You’d think that Urmila Matondkar is neck-deep in prep for her debut web series, 'Tiwari;. But the actor is game for more. She will front the Marathi film, 'Ti Me Navhech', which will see her opposite Shreyas Talpade. To be helmed by theatre actor-director-writer Paritosh Painter, the movie will mark the actor-politician’s return to Marathi cinema eight years after 'Ajoba' (2014).

The premise of Ti Me Navhech had been on Painter’s mind for a few years. “The film is based on a Hindi play, titled Ek Main Aur Ek Tu, which Paritosh was to direct, but it didn’t materialize. When an opportunity to work with Urmila and Shreyas came his way, Paritosh went back to the idea. He thought it was best to make it as a movie. Both actors loved the concept,” says a source.

Beginning as a story about complex relationships, the film graduates to a thriller as there is more to the characters than meets the eye. The project will roll in February 2023 in London.

For producer Rajesh Kumar Mohanty, Ti Me Navhech is among the seven films that he has envisioned for 2023. The producer believes that big-ticket ventures will give a boost to Marathi cinema that has been hit hard by the pandemic. It is with this intention that he is backing Mahesh Manjrekar-helmed Niravadhi, Prasad Khandekar’s Ekda Yeun Tar Bagha, and April Fool, among others. He says that signing on top Marathi actors will widen the audience.

“Urmila’s presence enhances the movie’s appeal. Regional films are doing well. Next year, we want to release seven movies with a gap of one-and-a-half months in between. This is a way of reviving not only Marathi cinema, but also theatres. We are enhancing the production values by shooting them in London and Dubai.”