Riteish Deshmukh admits that his wife has been looking at scripts and has her reasons to believe that no one can play the baddie better than him
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 22, 2019)

Riteish Deshmukh is gearing up for a homecoming this Diwali with the Sajid Nadiadwala production, Housefull 4. The actor, who has been a regular fixture in the franchise with Akshay Kumar, says, “Housefull will always appeal to me for the reunions. Also, the subject is unique each time, like the reincarnation comedy in Part 4. There is confusion galore, and there is a plot too, which is interesting.”

The 40-year-old actor reveals that Khiladi Kumar and he became friends on the sets of the 2007 comedy, Heyy Babyy. “When we’re sitting together, we understand the space we are in. Sometimes, when there are people around and we need to say something that should stay between us, we communicate by simply looking at each other. Akshay is a friend and brother who’ll always be there for me and vice versa,” he says.

He also notes that Housefull 4 marks his seventh collaboration with Nadiadwala after Heyy Babyy, past Housefull instalments, his Marathi production Lai Bhaari, which the producer had penned, and now, the Ahmed Khan-directed Baaghi 3. “More than a producer, Nadiadwala is a friend. Our conversations range from politics and business to clothes and shoes. When we were shooting for Heyy Babyy and Housefull 1 and 2, he was on the sets every day. All of us had a great time going for movies and meals together,” he reminisces.

Last month, the actor started shooting for Baaghi 3. “I’ve been a part of four franchises— Housefull, Masti, Kya Kool… and Dhamaal—and Baaghi is the first one that I am entering in the third instalment. This is also the first time I am playing a cop in a Hindi film,” he informs.

Then, there’s Milap Zaveri’s Marjaavaan, in which he plays the antagonist. “One day, Milap just said that he wanted to make this film. I’d grown my beard and hair for another film and we worked around the look, adding a tika, a gold watch and loose pants with oversized shirts. If you ask Genelia (Deshmukh, actress-wife), she will say no one can play a villain better than me, though she has her own reasons to say that,” laughs Riteish.

The actress was last seen in a song in their home production Mauli (right). Are there plans for a comeback? “I hope I get a chance to work with her again and that she returns on screen. She’s a unique actor and I love her work. She has been listening to scripts, but nothing has excited her so far,” he says.

On the production front, the actor shares that he and his team are working on a few subjects. “We will lock something in the next two-three months. I hope to find a subject I can produce in Hindi, but Marathi would be a constant,” Riteish asserts, pointing out that he is also gearing up to play Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in National Award-winning filmmaker Ravi Jadhav’s next. “It’s a huge responsibility. We should be taking it on the floors next year.”

Yogesh Pawar (DNA; April 20, 2018)

When National Award winning-filmmaker Ravi Jadhav recently released the first look of his forthcoming film Nude, it might not have broken the internet, but it definitely started a discussion about nudity. Risque or artistic? Obscene or beautiful? Sensual or sexy? Erotic or empowering?

Answers to these and many such questions came from nude art model Lakshmi, who has been posing for students of Mumbai’s iconic Sir JJ School of Art for over three decades. “Mere ko bahut garv hai ki nude artiste ko itni izzat mili (I’m happy that we have finally got respect),” she said.

DIGNITY IN NUDITY
Being felicitated at the launch of the first look at a packed event (barely a floor below where she works) where the entire cast, crew and production was present along with the iconic Art School’s student fraternity, seemed to tap into a well of emotions for this mother of two. “After putting in so many years in this work that’s largely misunderstood by the world, I’m happy it’s finally receiving recognition. It’s almost like I’ve waited for this moment all my life,” exclaimed Lakshmi who’s in her late 50s.

“When my husband died, my younger son was only three. I was desperately seeking work. My aunt Rajamma had told us she swept and swabbed at the JJ School near Victoria Terminus (VT has since been called Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus) station, so I asked her to help. She would say yes but kept fobbing me off. One day, I took a train to VT, asked directions from people and found the place. When I asked for her by her name, the watchman and students directed me to a room on the first floor. Since it was closed, I peeped in through a window louvre to find her posing nude. I was shocked. I had never seen anything like this before,” she recounts.

When she met Rajamma during the break, her aunt asked her if she wanted to work as a nude model. “I was desperate. I’d seen the worst kind of sexual predatory advances from prospective employers outside. This seemed safer instead and my Chittee (aunt) was there, so I agreed,” she says but remembers how the first day was far from easy. When she broke down, the professors and students allowed her to work at her own pace and she gradually became comfortable. “So much so that later, I started feeling I have the best job in the world,” she adds.

The fact that nudity has been forbidden in most cultures makes it that much more alluring, explains Ravi. “It feeds into our primeval desire to uncover and unclothe. Unlike communities in the world that some like to call ‘backward’, where it’s the norm, it’s the ‘developed’ world that often brings this uncovering and unclothing the exploitative edge,” he affirms.

A SENSITIVE APPROACH
This commercial art graduate from the same JJ campus should know. Known for sensitive handling of bold subjects, Ravi’s work has always brought him critical as well as mass acclaim. Nude, however, made headlines when it was dropped as the opening film from the Panorama section at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa last November. Filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh, who was the chairman of IFFI 2017 Indian Panorama section, resigned in protest followed by writer Apurva Asrani, who was on the jury.

While he insists the episode is in the past, Ravi is still baffled by it. “Nude models are a vital aspect of art study because we learn about anatomy from them. I was always curious about their lives,” he says and adds, “In a patriarchal world where a fully-clothed woman also has to suffer the prying male gaze, in an art school even if someone poses nude, it doesn’t attract that kind of attention,” he says.

According to him, if the predatory sexual gaze would turn into an artist’s, it would change the world for good. “I didn’t make the film for controversy. Look at my other work — Natrang (gender fluidity), Balak Palak (sex education), Bal Gandharva (gender fluidity) or Mitwaa (lesbianism) could have become controversies, but that’s not what I did. In fact, they went on to garner awards and praise without any controversy at all.”

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; November 17, 2017)

What is Nude about?
A woman from a less-privileged background earning her livelihood by modelling nude for an art school.

The fallout
Sujoy Ghosh, who was the chairman of the 48th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2017 Indian Panorama section, resigned on Tuesday in protest against the dropping of two films — S Durga (Malayalam) directed by Sanal Kumar Sasidharan and Nude (Marathi) by Ravi Jadhav. Writer Apurva Asrani, who was on the jury, followed suit. Reason: Both the films were rejected by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting despite being selected by the jury constituted as per the Indian Panorama regulations. Soon after that, Vivek Agnihotri, convenor of IFFI, said in an interview that Nude was dropped because it came with a rider from the chairperson that it was incomplete. Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said, “Even if it is selected by the jury, if it is not completed and unless it gets a certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification, unless the entire procedure is complete and it is ready, it cannot be screened.” The man behind the film speaks:

Known for taking up bold subjects and dealing with them sensitively, National Award winning director Ravi Jadhav in his decade-long career has never been in the eye of a controversy despite his risque topics. But for the first time his upcoming film Nude finds itself in a soup thanks to it being dropped from the International Film Festival Of India that is to be held in Goa from November 20. Strangely, it has nothing to do with the content! The reasons for it being dropped range from it being incomplete to the title to not having a censor certificate. We spoke to Ravi to understand how a film that was said to be in consideration as the opening for the Panorama section got dropped...

Is it true that your film did not have a censor certificate?
Let me tell you that Vivek Agnihotri and others are giving funny reasons. Firstly, you don’t need a censor certificate at all for IFFI. When you enter your film, it is clearly written that the film has to be complete before July 31 or it has to be censored. There is an either/or. However, since the last two years censor is not applicable for the entry. Normally, once they select a film, they communicate to the producer one month before that they can get it censored, as the film is selected. There was no such communication.

What about the other point that your film is incomplete?
Four of my earlier films were selected for IFFI. So, I know exactly how to send a film. I don’t know if any of Vivek Agnihotri’s films have been selected for IFFI or not. And if it has been he should show it to me first! Since I have done it earlier, according to me, I had sent my film at least 99 per cent complete. The one per cent that is remaining is basically about the end-scroll that is normally done after the media partners come on board. That has nothing to do with the film. We get a letter from IFFI — at least that’s what used to happen in the last four years — stating your film has been selected and to send the complete movie. If you don’t send, then it gets rejected. Sometimes if there’s some content they feel that is objectionable they tell us to get it censored and give a month’s time, which is more than enough. But that also did not happen this time. There was no letter, no communication at all. The jury saying the film was incomplete doesn’t make sense. I have already won five National Awards so I know exactly know how it has to be sent. Also, only if it’s a complete film, will the jury be able to experience it the way it should. The fact that they were considering it as the opening film means it was complete. Even now they can release it in IFFI.

Do you think there was a problem with the title?
I don’t think there can be an objection to the title because the teaser that I released two days ago on social media has been censored one month ago, and it already had the title on it. I think there has been a miscommunication and now they are giving any reason. But I don’t know what exactly has happened.

What prompted you to take up this subject?
I have studied in an art school. And there are nude models, who are an important aspect of our studies because from them, we learn about anatomy — it is called body painting. It is known as nude art across the world. I was always curious to know how they lead their lives.

What do they tell their families about what they do?
Also, in today’s world when a woman walks out fully- clothed, too, some men look at them in a bad way, but in the art school, even when a woman sits nude before them, they don’t look at her wrongly. If everybody’s gaze became like an artist’s, it would be so good. That was the idea. I did not make the film to create controversy, I don’t want it. I haven’t done that before either. I only feel they should see it for its merit and not for the controversy. My earlier films, whether it was Natrang, Balak Palak, or Bal Gandharva, they would have become controversial, but they didn’t. Even my last film Mitwaa, which was about lesbianism would have been controversial, instead, it won the National Award.

Will you go to court?
I am thinking about it and if necessary, I will go. The list was announced just 10 days ago. Festival is starting on the 20th and there is a Saturday-Sunday in between. I don’t think anything will come out of it. My wish is that somebody sees the film. IFFI has decided whatever it wants. Now, I only want people to watch the film on its merit and I plan to release it in the next two-three months.

Convener of the IFFI screening committee defends the Ministry’s decision to drop Nude and S Durga from the line-up and addresses the row over an aggrieved jury
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 16, 2017)

Why has the Information & Broadcasting Ministry overruled the jury’s decision and dropped two films—Ravi Jadhav’s Marathi film Nude and Sanal Kumar Sasidharan’s Malayalam film S Durga—from the final list of 26 feature films to be screened in the Panorama section of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) which unveils on November 20?
The jury was to send 22 from a list of 153 films of which the Ministry could select 20. A couple of films would have been dropped anyway. If not these two, then two others, and then their makers would have been upset too.

But wasn’t the jury’s decision final as underlined by Clause 8.5 of the Indian Panorama 2017 Regulations? Yet the Ministry reportedly made no attempt to even consult the jury on their choices before announcing the final list.
IFFI is not a film industry initiative. It is a Government of India initiative which wants to showcase Indian stories covering a range of socio-political themes on a global platform. This was an advisory jury and the Ministry was well within its right to decide on Pihu as the opening film. We haven’t had many children’s films being made and this one tells the story of a child sensitively. It is an apt choice.

What was wrong with Nude which reportedly was the jury’s unanimous choice as the opening film?
Nude came to us with a rider from the former chairperson, Sujoy Ghosh, that it was an incomplete film. I’m told the jury had a long deliberation on its inclusion in the list in the first place.

Director Ravi Jadhav admits he submitted a screener to the Directorate of Indian Film Festivals (DIFF) three months ago but since then he has had his DCP ready and was waiting for someone to get in touch for the completed film. He even applied for a censor certificate on Tuesday.
He could have written to the Ministry or the jury. What was he waiting for? No film festival will accept an incomplete entry. It’s a competition after all.

The Cannes film festival does. Besides, Nude was among the 153 films chosen by the DIFF and the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC).
Cannes is not a Government of France festival. On how Nude came to be chosen, I wouldn’t know but the Ministry went by Sujoy Ghosh’s rider that it was an incomplete film.

And what is the explanation for S Durga’s exclusion? It was screened at the MAMI Film Festival recently and was passed with a U/A certificate by the censors after its title was changed from Sexy Durga to S Durga…
I repeat, the Ministry had the option of dropping two films. S Durga is a good film and so it was included in the 153 films selected.

Why was Nude included in the list of 153 if it was an incomplete film?
I have no idea. But the decision to drop it is based on the chairperson’s rider.

What has been the reaction to Sujoy Ghosh’s resignation, followed by that of two other jury members, Apurva Asrani and Gyan Correa?
I wish they had informed the Ministry and the other jury members. After all it is a collaborative process.

Sources from the Information & Broadcasting Ministry say Nude is ‘technically incomplete’ and S Durga ‘hurts religious sentiments’
Dean Lobo and Mihir Bhanage (BOMBAY TIMES; November 16, 2017)

'Kapda jism pe pehenaya jaata hai, rooh pe nahi. Aur main apne kaam mein, rooh khojne ki koshish karta hoon. Samajh mein aaya?’ (Clothes are meant to cover the body, not the soul. And I, through my art, attempt to seek the soul. Do you understand?) These are the closing lines delivered by Naseeruddin Shah from the teaser of director Ravi Jadhav’s Marathi film, Nude. The teaser was put up on social media on Tuesday, after the movie was dropped from the list of films to be screened in the Indian Panaroma category at the upcoming 48th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa. Besides this, Sanal Kumar Sasidharan’s Malayalam film S Durga (originally Sexy Durga) has also been dropped by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, just days before the festival commences (November 20).

A look at Nude’s teaser will suggest that there’s nothing vulgar or objectionable about its content. “Sachin Kundalkar, the writer of Nude, and I worked on this film for two years, and we were clear from the start that we were not looking to initiate a controversy of any kind,” Ravi clarified in a television interview on Tuesday. The filmmaker is of the opinion that the Ministry of I&B might not have even watched the film and has come to a conclusion just on the basis of the film’s title.”

Why ‘nude’ and ‘sexy’ don’t qualify
This said, there seems to be a new turn of events in the matter. Sources inform that Nude was denied a screening because it was ‘technically incomplete’. “The uncensored version of Nude was submitted, wherein post-production work was observed to be incomplete,” adds a source from the Ministry of I&B. With regards to S Durga, sources from the Ministry suggest that it might’ve been dropped due to “concerns over law and order situations” arising owing to its title, which has the name of a Hindu Goddess in it.

With regards to his film, Ravi continues to be of the opinion that this is not the right way to go about functioning. “The usual practice is that the festival entry form is filled four to five months in advance. We hear from them a month prior to the festival and are asked if we can submit the film files for viewing. Only if there’s a positive response from the entrant, is it confirmed that the movie is in the festival.”

Ravi added that the film screener submitted usually contains 95 per cent of the film experience; the jury cannot judge a half-done movie. Nude was ready in September itself. “This time, none of this happened. In fact, we were waiting for when the decision would come. It seems like all this has been done in a hurry just 10 days prior to the festival, and this is unfortunate,” Ravi added.

In the case of S Durga, a lot of grievances were allegedly received by the Ministry of I&B with regards to the film’s title hurting religious sentiments, which is why it was refused a screening at MAMI (Mumbai Film Festival). Sources inform that the Ministry decided to follow the same ‘uniform benchmark’ for IFFI so as to avoid any untoward incidents. “The same was also conveyed to the festival director,” sources added.

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; November 15, 2017)

While it’s not clear whether this was on expected lines or not, filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh has stepped down as the head of the jury for the International Film Festival of India’s upcoming edition. He was spearheading a team of 13 jurors for the Indian Panorama section. His resignation comes amidst reports that two movies selected by the jury for the said section were removed from the final list by the I&B Ministry without their information.

On November 9, when the ministry unveiled its final list of feature and non-feature films, Sanal Sasidharan’s Malayalam film S Durga and Ravi Jadhav’s Marathi film Nude were missing. Since then, the ministry has not responded to the allegations. Both, S Durga and Nude, continue to make rounds of international film festivals, while Pihu, directed by Vinod Kapri has replaced the latter as the opening film for the festival.

Apart from Sujoy, the jury comprised writer-editor Apurva Asrani, director Rahul Rawail, actor-director Gopi Desai, filmmaker Nishikant Kamat, directorwriter Nikkhil Advani and director-writer Ruchi Narain. Despite attempts, Sujoy didn’t respond to us. However, Ruchi reacted, saying, “Action speaks louder than words. Sujoy’s resignation is an action. Even if he doesn’t explain it, his act says it all.” Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, who headlines the Preview Committee for the festival, says, “How can I comment on a personal choice made by someone?”

Filmmaker Ravi Jadhav, who helmed Nude, says, “I had no idea that my film had originally been selected to open the festival. I thought they’ll show it at some point. I got a jolt when I saw the final list and my film had been struck off. I always thought that the jury’s selection is the final one. Now, this makes me wonder who would select the films for the National Awards: the jury or the ministry, like it happened here. After Sujoy’s exit, even Sumitra Bhave is withdrawing her film Kaasav from the festival. These are such important gestures shown by the members of our fraternity. I don’t know how to thank them. To this day, there has been no dialogue with the ministry about what they found objectionable in my film. They haven’t given me a reason for deselecting it. I would have been okay if they told me why the decision was made. My work is not being respected at home while it continues to find its place at festivals abroad. Maybe, like the nude models in my film, I also shouldn’t tell anyone that I made a film called Nude.”
----------------------------------------------
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; November 15, 2017)

Two days after Sanal Kumar Sasidharan’s S Durga and Ravi Jadhav’s Nude were dropped from the line- up of the 48th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) by the Information and Broadcasting ministry, Sujoy Ghosh stepped down as the chief of the 13-member jury of the Indian Panorama section at the festival. Though Sasidharan is horrified at the state of events, he is grateful that Ghosh took up for his Malayalam film. “I’m glad Sujoy took a stand for us. This is what we expect from filmmakers. It’s brave of him considering most festival directors shirk away from taking responsibility.”

Reeling under the shock of his film being unceremoniously dropped, the director said, “I’m told it’s a government film festival but I don’t see my movie as anti-government.”

Justifying their move, Vivek Agnihotri, chairman of IFFI preview committee, said, “They wanted a children’s film to be at the centre of the festival. The jury’s job is to select the films, out of which the Ministry chooses 20 of them. From what I checked, one of the films wasn’t complete. The other film was not selected.”

When asked about Ghosh stepping down from his post, Agnihotri added, “That’s his call. But a lot of the jury members are in favour of our decision.”

48th International Film Festival of India: Smriti Irani's ministry refuses to grant permission to screen Ravi Jadhav's film Nude and Sanal Kumar Sasidharan's film S Durga; jury member Apurva Asrani reacts. Overriding the jury's decision, Information and Broadcast Ministry removes films from final list for Indian Panorama section at IFFI without consulting it
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 11, 2017)

Film lovers hoping to catch Ravi Jadhav's Nude and Sanal Kumar Sasidharan's Sexy Durga (retitled as S Durga) at the 48th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), in Goa, later this month, will have to content themselves with watching their replacements, which have been chosen by the Information & Broadcasting Ministry.

Nude, a Marathi film, and S Durga, a Malayalam movie, were among 26 feature films that were chosen by a 13-member jury for IFFI's Indian Panorama section. Nude, the story of a woman's struggle for survival in Mumbai as a nude model, was the jury's unanimous choice as the opening film of the Indian Panorama. But, the final list released yesterday by the I & B Ministry did not feature the two movies. A statement issued by the ministry said that the section will now kick off with Vinod Kapri's Hindi film Pihu.

The 'switch' was purportedly made at the ministry level without consulting the jury. According to a source close to the development, several jury members have expressed their displeasure at the ministry's decision and have conveyed the same to it via email. "They (the jury) had anticipated that, given the current scenario, Nude, despite being an aesthetically made film, might not pass muster. But they made it clear that if this happened, the reason for it being dropped had to be explained to them and they should be allowed to choose an alternative. But the ministry went ahead and released a new list without informing them," said the source. The source added that the move went against Clause 8.5 of the Indian Panorama 2017 Regulations, which states that "the decision of the juries shall be final and binding and no appeal or correspondence regarding their decision shall be entertained".

Ruchi Narain, a member of the IFFI jury, told Mirror, "The final list that has come out does not match the list we submitted. Personally, I felt Nude and S Durga were stunning quality films which festival audiences would really appreciate."

An aggrieved member of the jury, who did not want to be named, told Mirror that both the movies should not have been on the list of 153 films submitted to them by the National Film Development Corporation (NDFC) if they found them objectionable for any reason. "My guess is that the people who took this decision did not bother watching either of the two films, because had they done so, they would have realised that Nude has no intention to titillate, while S Durga is a thriller, and there's nothing sexy about it."

Sasidharan, who directed S Durga, told Mirror that he had heard that his film had made it to the final list, but was unsure of it being screened. "I even heard that the I&B secretary had liked it and recommended it. But I had an inkling that this might happen, given that it was twice denied censor exemption. It was only screened at MAMI (Mumbai Academy of Moving Images) Film Festival earlier after the Censor Board passed it with a U/A certificate, after I had changed the title to S Durga." Sasidharan said, adding that he was not making films for the government but for his audience. "I will find a way to reach them through private screenings and international film festivals."

He also wrote a Facebook post lashing out at Irani. "Next time onwards a single member jury is enough. The Smriti Irani Jury!"

"Actually I am not feeling any kind of grievance in the removal of Sexy Durga from the final jury list of Indian Panorama by the BJP government," he wrote in a Facebook post. "I cant expect anything less from them. I can even imagine that next time, they might amend the law and make the I&B minister as the jury head to avoid controversy. But what makes me sad is the silence of the intellectuals of my state. Those who made huge cry for the freedom of expression of Perumal Murugan are now keeping a strange silence against this blatant injustice. It is sad that you are sandwiched in between autocracy and hypocrisy in a land you choose to live and talk," the post further read.

Filmmaker Ravi Jadhav, director of Nude, shared a clipping of the Mirror story and captioned it as saying,"its very very sad and disappointing' (sic)"

While many members of the jury did not respond to this newspaper's calls and texts, Gopi Desai, another jury member, said, "Both the films, Nude and S Durga, were gems during the screening for the selection committee."

The jury was headed by Kahaani director Sujoy Ghosh and, besides Desai and Narain, consisted of Sachin Chatte, Suresh Heblikar, Rahul Rawail, Gyan Correa, Satarupa Sanyal, Nishikant Kamat, Merlvin Mukhim, Nikkhil Advani, Apurva Asrani, and Hari Viswanath. They watched 153 films over three weeks to narrow down on 21 (excluding the five mainstream films) movies, with five to six films unanimously loved by all, including the two disputed ones. IFFI opens on November 20.

Reacting to Mirror's story, another jury member Apurva Asrani, took to Facebook on Saturday to express his views. "#SexyDurga & #Nude are among the best of contemporary Indian cinema. Never attempting to titillate, they both present a powerful & empathetic portrait of women in today's India.
I feel that every Indian should grab the opportunity to watch these superior quality films and every festival should fearlessly program them.(sic)," he wrote in the Facebook post.

Riteish Deshmukh reveals that the film could be a Hindi-Marathi bilingual, his plans to produce another Marathi film, and his future in politics
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 7, 2017)

After collaborating with National Award-winning filmmaker Ravi Jadhav for his first Marathi production Balak-Palak in 2013, following up with the director’s Bollywood debut, Banjo, three years later, which featured him in the lead, Riteish Deshmukh will now play Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the director’s upcoming biopic on the warrior king.

“We have just finished our first draft and after a few revisions we will get into prep. The film will roll next year,” the 38-yearold actor-producer informs Mirror, adding that he is actively involved with the scripting and has been reading books like Vedh Mahamanawacha, Shree Raja Shivchatrapati and Shivcharitra among others. “At the moment it is a Marathi film but by the time we go on the floors, it may become a Hindi-Marathi bilingual. We will take a call on that later.”

The Shivaji biopic is Riteish’s fifth production after Balak-Palak, another National Award winner in 2014, Yellow, followed by the super hit Lai Bhaari which opened the same year and the recently released Marathi crime thriller, Faster Fene. “I’m glad that the first few films we have produced have been in different genres and were appreciated by the audience. When you work with low budgets, one has no option but to work on content and within the space offered, scale up your product,” he reasons, admitting that limitations of regional cinema pushes him as a filmmaker to new creative heights.

He goes on to inform that it was his father, the late Vilasrao Deshmukh, who once asked him why he was only doing Hindi films and not looking towards Marathi cinema. “At that point no offers were coming my way but after a decade in the industry, I wanted to make films but wasn’t sure what I wanted to produce. So, then, I decided to dive into Marathi cinema. The success of Balak-Palak encouraged me to push for something different,” Riteish reminisces.

He goes on to say that Marathi filmmakers are now reaching out to him to present their films but he is quick to add that his company has taken a conscious decision to only back scripts they are involved with since the beginning. “We also want to get into the digital space now,” he asserts.

He maintains that his actress wife Genelia D’Souza and he are a great team. He picks out the scripts and bounces them off her. “I had shared the idea of Faster Fene which was set in the ’70s with her and she came up with the brainwave of transplanting it in the present time so it caters to today’s audience. She was the one who set up the entire production, right from getting the team together to overseeing minute details. I came into the picture only when the film was ready and had to be promoted,” he smiles.

The miya-biwi jodi had earlier acted in films like Tujhe Meri Kasam (2003) which marked their Bollywood debut, Masti (2004) and Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya (2012). When will we see them together on screen again? “I would love to do a Marathi film with Genelia but we need a script first. Also, she has to decide if she’s ready to make a comeback to films,” he points out.

On the subject of producing Hindi films, Riteish says that while in Marathi cinema you can go ahead once you zero in on a good subject, in Bollywood one has to take into account other factors like commercial viability and casting. “That’s another kind of mathematics altogether which while I understand, I’m not sure I want to get into it right now. For the moment I’m planning another Marathi film,” he says, refusing to divulge details.

He recently met his Aladin director, Sujoy Ghosh, over coffee and they discussed a probable collaboration. “We have been friends for years and while chatting about films, I asked him to give me a script as I want to produce more films and he agreed,” says Riteish. Meanwhile, is he doing Sajid Nadiadwala’s Housefull 4? “The production house will announce the cast at the right time,” he retorts, keeping it short.

His late father was the former Chief Minister of Maharashtra and both his brothers, Amit and Dheeraj, are into politics. Does he plans to shift from being an abhineta to rajneta someday? “I have lived with politics all my life thanks to my father and brothers, but one can’t get into it just like that, one has to work one’s way up from the grassroot level but having said that I have to admit that none of my decisions were ever planned. I studied architecture but then got an offer and found my way into the film industry. I enjoy politics and am keenly watching what’s happening in the country. I don’t know what the future holds for me but never say never to anything in life,” he signs off.

Neha Maheshwri Bhagat (BOMBAY TIMES; September 19, 2016)

Purvaja Sawant (BOMBAY TIMES; September 18, 2016)

Marathi filmmaker Ravi Jadhav lambasts the way regional films get treated by censors, while Bollywood gets all the attention
Sonali Joshi Pitale (MID-DAY; September 9, 2016)

There has been much tussle between the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and Hindi filmmakers in the past, around content leaks, muting of dialogues and deleted scenes in films. Does the Marathi film industry face similar issues, or do they have an easy way out with the CBFC? Ask Ravi Jadhav to shed light on this, and the top Marathi filmmaker instantly opens up. Jadhav says, “We have to deal with various diktats. The only difference is that Marathi producers make films on a tight budget, so they do not have the money to fight against the censor board. In fact, during the release of Balak Palak (2013), the censors had objected to the title itself. I had a tough time convincing them to change their mind. Moreover, even if we face problems, we can only reach out to a limited section of the media. The issue doesn’t get highlighted and we don’t gain publicity either, quite unlike Hindi films.”

A fortnight ago, as reported in hitlist, the political party Maharashtra navnirman Sena had objected to MS Dhoni’s Bollywood biopic being dubbed in Marathi. On this, Jadhav says, “I don’t think it is a big issue. I don’t think Ramayan and Mahabharat were written in Marathi or Hindi originally either. Translating a book or film should not be a problem. “It does become a big problem if they (the makers of the Dhoni biopic) seek benefits given to Marathi films — like prime-time slot in theatres, and tax concessions. That would be unfair, as Hindi cinema already enjoys luxury of huge budgets. and Marathi audiences would go to watch the film in Hindi anyway, since Dhoni is a national hero.”

Jadhav incidentally makes his Bollywood debut with the forthcoming release, Banjo.

DNA (September 5, 2016)

Ravi Jadhav, who is a renowned Marathi filmmaker, opens his Bollywood innings with Banjo, a Riteish Deshmukh-Nargis Fakhri-starrer. With his foray into Hindi films, it needed to be asked which of his popular Marathi movies he would like remade into Hindi — like A R Murugadoss did with Ghajini and Prabhudheva did with Wanted, when they wooed B-Town.

Ravi says skeptically, “Balgandharva, which starred Subodh Bhave, will be difficult to remake since it is more about Maharashtrian culture, but I might do it at a later time. Then again, I think, ‘Why should I remake the same old movie?’ I have already experienced what it is like to work on that subject once. I’d rather attempt something new.”

But Balgandharva remains a subject unique enough for B-Town. And if Ravi won’t, some other director might take it up. Who’d he suggest to play the title role? Pat comes the reply, “Ranbir Kapoor.”