As South Indian cinema continues to expand its footprint with large-scale productions, massive box-office runs and nationwide recognition, the conversation around the future of regional industries has become louder. Marathi cinema, with its long tradition of storytelling and strong artistic legacy, finds itself at a crucial moment.
Actor Ajinkya Deo, who has worked across industries and seen the evolution of Marathi films up close, believes the shift must begin with both mindset and scale. In a detailed conversation with Moneycontrol.com, he broke down what needs to change for Marathi cinema to grow beyond its current boundaries.
Speaking with conviction, Ajinkya Deo said, "People's perspective on Marathi should change from audience perspective and maker's perspective. Even my two or three Marathi films are releasing back-to-back. Actually, the 28th film which is with Tejashri Pradhan, it's a love story of different magnitude. And but there is still a small Marathi industry, low-budget films are being made. People and audience also see it from this perspective. It should change."
His point is simple but sharp: Marathi cinema is still viewed through the lens of low budgets, limited screens and a relatively niche audience. This perception affects everything , from production scale to marketing to viewer excitement. Yet, despite these challenges, Marathi cinema has repeatedly delivered critically acclaimed films, and some have even succeeded commercially. As he added, "Although there have been fantastic films which are being made, which have made and they have done business as well. But we have to grow larger."
Deo believes the shift must happen at the level of vision. Producers need to think bigger, perhaps even bolder, if Marathi cinema wants to compete with industries like Telugu, Tamil or Malayalam, which have invested heavily in scale, craft and long-term storytelling ecosystems. "We have to, you know, our producers, that includes us. We have to think bigger than what we are thinking right now. And the audience has to reciprocate by coming to the theatres. So we will do it for you. But you should also do a little for us."
For him, audience participation is the missing link. There is immense talent in the industry, but without consistent theatre support, even great films struggle to grow. "People should love their language and come and be responsive to us as actors, producers, directors, everybody. Because we have fantastic talent."
Deo pointed out that Marathi filmmakers and artists have already proven their capabilities on national platforms. He referenced the success of Marathi directors behind major Hindi projects, saying, "Yeah, but today you see, two or three big Hindi films which have been a hit, like for that matter, Chhaava, directed by a Marathi guy, Lakshman Uttekar, even for that matter, a young talent there, who made Paatal Lok Avinash Arun Dhaware, You know, he's also, he's also superb as a director."
His argument is clear: the talent exists — what’s missing is the collective belief that Marathi cinema can compete at the same scale as its southern counterparts. As he summed it up, "And I think we have fantastic talent, actors, directors, producers, everything is there. The only thing is that we should change our perspective and audience has to change their way of looking at Marathi cinema. It is, it is very different from what, it has to grow bigger. It has to grow bigger."
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