Changing face of Marathi cinema
If you believe in quality films then it might be a good idea to catch a few Marathi films that have released in the last five years and have infused fresh blood in a sagging industry.
Several Bollywood stars took time out on Saturday to celebrate the success of the superhit Marathi film Valu. A film that metaphorically compares a village's lifestyle to a bull's behaviour, Valu has been praised at the festival circuit and has been rated a superhit all over Maharashtra. It has also made an impact in Mumbai multiplexes.
Says Umesh Kulkarni, the movie's director, "For young filmmakers like me, success of a film like Valu encourages us to take up more such non-commercial concepts. It’s a great thing that the film has found acceptance."
First-time filmmaker Umesh hits the bull’s eye when he talks of the changing face of Marathi cinema. A trend that kickstarted with Shwaas in 2004, which was sent as India's Oscar entry, Marathi films have often churned out more quality than its glamorous Hindi counterpart.
And the difference is visible in Maharashtra at the exhibition and marketing level too. "This new crop thinks out of the box and therefore, their films have slightly changed, as has the viewing audience," Marathi actor Mohan Agashe reasons.
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But thinking out of the box and viewer acceptability alone are not the contributing factors. "The marketing of Marathi films has become more aggressive and the multiplexes have opened up to them because they mean good business," President, Marathi Film Federation, Ajay Sarpotdar, explains.
Improvement has been visible in terms of changing content too. In the last two years, from the experimental Dombivli Fast, to the sensitive Maati Maay, Marathi films have won awards the world over and made money too.
Established actors now openly express interest in them. "I think regional cinema is as Indian as Hindi cinema, and if their films churn up quality, we should all extend support," Nandita Das says.
Judging by the changing trend of the last five years, it might not be an exaggeration to say that these small progressive films might just bring back the golden era of the sixties when the likes of V Shantaram and Dadasaheb Phalke changed the face of not just Marathi cinema, but scripted a new chapter of Indian cinema.
Valu is great film from marathi film industry to the all.