |title=''Jai Bhim Comrade'' and the Politics of Sound in Urban Indian Visual Culture |journal=Visual Anthropology Review |date=Fall 2014 |volume=30 |issue=4 |pages=127–138 |doi=10.1111/var.12043}}</ref>

''[[Balkadu]]'', a 2015 Marathi film is loosely based on the ideologies of Bal Thackeray and contains voice clippings of Thackeray's political career.

A Bollywood biopic titled [[Thackeray (2019 film)|''Thackeray'']], starring [[Nawazuddin Siddiqui]] and written by Shiv Sena politician [[Sanjay Raut]], was released on 25 January 2019.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/bollywood/report-nawazuddin-siddiqui-s-bal-thackeray-biopic-to-release-on-this-date-2596489 |title=Nawazuddin Siddiqui's Bal Thackeray biopic to release on THIS date |date=22 March 2018 |work=DNA India |language=en-US |access-date=25 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180826043956/https://www.dnaindia.com/bollywood/report-nawazuddin-siddiqui-s-bal-thackeray-biopic-to-release-on-this-date-2596489 |archive-date=26 August 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/thackeray-nawazuddin-siddiqui-nails-the-look-of-the-supremo-balasaheb-thackeray/articleshow/64539032.cms |title=Thackeray: Nawazuddin Siddiqui nails the look of the supremo Balasaheb Thackeray |work=The Times of India |access-date=25 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180915074119/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/thackeray-nawazuddin-siddiqui-nails-the-look-of-the-supremo-balasaheb-thackeray/articleshow/64539032.cms |archive-date=15 September 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Makarand Padhye played Balasaheb Thakeray in the 2022 Marathi film ''[[Dharmaveer]]'' and [[Dharmaveer 2|its sequel]] based on the life of Shiv Sena politician [[Anand Dighe]].

[[Dushyant Wagh]] played Thackeray in the 2023 Marathi film ''[[Maharashtra Shahir]]'' based on the life of [[Krishnarao Sable]].