We had reported a few days ago that Marathi filmmakers, who had initially locked Fridays in April for their theatrical releases, had been thinking of postponing the releases of their films owing to strict Coronavirus regulations in the state. While some had deferred releases already (Zombivli, Free Hit Danka), the makers of Bali and Jhimma were ready to stick to their scheduled release dates. Then, the Maharashtra govt announced the night curfew and weekend lockdown, which included closure of cinemas halls and malls till the end of April.

Result? Three more Marathi films – Jhimma, Bali and Godavari – that were to hit screens this month have been postponed.

Jhimma director Hemant Dhome and Bali producer Kartik Nishandar had earlier told us that they were willing to go ahead despite the double-trouble of lesser shows and 50 per cent seating, because they didn’t want to delay their films any further. But, in a video shared a few days ago, the team of Jhimma said, “The film was ready, the teaser was out, and people were looking forward to watching it on the big screen. But the rising cases of COVID-19 and newer restrictions have led us to take a short break from meeting you at the cinemas. But, we’ll see you soon.”

Bali was touted to be the first Marathi film with a big star, Swwapnil Joshi, to hit screens after cinemas resumed functions a while ago. Speaking to us, Swapnil shared, “Honestly, now it’s all a game of wait and watch. We will release Bali in cinemas only, but when, well that’s a question we don’t have an answer to. Everything depends on the government guidelines. Till then, patience is the only virtue we need to abide by.”

Another much-awaited film that was eyeing an April 30 release was Godavari. The Nikhil Mahajan-film with Jitendra Joshi, Gauri Nalawade, Neena Kulkarni and Vikram Gokhale in pivotal roles, too, was deferred a few days ago with Nikhil and Jitendra sharing a heartfelt message about the same on social media. “The film is very close to all of us and we were looking to release it one day before Maharashtra Day (May 1). But, not anymore. Looking at the rising cases, restrictions and closure of cinemas, we are not even announcing a new date right now. Godavari has been postponed indefinitely and we’ll decide on a date when things are better,” Nikhil told us.

In the current scenario, it looks unlikely that filmmakers will announce new release dates anytime soon. Even if restrictions are eased in the coming months, there’s a backlog of films waiting to release. Filmmaker who’ve made their films only for the big screen aren’t contemplating OTT releases yet, but only time will tell if that decision will change.

While operating at 50% capacity and with all mandatory safety protocols in place, cinema halls have seen some new releases and decent BO collections. However, the rising number of Coronavirus cases in the state have led to the Pune civic authorities shutting, cinemas, malls, restaurants and hotels for a seven-day period. Certain restrictions have been in place for a while in other parts of the state as well.

This has led some April film releases to be postponed, due to lower footfall and lesser shows. The Amitabh Bachchan-Emraan Hashmi-starrer Chehre, which was to release on April 9, has been postponed, as has been Bunty Aur Babli 2, featuring Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukerji and Siddhant Chaturvedi, which was slated for an April 23 release. The Hindi version of Haathi Mere Saathi, featuring Rana Daggubati and Pulkit Samrat was deferred last month, but it’s Tamil and Telugu versions got a theatrical release. There are unconfirmed reports of Rohit Shetty’s Sooryavanshi not meeting its April 30 release, but there has been no official confirmation about the same till the time of going to press.

With filmmakers deciding to play the wait-and-watch game, some Marathi releases from this month have been deferred, too.

Touted to be the first zombie film in Marathi language, Zombivli features Amey Wagh, Vaidehi Parshurami and Lalit Prabhakar. Director Aditya Sarpotdar said, “In a situation where cinemas, including single screens, are not fully functional, I don’t think it’s advisable to release a film now. So, we are postponing the release of our movie indefinitely. When cinemas resume functions at full capacity and when people are mentally prepared to watch a film, we’ll think about the release. But we will have a theatrical release for sure.”

Free Hit Danka was supposed to release along with another Marathi film, Bali, and promotions were on in full swing for the same on social media. However, the makers have decided to postpone the release. Producer Sunil Magare told us, “We had all intentions of releasing the film as scheduled. But things are changing unexpectedly every few days. With the spike in cases, health should be everyone’s priority. Plus, looking at the response we got for the film’s teaser and songs, we feel that maximum people should be able to watch it, which is not possible right now. So, we are postponing the release and will announce a new date soon.”

The Swapnil Joshi-Pooja Sawant-starrer horror film Bali, directed by Vishal Furia, is the first big Marathi film to release after cinemas reopened. And the team is ensuring they stick to their schedule. Producer Kartik Nishandar said, “We had gotten an offer from an OTT platform for Bali during Diwali last year. But ours is a big screen release and we wanted to keep it that way. People need entertainment in their lives and filmmakers need to bring the business back on track. Of course, if occupancy was at 100% or if all cinemas were open, the response would’ve been even better. But even in the current capacity, we are not pulling out the film from theatres.”

Hemant Dhome’s upcoming directorial, Jhimma, shares its release with the Kangana Ranaut starrer Thalaivi. And like the latter, he is in no mood to shift the release any further. “Every other business is operating, so I don’t see why the entertainment industry shouldn’t, of course by taking all necessary precautions,” said Hemant. When asked if the early closing mandate will affect the number of shows, he replied, “Who knows, we might even get more shows because there will be only two films releasing that day. We all need to learn to live with COVID-19. What if for the next two years, the virus isn’t eradicated? Will we stop functioning for that long? We need to take all necessary precautions and keep going, because it’s a matter of livelihood for everyone. If the government announces a complete lockdown, then there will be no option for us but to defer the release. Until then, we are meeting you in cinemas on schedule.”

- Haathi Mere Saathi

- Chehre

- Free Hit Danka

- Zombivli

- Bunty Aur Babli 2

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; January 10, 2017)

The state government’s decision to build a 210-metre tall memorial statue of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji on a 16-hectare islet in the Arabian Sea has been questioned, and amid the furore, an upcoming Marathi film is now set to highlight the raging issue.

Titled Baghtos Kay Mujra Kar, the movie focusses on a village where a once majestic fort is in a shambles, but instead of restoring it, a grand plan to build a memorial worth Rs 1600 crore is hatched.

The film’s director, Hemant Dhome, says, “The statue project was conceived 12 years ago and the cost was pegged at Rs 100 crore. There are 375 forts, most of them in ruins. When we started the film, the project’s worth was at Rs 900 crore and now, it is Rs 3600 crore. If we are proposing a Statue of Liberty-like monument, then there are bigger things to fix here. The first thing any foreign tourist spots from their plane is the slums of Dharavi,” he says sarcastically.

The director points out there is no pride in building Shivaji’s memorial and neglecting places he had erected.
“No one is asking them not to create a memorial. They must, by all means. But what about investing in restoration of the 375 forts in and around Mumbai?” The film, which releases next month, is backed by Eros and producers of acclaimed films, Mee Shivajiraje Bhosale Boltoy, Shikshanachya Aaicha Gho, Moraya and Tukaram.

Producer Sanjay Chabria says, “We have historic places, which are potential tourist spots, but there is hardly any political motivation to transform them. Make the monuments, but protect the history behind them too.”