Big Crowds Key As Satellite Rights Revenue Dries Up
Sandhya Soman (THE TIMES OF INDIA; April 12, 2015)

One of the indications that you have arrived as a bona fide Twitter celebrity is when you get your hands on a 'verified' account. It means that Twitter has weeded out the imposters and announced it to the world that you are the one who is really in the news. A few years ago, when actor Swapnil Joshi got the blue tick mark of authenticity, he felt that it wasn't because of his decade-long career in TV and Bollywood but due to a few small-time Marathi movies that he had starred in. Movies, that were specifically made to draw youngsters and had made news for being box office hits.

Looks like the Hindi film industry needs to learn a few lessons from Marathi movies' business model — superior content, low budgets and zero reliance on stars. After all, the regional industry has registered 200 per cent profits last year
Sonali Joshi Pitale (MID-DAY; April 5, 2015)

The Marathi film industry seems to have everything going for itself. The number of releases has shot up over the last three years and so have the profits — all this without "superstars" or big budgets.

At the recently concluded annual session of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), a panel of producer and studio representatives stated that the regional industry had registered nearly 200 per cent profits in the previous year. The much bigger Hindi filmdom, which rides on claims of crores of rupees, the gain was a meagre 0.6 per cent.

Trade expert Komal Nahta says the Marathi filmdom is pegged to be a Rs 150 crore industry. "So, if we consider that they have made 200 per cent profits, that makes it approximately Rs 300 crore. However, I don't agree with such numbers as some films click with the audience and do well at the box office while others don't."

Last year, Ravi Jadhav (top, on left)'s 'Timepass' (pictured on top) raked in a record-breaking Rs 5 crore in its opening weekend. The film was made on a budget of Rs 1.75 crore and went on to earn Rs 30 crore, says the filmmaker, adding: "Planning is something that helps producers. We generally have a schedule of 30-35 days to complete a film. Marathi actors come from theatre, so they are disciplined and allot proper dates. Therefore, the budget of the film hardly goes beyond Rs 2 crore. The film narratives are simple and the shoot happens at real locations, which is why we don't have to spend too much money on the sets."



At the FICCI session, the unanimous view on Bollywood's dismal performance was that most filmmakers depend heavily on the "star system" — the three Khans, Shah Rukh, Salman and Aamir — as it is a safe bet. Producers also have to bear the compensation of an actor's staff and spend heavily on the movie promotions, which have become an ego battle. Eventually, a project tends to go over budget.

"I don't know the methods of calculating profit. But I think an important factor working in favour of Marathi movies is how you control the budget and spend on publicity," says Bollywood actor Riteish Deshmukh, who turned producer for Marathi films with the superhit comedy drama 'Balak Palak' (pic, above) (2013). "In Hindi cinema, there is more competition and producers have to spend a lot of money on marketing, so recovering it all becomes difficult. Someone needs to break this strategy," he adds.



Sandeep Kulkarni, who featured in Nishikant Kamat's critically acclaimed film 'Dombivali Fast' (2005), feels the audience has been able to connect with recent Marathi films due to good content and music. "Films like 'Lai Bhaari' had a novelty factor which drew crowds to the theatres. It was also marketed well. In case of Hindi films last year, only 'Queen' could make profits as it was made on a small budget film and had a good story," says the actor, who will produce the sequel to 'Dombivali Fast'.

Director-producer Paresh Mokashi echoes his views, saying that Marathi culture has always supported good art, and the present-day filmmakers are in sync with the cultural milieu and aspirations of the audience. "Marathi films have never been a star-studded affair; people have always liked the way a story has been presented. So, films belonging to different genres like 'Lai Bhaari', 'Duniyadari', 'Elizabeth Ekadashi' and 'Fandry' have worked well," says the National Award winning filmmaker.

In the last few years, the regional film industry has handed out an assorted platter of coming-of-age films, social dramas, biopics as well as out-and-out masala movies for the masses, which have been a delight for the audience. And the winners, undoubtedly, have been the films with superior content.



Samruddhi Porey, who recently made a biopic on social activist Dr Prakash Amte featuring Nana Patekar and Sonali Kulkarni, says, "We have to face a lot of competition from Hindi and English films, but we are doing well because of quality and not quantity. Even though my film had a social message, it worked well commercially due to promotions. The producers these days are aware about where and how to promote their films and how much money they must spend. We did not go overboard with the promotions but the word-of-mouth buzz helped. The fact that we get subsidy from the government helps. The release date strategy and the absence of a star system also add to the profits."

Sources said the government subsidy for regional filmmakers is Rs 30-40 lakh.

BO toppers

Rs 40 crore
Total collection of 'Lai Bhaari' (pictured below); budget: Rs 8 crore

Rs 30 crore
Total collection of 'Timepass'; budget: Rs 1.75 crore

Rs 12 crore
Total collection of 'Dr Prakash Amte'; budget: Rs 2.5 crore

Rs 7 crore
Total collection of 'Elizabeth Ekadashi'; budget: Rs 1.5 crore

Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; March 29, 2015)

Urmimala Banerjee (MID-DAY; March 9, 2014)

It seems like a classic case of the tortoise and hare race. Even when Bollywood films are riding over claims of hundreds of crores, the Marathi film industry is quietly making quality films which are raking in substancial profits, thanks to relatively low cost of production. Marathi filmmaker Ravi Jadhav’s Timepass (above) raked in Rs 5 crore in its opening weekend.

Over a span of three weeks, it earned Rs 31 crore, breaking the Rs 25 crore record held by Duniyadari.

Close on the heels of Timepass came Fandry, a strikingly different film that grossed around Rs 2.25 crore in its first week. After wooing the regional audience, it’s the first Marathi film to be released across different Indian cities.

For the past two years, Marathi films have managed to catapault themselves to an enviable position, mainly due to their novel stories and engaging narratives. From social dramas to biopics and mass entertainers, creative ideas are blossoming. Young talented actors, directors and storytellers are finding the industry a great platform to showcase their talents. How is this transformation happening?

Cinematic renaissance
In the ’90s, the Marathi film industry was caught in a rut with every second film belonging to the slapstick comedy genre. It was Sandeep Sawant’s Shwaas that gave a new lease of life to the stagnating industry.

Filmmaker Mangesh Hadawale, who directed the critically acclaimed Tingya, explains, “ I found it tough to find a producer for my film till 2007. Umesh Kulkarni who made Deool is also greatly responsible for encouraging the new breed of directors. Marathi cinema had seen its heydays when filmmakers such as Amol Palekar and Dr Jabbar Patel made classics; this is the second innings.” Besides Shwaas, films like Deool and Shala also played a role in bringing about a transition. The period of 2009-2011 was a good one with films like Deool, Harishchandrachi Factory, Shala and Mi Shivajirao Bhosale Boltoy doing well at the ticket windows.

Director Sujay Dahake who is gearing up for the release of his film, Ajoba, made his directorial debut with Shala. He explains, “The film made on a budget of Rs 3 crore grossed around Rs 9 crore at the box office. It created a lot of buzz, as it starred rank newcomers and had foreign technicians. Plus, we got critical acclaim with the National Award.”

Culture comes to aid
Marathi literature has always been rich with its quota of amazing novels, short stories and poetry. The new generation of directors seems to be in sync with the cultural milieu and aspirations of the audience.
Jadhav says, “Our audience believes in a good story. This reflects in the casting as actors don’t choose films, it’s the films that choose them. Fandry is a prime example. It talks about the caste system through a love story. Marathi audience has a certain standard that comes with reading and watching theatre. When we made Balak Palak, we had to ensure that a family can watch it together without cringing. Even a commercial film like Timepass had a message that love is not a onquest or a matter of frivolity. The themes are universal, but our treatment is local.”

Dahake argues that the lack of content in Bollywood is helping Marathi films. He opines, “There is a huge revival in the art of story- telling. Modern directors want to explore new themes. Our audience has got a stimulation it missed sorely in the ’80s and ’90s.” Hadawale adds, “Our women love reading rather than attending kitty parties. We have to recognise their sensibilities.” It is this regard for content that has wowed the corporates as well.

Nitin Sane, head of the Marathi film division, Essel Vision says, “The content in Marathi film is better than Hindi ones. Also, our films are extremely rooted in our culture. Look at Kaksparsh, Natrang and now Fandry, all of them resonate with our people. As a corporate house, we believe in good subjects. While many producers would have avoided financing a project like Fandry after a superhit like Timepass, we thought otherwise. Our next film is a biopic on Yashwantrao Chavan, the first CM of Maharashtra.”

Zero star system
The absence of a star system in the industry is also being hailed as one of the reasons behind this renaissance.
Since there are no stars to take away a major chunk of the investment, films are made in much smaller budget. Since the budget is not much, many more risks are taken in terms of stories and scripts. Nagraj Popatrao Manjule, the director of Fandry says, “I did not have a target audience in mind before making the film. The idea was to tell a good story. When you have such a mindset, you don’t bother about stars or profitability. The focus is solely on correct casting.”

Unlike Bollywood, the Marathi film industry is devoid of camps, which makes it easier to take risks. “Present-day directors know their craft and are brave enough to experiment with what they think is right for their films. They have watched European and Iranian cinema and believe in good story- telling with everyday characters. The people who worked in the Laxmikant Berde-Ashok Saraf brand of cinema weren’t educated in the craft per se,” adds Hadawale.

However, Ravi Jadhav has a different take on this. “I think the commercial aspect is equally important as the creative one. I could make a film like Timepass without stars as it suited the subject. However, it was a good idea to cast Swapnil Joshi, Ankush Chaudhary and Sai Tamhankar in Duniyadari (below) as it was a mass youth-centric film. Tomorrow, if I make a big budget thriller, I will opt for a proper beefed-up hero. It’s too early to talk about a star system out here.”



Bollywood wakes up
A number of B-Town actors raved about Fandry after seeing the film. Riteish Deshmukh made profits as a producer after the success of Balak Palak. His next production venture is Yellow, the story of a swimming champion with Down’s Syndrome.

Akshay Kumar and Nikhil Advani too are producing Marathi films. Jadhav states, “I don’t think Bollywood stars think about profits when they invest in Marathi films. When they come here they want to promote stories they actually believe in. It’s nice to see people such as Akshay Kumar, Riteish and Nikhil investing in the industry. Their positive feedback is very crucial for us in reaching out to more people.” It is not just about production ventures, romantic films that are slowly disappearing from B-Town are finding their way in Marathi films

Dahake says, “Even two years earlier, the Marathi audience would prefer a Bollywood film over a Marathi one. I feel that the romantic films of the ’90s in Bollywood are making a comeback in Marathi with varied treatments. The young audience relates to the depiction of love in Hindi films. Perhaps, that’s why films on love and marriage are finding takers.”

Money matters
The minimum investment in a Marathi film is Rs 1 crore for a topnotch production. The minimum amount is Rs 60- 65 lakh. “The smaller films too have an audience in the rural areas. An amount invested in films is around Rs 2.5 crore which is just the production cost. The marketing costs an additional crore. Even if a film makes Rs 6-8 crore, it has recovered money,” states Dahake. When a Rs 2-3 crore film crosses Rs 30 crore, it’s great news for the industry. “A film like Fandry even if it does not do great business, is good as it brings appreciation for Marathi cinema. Out of 120 films it’s only 10 that do really well,” says Jadhav.

Nitin Datar, exhibitor and distributor says, “Out of the 80 films released last year, 95 per cent made losses. Only five per cent were successful. The minimum investment is Rs 40 lakh. There are some who make films just to get government subsidy. Many first-time producers have incurred greater costs due to inexperience.”

Marketing magic
According to Datar, the publicity costs have gone higher. Many spend more on artistes and less on the quality of films. “With promotions across TV channels and newspapers across 35 districts of Maharashtra, costs have shot up,” says Datar. Sane stresses, “We have tried our best to promote films like Fandry. As a channel, we like to encourage new and upcoming talent. In terms of marketing, we have a long way to go.”

Government support
Jadhav says, “I can’t speak much about subsidy. But it’s good that they are starting studios in Malvan and Kolhapur. State awards are very important for us. They also give Rs 1 lakh cash reward. The entertainment tax exemption is also important in bringing in more people to the theatres.”

Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 6, 2014)

After garnering rave reviews for his Marathi films including the National Award-winning Natarang, the commercial hit Balak Palak and more recently, Timepass, director Ravi Jadhav is all set to make his first Hindi film.

Mirror has learnt that Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Motion Pictures is bankrolling Jadhav’s Bollywood debut, which will be an adaptation of Laila Majnu's love story. The film will be extensively shot in Kashmir where Jadhav is currently finalising the locations.

A source close to the development revealed, “Although there have been speculations about Jadhav directing a sequel to Timepass, it’s actually an epic love story on the lines of Laila-Majnu that he is planning next.”

The source further added that Imtiaz Ali will be the film's creative producer. “He has loved the script and will oversee the production. However, they are yet to lock the cast." Jadhav, couldn’t be reached for a comment, while Tanuj Garg, CEO of Balaji Motion Pictures, declined to comment on the story.

Sonali Joshi Pitale (MID-DAY; January 6, 2014)

It is time we took regional films seriously too.

Timepass, a Marathi film directed by Ravi Jadhav, which released on Friday, has managed to earn approximately Rs 5crore in its first weekend — a feat unheard of in Marathi cinema — and has also been getting positive feedback from critics.

Nikhil Sane, producer of the film, admits that he never expected such a huge response. Sane says, “It was for the first time that we got nearly 250 screens for a film that means we had 6,000 shows in a week and all of them have been running houseful. The previous record was held by Duniyadari (2013). However it made Rs 5 crore over the entire week. We expect similar figures in two days once the official statistics come out.
Going by Ravi’s record, we knew that we will get good opening but no so big.”

Jadhav, who has won National Awards for his films like Natarang and Balgandharva , says that it was his conscious decision to make a light-hearted love story with not-so-known faces from Marathi industry.

The director says, “It is a youth- centric film and the response is unbelievable. In fact, some of the theatre owners called me and told me that they have pulled out shows of some Hindi films and had to allot extra screens for my film which is a welcome change.”