India, April 1 -- In a move seen as an outreach to the Dhangar (shepherd) community, the Maharashtra government has approved a Rs.21.6 crore grant to produce a multilingual commercial biopic on Ahilyabai Holkar, the revered ruler of the Holkar dynasty within the Maratha Confederacy.

The film, to be produced primarily in Marathi along with other languages, aims to take Ahilyabai's legacy to a wider national audience, officials said. The decision was formalised through an order issued by the state tourism and cultural affairs department on March 28, marking her tercentenary (300th) birth anniversary.

The proposal for the film was submitted by the Maharashtra Film, Stage, and Cultural Development Corporation Limited (MFSCDCL), which will i...