Is Marathi Films Getting Suppressed?
National Award-winning director Bhaurao Karhade is out in the media and public with tears and folded hands, expressing his disappointment and grief. On April 28, filmmaker Bhaurao Karhade’s TDM, a Marathi-language film, was released in theatres. This movie is surrounded by the reality of life in rural Maharashtra, telling the story of Babu and Neelam, played by Pruthviraj Thorat and Kalindi Nistane. Produced by Chitraksha Films in association with Smile Stone Studio and distributed by UFO Moviez.
After its successful opening on April 28th, the film ran in theatres for 2–3 days with an overwhelming response from the audience. Later on the 1st of May, when director Bhaurao Karhade decided to go and interact with his audience to get their valuable feedback, he found something that turned his world upside down. While speaking with the theatre's owner, he found out that TDM’s upcoming shows have been canceled. After asking for a reason, he was informed it had been done due to external pressure. Without providing a valid reason, his film got kicked out of the theatre even though it was running well with a positive response from the audience.
Following this unjustified incident, the question of Marathi films being cornered is being raised. A film worth watching by the audience is not getting its deserving number of screens in theatres. Is this a strangling of the Marathi industry?
Facing this grievance led Bhaurao Karhade to take down his film from theatres; he had informed the audience and media about re-releasing the film with the due number of shows. Expressing his disappointment, he confronted the media, saying, ‘I am not asking to display my film when there is zero response being received from the audience; canceling shows when people are willingly coming to theatres is not fair. He also added that he won't be interested in making any films in the future after this unfairness.
Shedding light on politics, favoritism, and injustice in the industry, this incident made everyone question who is at fault: the Maharashtra government? for not supporting the regional cinema of the nation, native audience? who chose to watch Bollywood films over Marathi films, or distributors who failed to distribute the film to its deserving number of screens.
A language that gave birth to the film industry in India is struggling to get its rightful value in today’s world. Also, it's very unfortunate to see talent like Bhaurao Karhade go through such a situation; let's hope films like ‘TDM," which are meant to be celebrated, will never have to suffer like this.