Small budget Big Bonanza: Marathi Cinema shines amidst fierce competition

Marathi cinema

is known for its strong storytelling, innovative themes, and realistic portrayals of everyday life, it has consistently delivered quality content that resonates with the audience.

This industry has produced a range of successful films, from touching dramas to socially relevant stories, often achieving commercial

success

without relying on big budgets or star power.

This stability and focus on substance over spectacle have made Marathi cinema a shining example of how creativity and passion can lead to success, regardless of financial constraints.
Marathi films have seen remarkable success in recent years. 'Sairat' (2016), made with a budget of Rs 4 crore, became a massive hit, earning over Rs 110 crore globally. Kedar Shinde's multi-starrer 'Baipan Bhari Deva' (2023), produced for Rs 5 crore, grossed over Rs 92 crore worldwide, making it the second-highest-grossing Marathi film of all time. Mahesh Manjrekar's directorial 'Natsamrat' (2016), with a budget of Rs 7 crore, also performed well, earning Rs 48 crore globally.

Sairat Made in Rs 4 crore, this film earned Rs 110 crore
One of the best examples of a low-budget Marathi film that performed exceptionally well at the

box office

is Nagraj Manjule's 'Sairat' (2016). Made on a modest budget, Sairat became a massive success, earning over Rs 100 crore globally.
The film, directed by Nagraj Manjule, resonated with audiences for its raw and powerful portrayal of young love and the social issues surrounding caste. Sairat not only broke box office records for Marathi cinema but also gained national and international acclaim, proving that

compelling storytelling

can triumph even with limited resources.
It is the visualization that matters

Anant Mahadevan has gained acclaim for his award-winning films, which often explore complex social issues with depth and sensitivity. In an exclusive chat with ETimes, the filmmaker shared, "Firstly, I don't want to call it regional cinema, ultimately it is Indian cinema, but because Hindi cinema is so dominant, we have coined the word regional cinema, but films in Marathi, I don't call it Marathi cinema, Indian films in the Marathi language, they should not be clones of Hindi films. Secondly, the subjects rooted in, like I made this film called 'Bitter Sweet', which is based on the hysterectomy in the Beed district in the show amongst women sugarcane workers. I made 'Doctor Rakhmabai', India's first practising lady doctor. I made that, I shot in India, I shot in England and the whole budget was only Rs 3.5 crores. And it is, it looks, it looks like a 10 crore budget."
"Ultimately it is the visualization that matters. It is not the figure and the budget. It is visualization. How can you stretch the budget if you're given a budget? See, all my films, 'Mee Sindhutai Sapkal' was made at Rs 1 crore. We shot in San Francisco, the first Indian film to shoot on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. I shot 'Doctor Rakhmabai' in London, England. I shot 'Bitter Sweet' totally outdoors in Beed and Ahmednagar and all those places. I mean, when you go outdoors, you have hotel expenses, you have staying expenses, you have to pay the camera and the unit one and a half times the price that you pay in Bombay." The filmmaker added.
"I have shot 'Aata Vel Zaali' in Bombay and it is very expensive to shoot, and 'Aata Vel Zaali' cost only Rs 1.50 crore. 'Bitter Sweet' cost only Rs 1.40 crore. So these are the budgets of these films. And the thing is that I edit my films on paper. The thing is that the planning, the systematic planning and also the kind of subjects that you choose. When it comes to the kind of subjects that I choose, all the Marathi artists, the top Marathi artists, are very keen to work with me because they want to do something different. They want to do something which is award-winning, which is internationally acclaimed, you know. Like Usha Jadhav did 'Mai Ghat' and she won the Best Actress Award in IFFI in the international section. She won the Best Actress Award in New York in the New York festival. So, the kind of recognition and the kind of acclaim and an overall international standing that they get. So all the Marathi actors are very much in favour of doing films that will push their limits and challenge their abilities, you know, not doing the normal thing. So I have a couple of pointers which I do. One is visualization. Second is that the budget is not important. You have to stretch the budget. Third is the subject that you choose. The subject that you choose should be not just good but beyond good, challenging, outstanding, and international. And fourth, the execution should be very scientific and very systematic. So when I say 20 days, I shoot in 20 days. I don't take 21 days, you know. And it never looks like when I tell people that I shot this film in 20 days, no one believes me. They say, no, this can't be. This looks like a 30-35 day shoot. That is how you stretch everything to a point where everything is, the output is much bigger than the budget. So it is a very rare thing that all five films of a filmmaker have all been nominated and awarded by the Maharashtra state. So it's something that also gives me a lot of faith and a lot of inspiration to go and make my next film much better than the previous one." Mahadevan concluded.
'It's not about the money, it's about the VISION'

Vaibhav Tatwawadi is a talented Indian actor known for his work in both Marathi and Hindi cinema. When asked what, according to him, were the key factors that compelling storytelling can triumph even with limited resources. The actor added, "My 'A Wedding Story' director Abhinav Pareek once said, "It's not about the money, it's about the vision. So even if the investment is Rs 5, You can make sure that films look like a Rs 500 film. I think this is very important and every filmmaker should follow it."
'We need gutsy producers who can take a risk'

National Award winning director Ravi jadhav's films have consistently won critical acclaim for their artistic achievements and thematic depth; not only in India but at various film festivals across the globe. In an exclusive chat with ETimes, Ravi Jadhav said, "It's small compared to Indian cinema. The market is small. The budget was, let's say, 2 to 3 crore, but gradually the budget grew. Right now, the budget for Marathi cinema is around 5-7 crore. It's smaller compared to other cinemas when we see it in terms of very good content, very good writing, very good performances, and very good casting in different directions, which makes a good difference, basically.
In all the languages, that ratio is the same. But yes, in the Marathi cinema, right now, it's created in a little less budget. But I think we don't have to be proud of it anymore."
"I think that we have to now increase the budget and make up a bigger scale and bigger cinema. So we need gutsy producers who invest money in making the film. In Marathi cinema, there are lots of Marathi directors who are doing extremely well in the industry and with a big budget, they give success to them. So it's possible. I think right now, the position has to open a little bit, and they have to take the risk and do the big-budget films in Marathi cinema." Jadhav added.
'With 350 to 400 screens, it takes a miracle like 'Sairat' to make a business of 100 crores'

The Movie Trade Analyst, Girish Wankhede said, "The number of screens compared to the other cinemas, they get really less for that. This industry has been always struggling to get the cinema count. It is the prime time showcasing from the multiplexes which has been gathered or generated after a lot of study. So, now every Marathi film has a showcasing. But in Maharashtra, the biggest Marathi release is of around 350 to 400 screens. So, a film which is released in 350 screens will not make a business more than 7 to 8 crores. So, it takes a miracle like Sairat to happen in 20 years to do a business of 100 crores."
"Unless it is a very, very outstanding film, they don't go to the theatres. They love their plays more than films. That is not the truest problem. But it has always been a problem for the Marathi audience. There is always a limitation. But still, Marathi cinema is thriving. And that is a good thing. It is thriving only because of its literary grace."
Bollywood's Star power in Marathi cinema
The Marathi cinema has grown by leaps and bounds over the years. Not only has it churned out spectacular content but has also allowed some

Bollywood stars

to show off their acting prowess beyond Bollywood.
Bollywood biggies have already been associated with the Marathi film industry. Salman Khan, Vidya Balan, Riteish Deshmukh, Priyanka Chopra, Ashutosh Gowariker, and Boman Irani are a few names that have already acted in Marathi movies.
In recent years, several Bollywood actors have ventured into producing Marathi films, recognizing the rich storytelling and cultural value that Marathi cinema offers. Riteish Deshmukh produced the successful Marathi film 'Lai Bhaari' (2014), in which he also made his acting debut in Marathi.
Priyanka Chopra ventured into Marathi cinema with 'Ventilator' (2016), a critically acclaimed film that won several awards, including three National Film Awards. The actress is also gearing up for the release of her second Marathi film 'Paani' (2024), which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation. The film is slated to release on October 18, 2024.

Ajay Devgn, co-produced the Marathi film 'Vitti Dandu' (2014). Devgn's involvement brought more attention to the film and the Marathi film industry. John Abraham, known for his keen interest in content-driven cinema, produced the Marathi film 'Savita Damodar Paranjpe' (2018).
Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani co-produced the Marathi film 'Faster Fene' (2017). The film, based on a popular Marathi novel, was a detective thriller that became a critical and commercial success.

While speaking about Bollywood star power backing Marathi films, actor-director Addinath Kothare said, "The Marathi cinema is very content driven and the audience also of the Marathi cinema are very versatile, they like to see different stories so because of that Marathi cinema and a lot of regional cinema like Malayalam cinema, Marathi cinema, South they reach out to a bigger audience because of the stories that are told are, the stories are very the cinemas are very story-driven, they are not face driven or you know they are not star-driven."
"I think in the Marathi cinema the star is the story and because of that the Marathi industry is thriving and growing rather definitely because see star power is coming into Marathi cinema because there is a business in Marathi cinema first you know when I invested in Marathi cinema there was no business but I had continuous and talent in Marathi and hence there are some very profound and progressive producers like Priyanka Chopra, Madhuri Dixit with whom I got the opportunity to work with recently. Priyanka Chopra, Madhu Chopra, and Siddharth Chopra are fantastic. For a first-time filmmaker like me, the kind of freedom and the kind of faith that I was bestowed with by the producer was commendable and it gave me room to grow as a filmmaker. " Addinath added.
The collaboration between Bollywood actors and Marathi cinema has been mutually beneficial, contributing to the growth and recognition of Marathi films in the broader Indian film landscape.