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

Bharati Dubey (MID-DAY; September 24, 2014)

Last year, the choice of Gyan Correa’s The Good Road over Ritesh Batra’s more popular film, The Lunchbox, had created a furore. Looks like the history is repeating itself again. Yesterday, the Film Federation of India (FFI) announced Nawazuddin Siddiqui-starrer, Liar’s Dice as the official Indian entry to the Oscars in the Best Foreign Film category.

Aaindya Dasgupta, deputy secretary of FFI, said, “A 12- member jury watched around 30 films from multiple languages.” Sources say that close contenders included Hansal Mehta’s Shahid, Nagraj Manjule’s Fandry, Omung Kumar’s Mary Kom and Ritiesh Deshmukh’s Yellow.

The selection of Liar’s Dice as the official entry has not gone down too well with some filmmakers, who expected their film to make the cut.

Contender speak
Soon after the announcement, filmmaker Hansal Mehta launched an online tirade against the FFI and its selection process. “Apparently, Liar’s Dice was released last week in Kerala and Pune. About time this whole Oscar entry business is taken away from FFI, and a more transparent process is followed by a more qualified body. Disillusioned with the FFI but consoled that at least a good film has been chosen to represent India at the Oscars. All the best. The bitterness is not about the selection. It could have been any film. The selection is on the basis of a mere technicality. It makes you question the process and the individuals involved. Why is there a ‘secret jury’? Why are the jury names never revealed?” he tweeted.

When contacted, he said, “ I want to trust the process and the body initiating the process for selecting India’s official entry to the Oscars. Unfortunately, recent history makes me doubtful. Shahid had a good chance, so did Fandry. And if Liar’s Dice had a legitimate, wide release, then I congratulate their team and wish them success since it is a wonderful film made by some terrific people.”

Omung Kumar who directed Mary Kom, which has just crossed the Rs 50 crore mark, says, “I haven’t seen Liar’s Dice. But Mary Kom had that universal appeal. It is an inspiring, true story that would have worked very well in the west.”

Pradeep Sarkar, director of Mardaani, too had said earlier that his film should be chosen because it deals with a world subject.


Out of the 30 films in competition, there were around 8 Marathi films in the fray, including Fandry (see pic below) and Yellow (above). Some industry insiders say that that Fandry deserved this recognition. But Nagraj Manjule, the film’s director, didn’t appear to be very upset. He said, “I think the selection committee comprises learned people and I am sure they have chosen a film that will represent India well.”

However, Nilesh Navlakha, the producer of the film, was more outspoken. His Facebook post read, “ The question remains as to how the film, which was not commercially released, was selected as an Oscar entry. I heard that it was released in just 2-3 centres in Kerala and somewhere else. Was it staged? A more transparent selection process is required because this film will represent India and not any film body. Anyway, we have a history of sending films which have not been recognised at the national level. No complaints, but need to check the credibility of organisation sending films for Oscars.”


Money matters
Actor-producer Ritiesh Deshmukh’s Yellow too was in the race. The actor wished the makers of Liar’s Dice all the luck. He simply said, “I hope it does well.” He added that, "The state should take the responsibility of funding the selected film. With the government’s involvement, the film can be showcased well,” he said.
But an industry insider emphasised that the makers will need monetary support to generate publicity for the film. “Only films with studio backing can organise many screenings. Liars Dice is an indie film, so we hope it gets support from all quarters.”

On cloud nine
This year, Geetanjali Thapa bagged the National Award for Best Actress for her role in Liar’s Dice and yesterday’s announcement that her film has been chosen as India’s entry to the Oscars has only added to her happiness. “Geetu Mohandas ( the film’s director) informed me about it. The first call that I made was to my family in Gangtok, Sikkim. I was keen to tell my dad about it,” says the actress who plans to celebrate the news along with her sister.

In the film, Geetanjali, who consciously chooses to keep a low profile, plays a woman who, along with her daughter, goes in search of her missing husband.

Geetu Mohandas, director of Liar’s Dice, said, “I am excited and overwhelmed. It was a struggle to find finances for the film initially. I had approached many production houses in Mumbai but it didn’t work out. Jar Pictures stepped in and supported me in this vision. I want to thank the film’s cast and crew and as far as the selection process is concerned, all I can say is that other filmmakers, whose films were also in the fray, are undoubtedly distinguished names. I don’t want to comment on any controversy as there is a lot of energy and strength in silence.”

— Shaheen Parkar and Asira Tarannum

Riteish Deshmukh might be known for being a comic actor, but in his avatar as producer, he’s chosen to go off the beaten track with some unconventional choices
Shubha Shetty-Saha (MID-DAY; July 6, 2014)

After about a decade of acting in films, Riteish Deshmukh turned to producing movies. What is interesting is that like John Abraham, Deshmukh has made some brave choices while producing movies. His debut production, Balak Palak, a quirky take on sex education, earned critical acclaim while his second production, Yellow, was an unconventional, yet sensitive story, of a woman and her differently abled daughter. Yellow received three National Awards including Special Jury and Special Mention at the 61st National Film Awards. And now, Riteish is acting in an out-and-out action movie, Lai Bhaari, which marks his debut in Marathi films as an actor. Excerpts from a freewheeling chat with the actor- turned-producer.

Q. If one keeps your acting career in mind, then it’s difficult to imagine you as the person behind the movies you have produced.
A. The script of Balak Palak came to me while I was shooting for Housefull. I read the script, but got busy and forgot about it. Later, when I got back to them expressing interest, they told me that they were already halfway done with the shoot, with a different producer. I insisted on being a part of the movie and that’s when I met Uttung Thakur who was the producer. Uttung and my father (the late Vilasrao Deshmukh) shared a close relationship and he agreed to take me on board as the co-producer. Yellow, too, came my way through him. It was a great experience to produce these two movies, considering they were unique in content, and also worked for us budgetwise.

Q. Are you good with money?
A. Money and reputation are two different things. You could lose either money or reputation. The effort is in finding a balance between the two. If you are financially stable and people consider you to be a good producer, there’s nothing better than that.

Q. Is reputation more important of the two for you?
A. No. Balak Palak and Yellow might have been critic-friendly subjects, but my next film, Lai Bhaari, might not be. It is an out-and-out mainstream commercial film, so it’s a big risk. You just have to believe in what you are doing. Lai Bhaari is an action film and it is a genre that I haven’t seen in Marathi films in the past 10 years, at least.

Q. There’s a sudden interest in Marathi movies these days. Is it because the filmmakers are daring to make something different now?
A. When it comes to Hindi cinema, the entire dynamics change. In Marathi, you can make a film in Rs 4 crore, which works out with satellite rights among other things. I might make Yellow again in Rs 5 crore in Hindi, but for the movie to be noticed, I will need a special budget for publicity. I will be fighting for space with big producers who spend Rs 10-15 crore, only on publicity. So what does a smaller-budget film do? However, times are changing. I hope it gives more courage to younger producers to make smaller films.

Q. There is a dichotomy in the kind of films you act in and the kind of movies you produce.
A. That’s simply because of a lack of choices. It’s not that I am ashamed of the films I have done — right from Humshakals to Grand Masti to Housefull — I’m proud of all of them.

Q. What would your advice be to a budding producer?
A. Nothing is more important than content. Just having money is not enough. You need to have the attitude to understand the content and the kind of films you want to produce. Your sensibility will reflect in the result you get at the box office. You need to be convinced of the content first. Also, I think one should invest only that much amount, as that won’t hurt you. No point in making a film that will make you bleed.

Q. What would help smaller films in Bollywood?
A. If I had to make Yellow in Hindi, I will have to make it more commercial — include bigger names so that people come to watch them.

Q. Won’t that kill the film?
A. No, one can manage. Many small films in Hindi have failed because you don’t get enough theatres as bigger movies take up the major chunk of the theatres. If there is a rule saying no big films can release in more than 70 per cent of the screens, there might be a chance.

Q. You mean we need reservation for small films?
A. Yes, what we need is a reservation system for smaller films. At least a 10 per cent reservation if we want them to thrive. Bigger movies always bulldoze small films.

Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; June 7, 2014)

Riteish Deshmukh, 36, is chilled out and patient like his father. He can easily adjust to his surroundings and to people around him. He is a practising architect who wants to do many things in life, including making a museum for films. While he has recently won a National award for his Marathi film Yellow, he will soon make his debut as a Marathi actor. Over an hour-long conversation, ahead of his upcoming Sajid Khan comedy Humshakals, he talks to Bombay Times about life after his father, his soulmate Genelia and why he loves his mother the most in the world. Excerpts:

How did you come into films?
I was born in Latur, where my father, Vilasrao Deshmukh, was a local politician and lived there till the age of five, when my father became a minister and we moved to Mumbai. I changed two schools in Mumbai, before I was moved with my older brother to a hostel in Panchgani, as my father was not a minister and, thus, we did not have a house in Mumbai. My mother, at this time, moved back with my younger brother Dheeraj to Latur. In 1986, my father again became a minister and that's when we came back to Mumbai and our formal education started. After finishing school, I went to Kamla Raheja School of Architecture and completed my architecture degree. I was going to New York to work for a year, but met my father's friend Subhash Ghai before leaving. He was building Whistling Woods at that time. Subhashji was going to shoot Yaadein in London and invited me on his set to see the shoot on my way to New York. I said, `Wow, I will get to see Hrithik Roshan.' I went on the set and spent a few days there and then moved to New York. I was 23 then. There was a friend of mine, who had left architecture with me, but was assisting Subhashji and was visiting New York when I was there. I was looking at taking up some creative courses there and he suggested I do theatre workshops, as that would help me understand people better. After a year-and-a-half, the DOP of Yaadein who had seen me in London asked my director friend if I was interested in acting. I was a big fan of Shah Rukh Khan and have grown up on Hindi films. I used to watch five films a day, do my homework on movies and sometimes even watch the same movie 10 times. As a family, we would often go out for movies. I had never thought of becoming an actor, but through that DOP I got my first film Tujhe Meri Kasam, made by Ramoji Rao, as he was also the DOP on that film. My father, by this time, was the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and I had to go and take his permission. While it took me 10 days to sum up the courage to ask him, contrary to what I thought, he said, `Go, do it,' and I became an actor.

Talk about your father?
He started as a law student and became the sarpanch in his village. He was the only Chief Minister to have been a Minister to have been a sarpanch. Nehru's idea of the Panchayati Raj was how the leader of the village i.e. sarpanch should lead the state and he was an example of that. He was always jovial and never carried his stress home. I respected him immensely, seeing the respect people gave him. Whenever he came home, we would all go from our room to his room. He would eat only at home whatever time he came. I know he didn't have too much time, but whatever time he gave us, was ours.

As children, every year we would tour for 10 days and go to places like Taj Mahal or Tirupati in a train, with our dabbas opened up on newspaper, playing cards and singing antakshari. Nothing can be worse than losing your dad. I remember him everyday and there has never been a single day when I have gone out and not heard stories about things he has done for people. After losing him, I understand why one suddenly grows up when you lose your father. Thankfully, I had both my brothers to hold my hands and I was holding theirs, which made it easier as you don't feel alone. Suddenly, your mother becomes your priority. Today, she is the person I love the most in the world. She binds our family and is the focal point of our lives. We live in a joint family and each of us brothers, has a different equation with her. We brothers think alike when it comes to values and our feeling for our parents. We all take her for granted. She has always divided everything into three equal parts for all three of us. We studied, as my mother insisted in Latur that her children go to English medium schools. She would take our homework, cook food and look after us. She has always been there for us. Today, we have to be there for her.

You recently tweeted about missing your father on getting a National award for producing the Marathi film Yellow. What made you miss him?
My father was a great believer in the Constitution of India and the office of the President. And thus for him getting an honour from the President and that too, for the work you do, was a big deal. And that I had got it for a Marathi film. Mr Pranab Mukherjee was the last President he voted for in Parliament, before he passed away. I remember when I walked up on stage, the President looked at me and gave me a big smile. My father and he had worked together for so many years and I could feel his warmth with just his one handshake and his look of happiness for me.

Talk about your wife Genelia?
She acted with me in my first film. We first became best friends and then midway through the film, we started seeing each other. We were seeing each other for 10 years before we decided to get married in 2012.
Genelia and I are one person, we are not two people. Falling in love with your friend and that becoming your life is the best thing that can happen to a person. I love her energy and her smile. She will always put me ahead of herself on any given day, which is endearing. Coming from a profession where as an actor you only think of yourself, be it a frame, a scene or a film or how you are projected, it made her even more special. We are similar in terms of thinking, our likes and our value system. We both like simple things and are not materialistic. For example, we both would like to go and eat bhelpuri. She never let me buy a gift for her while we were dating, as she doesn't like receiving gifts. Whenever I did, there was a strict rule on how it could not exceed a certain basic price. She is very uncomfortable accepting gifts. She initially ignored me and hated me, as I was the CM's son, thinking that I would bearro gant. I always followed two things my father taught me. One, that the only thing constant in life is you being what you are, everything around you is temporary be it power, hits or flops. What lasts is what kind of person you are. And secondly, that you should have self-respect. I would want respect from anyone that I meet and for that, I will always give respect. Of course, unlike Genelia who knows how to prioritise her life completely between her work and family, my time management is pathetic and some thing, both she and my mom don't like about me.

Did you use your education as an architect?
I am still a practising architect. The first official project I did was designing Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies office in Khar. He called me to say, 'Are you an architect? Will you design my building?' I did. Recently , I have also designed Karan Johar's house.

Do you have friends in the industry?
Sajid Khan and Karan Johar are my friends. Sajid is someone who is the complete opposite of me. For instance, he can unabashedly have conversations with anyone on any thing. As a friend, he is all heart. His friendship has no logic. Whenever you need him, he will be there. You may or may not be in a bad mood, but if he thinks you are, he will call you and say, 'Okay , I will tell you a joke.' He will not think twice before calling me and saying, 'I didn't like what you said' and he will say it on my face. What is most endearing about Karan is his quality of being able to make you comfortable. He is also very sensitive and will listen to you.

While we completely understand your need for privacy, for the record, is Genelia pregnant?
Yes, she is and we are looking for ward to the baby and are very excited about it.

Gayatri Deshmukh (BOMBAY TIMES; May 15, 2014)

With Rs 15 cr riding on the Riteish Deshmukh starrer Lai Bhari, Marathi film budgets have skyrocketed in recent times. On an average, film budgets range anywhere between Rs 2.5 to 3 cr and big budget films go beyond the Rs 4 cr mark. The budgets have also bloated up as filmmakers are going that extra mile and investing all that it takes into a film's publicity.

BOX OFFICE 
Encouraging box office returns have instilled the confidence in filmmakers to invest well. Filmmaker Aditya Sarpotdar whose Narbachi Wadi (2013) did good business, pointed out, “Last year was excellent for the industry in terms of box office collections and this year looks promising too. While prior to 2013, barely three or four films enjoyed profits, last year alone saw around 14 films make profits and few others do good enough to recover their cost". One of the main reasons behind this is the reluctance of filmmakers to rely on satellite prices and instead work hard to draw crowds to the theatres. Filmmaker Renu Desai whose Magalashtak Once More made a profit, said, “Producers like me don't rely much on satellite prices and instead focus on theatrical collections as I have complete confidence in my product. If you make a good film and market it well the audiences will appreciate it. I am confident about my next, Ishq Wala Love, and will be paying equal attention to filmmaking as well as publicity".

Distributor Sameer Dixit said, “Compared to the last few years, Marathi films are doing really well at the box office. While the ratio of films earning a profit has increased considerably , there still is a lot of scope for improvement."

EXTENSIVE PUBLICITY AND ADVERTISING
The trend of spending wholeheartedly on publicity too has gone up in the Marathi film industry and filmmakers are spending a huge amount on it. Experts feel that had films like Time Please been promoted extensively, their results might have been better. Nikhil Sane, producer of Timepass and Fandry said, “Having realised the importance of marketing, we have been very particular about our marketing strategies since Natarang (2010). We design our film's marketing plan beforehand and never allot any specific budget as such and do everything required to reach out to the audiences. Cost of publicity for Timepass and Fandry was more than their cost of production. While every film of ours roughly touches Rs 3-4 cr, Katyar Kaljat Ghusli is our costliest film till date and we have a proper promotional campaign planned for it."

Sachin Nagargoje, director of Taptapadi revealed, “Made on a budget of  Rs 1.5 cr, we spent another  Rs 1.25 cr on the film's publicity and advertising as its important to reach out to the people."

COST OF PRODUCTION
Notwithstanding budget constraints, filmmakers are going all out to invest all that it takes in various aspects of filmmaking. Ameya Khopkar, producer of Lai Bhari said, “To make a good film you will need good actors and technicians. Everything from a good cinematographer to good cameras and equipment is going to be expensive which will naturally push the budget up.“ Filmmakers are no longer ready to settle for anything but the best.

Makers of Yellow shot the under-water sequences of the film in Bangkok as the technology required for it was not available in India. Similarly, Om Raut, producer-director of Lokmanya, shared, “My Ticha Baap Tyacha Baap's (2011) entire budget equals to just the visual effects budget of Lokmanya. We believe in our product and don't want to compromise on quality".

On a similar note, Suhrud Godbole, producer of the first Marathi superhero film Baji, said, “We are using a lot of special effects and shooting in four schedules, naturally the filmmaking cost is high. We haven't estimated any specific amount but are striving to make the best quality film". This uncompromising stand is also pushing filmmakers to explore foreign locations etc. Satish Motling, who shot Powder in Bangkok and is planning to shoot Miley Jab Chhora Chhori (MJCC) in Canada and Dubai said, “Marathi audience is looking for something new and foreign locations bring that freshness. Having shot in Bangkok, Powder has touched Rs 5 cr, including publicity and my next film MJCC might go up to Rs 7 cr.“

BRAND SSOCIATION
With so much money riding on the film, other than channels, big brands too are coming forward to help with the promotions. Mobile network, jewellery, travel and tourism brands among many others are keen on associating with Marathi films. Meenakshi Sagar, producer of upcoming film Mitwaa, said, “Marathi cinema is changing rapidly for the good. Big brands willing to associate is helping producers make quality products and market it well.“

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.”

Upala KBR (DNA; March 4, 2014)

The trailer of Riteish Deshmukh’s next Marathi venture Yellow has garnered appreciation from media and viewers alike, since it first came out. And now it has caught the notice of Salman Khan, who is so impressed with it that he wants to remake the film in Hindi under his banner Being Human Productions.

Says a source, “Riteish showed the trailer of Yellow to Khan and it touched a chord with him because of the sensitive nature of the film.” Yellow is about special children with different learning concept.

Adds the source, “Salman told Riteish that he would like to see the film once it is ready and expressed his desire to make it in Hindi for his banner.” The star loved the promo so much that he even tweeted about the movie.

The insider continues, “Salman, who is known for action films, wants to make films that launches newcomers and movies with social message for his home production. He congratulated Riteish for making a film like Yellow and added that such films should also be made in Hindi, so that a wider audience can see it. The actor is also keen to watch Riteish’s first Marathi venture Balak Palak, which released last year. The film tackled the sensitive issue of sex education among teenagers.”