The India tour of The Bombay Blood, the Indo-German film directed by Gaurav Rishikesh Thakur, produced by Neel Kothari, Gaurav Hrishikesh Thakur, and Daniel E. Pajak, continues to receive an encouraging response, with its Pune screening emerging as a key highlight following its screening in Nashik.
The film brings together Indian and German talent, including Dirk Böhling, Philipp Oliver Baumgarten, Katrin Ingendoh, Sabine Urban, Gaurav Thakur, Kashyap Parulekar, Mithun Ramdharne, and Kajal Raturi, and has been shot extensively in Germany. After garnering tremendous love in Germany, the film has received an enthusiastic response from audiences across various cities of Maharashtra.
Adding a special significance to the Pune screening was the presence of Uday Bhende, son of Dr. Y.M. Bhende, who discovered the rare Bombay Blood group, along with veteran actor Mohan Agashe. Uday Bhende watched the film and expressed his happiness at seeing his father’s legacy being honoured through cinema.
The screening also became an important platform to create awareness about the actual Bombay Blood group and its scientific significance, bringing together the worlds of cinema, science and history.
Reflecting on the journey so far, director Gaurav Rishikesh Thakur said, “Screening The Bombay Blood across cities has been deeply rewarding because every audience brings its own energy and perspective to the film. Pune has been a special highlight, and meeting Uday Bhende Sir made the experience truly personal. To see him connect with a story inspired by his father’s legacy was a privilege we will always cherish.”
Producer Neel Kothari added, “The response across cities has reminded us why this story needed to be told. Pune, in particular, felt incredibly heartfelt, with a large audience of our family, friends and well-wishers coming out to support the film. Having Uday Bhende Sir with us was already a very special moment, but having veteran actor Mohan Agashe Sir present alongside him made it truly overwhelming for all of us. To see Uday Sir connect with the film and appreciate how his father’s legacy has been honoured through our story was an experience we will cherish.”
For the makers and cast of The Bombay Blood, meeting Uday Bhende was an especially meaningful moment, as the film draws from a subject rooted in a remarkable chapter of medical history. His appreciation of the film reinforced the makers’ intention of taking the story and the awareness surrounding the Bombay Blood group to a wider audience.
The film is receiving positive feedback across its storytelling, performances, treatment and technical aspects. One audience member described the film as having a “simmering intensity that actually makes you uneasy”, while another called it “raw and stressful in the best possible way”, praising its restrained performances, sound design and gritty treatment. The audience further described the film as a thriller that “doesn’t treat the audience like an idiot” and called it “definitely worth catching on a large screen.”
With the Nashik and Pune screenings adding to the momentum, the India tour of The Bombay Blood continues to connect the film with audiences across Maharashtra. The Pune screening, however, stood out for the unique coming together of cinema and the real-life legacy behind the film’s subject, with Uday Bhende’s presence making the evening particularly memorable for the team and audience alike.
