[2] It was a runaway success and broke the box office records by being the first Indian film to run in a single theatre for more than a year.

He claims that Tukaram stole his verses, and questions a shudra's right to examine the Hindu scriptures, Vedas, a right reserved for Brahmins (priest caste).

Pandit Rameshwar Shastri, a learned Brahmin scholar and religious authority, is invited by Salomalo to examine his claims, which he backs by fabricating evidence.

Tukaram complies and sits on a fast on the river bank with his family for thirteen days, when God returns him his works.

[3][4][5] The film also depicts various miracles of Tukaram like God visiting him, an army being created from Vithoba's image, showering of grains from the sky, curing a sick boy, retrieving his works from the river which were intentionally thrown there, and in the end, going to the heaven in a celestial chariot.

[4][5][6] The cast included:[7] The film is based on the life of Tukaram, one of the most revered saints of Maharashtra and a devotee of the god Vithoba (the patron of the Varkaris), who propagated a vision of Hindus living together with no distinction of class, creed and gender.

His preaching, rendered in rhythmic poetry, thus had great mass appeal and was considered the beginning of an "emancipatory movement in the country.

[3] Before being cast by V. Shantaram of the producer company Prabhat as Tukaram, Pagnis was a specialist actor in donning female roles in plays by his theatre group Swadesh Hitinchal Mandali.

Pagnis also did a dedicatory visit to the samadhi (memorial shrine) of Tukaram in Dehu, before starting shooting for the film.

She is often impatient because of this, but she understands and respects her husband for his saintly goodness, and also defers to him and acts according to his wishes at the end of every issue that arises.

In a famous scene, when their son is ill and there is no money for treatment, and Tukaram expresses the view that prayer and faith will see them through the crisis, an infuriated Availabai drags her son to the temple by one hand and holds a chappal (sandal) in her other hand to threaten Tukaram's patron God Vithoba with a beating for bringing her family into dire straits.

Availabai routinely admonishes her husband, telling him that singing bhajans (devotional songs) alone will not sustain his family.

In one of the most touching scenes of the film, when Tukaram wanders in the forest to praise God, (the song shown is vrikshavalli amha), Availabai follows him with a basket of food so that he will eat in time.

In the final scenes of the film, Tukaram has a premonition that he will be transported in his mortal body to heaven by God.

Availabai receives this priceless communication with her usual caustic derision and goes about her duties, cooking poli (chapati) for dinner.

She started as a sweeper in Prabhat and worked as an extra in films, finally graduating to the main role segment.

Salomalo's verses are in refined language, incomprehensible to unread villagers, contrasting with Tukaram's simple poetry, which quickly becomes popular.

[4] Salomalo is also shown to lack dignity, moving in awry motion as in a tamasha, against Tukaram's calm, composed nature.

Shivaji, the king – a symbol of worldly power, being a disciple of the saint satisfies Availabai's practical mind.

This is followed by the saintly presence of Tukaram in a traditional pose, cross legged with folded hands and holding a musical instrument and with religious markings on his face.

This is an aradhana (prayer) shot where the saint, the God and the audience are brought to the same ethereal plane of worship.

It was reportedly discovered in 1974 by Sunny Joseph, a cinematographer, from Thiruvananthapuram, in a garbage can on Law College road in Pune.

[18] The Indian Motion Pictures Congress in its 1939 session praised the film as extolling the ethos of nationalism, Gandhian ideals and the devotional bhakti movement.

[19] Sant Tukaram broke box office records by being the first Indian film to run in a single theatre for more than a year.

[1] Benegal does not consider this "somewhat primitively made film" a "work of cinematic craftsmanship", however regards it "an extraordinary achievement", as it was "culturally true".

He extends this observation with a further saying that "Sant Tukaram does not give out concepts but...demonstrates their function in actual life...that a realistic story with songs and magic.