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Marathi cinema has come a long way from introducing the Indian audience to the medium of film. One of the first pioneers of Marathi cinema, Dr Dadasaheb Phalke, brought the moving images to the audience with Raja Harishchandra, the first Indian silent film, in 1913. Marathi cinema also gave Indians the first feature film- Shree Pundalik, directed by Dadasaheb Torne, released on 18 May 1912.

The Marathi cinema suffered a significant comedown after the 1970s. With Mumbai becoming the dominant kernel for the more successful and more extensive cannon of Hindi cinema (or Bollywood), the theatre-oriented Marathi cinema seemed to shrink in size before the titan. However, in a period of the last five years when the regional-language cinema is getting more acceptance beyond the nation, the Marathi films are soaring once again for the plinth they once owned exclusively. In this piece, we curate the best of the 21st-century Marathi cinema.

15. Nude...

The Secret of the Shiledars has to be a good attempt to put forward an Indiana Jones/Da Vinci Code-style treasure hunt drama that involves figures from Indian history. The story revolves around a young man who learns of a secret society his father was a part of. He is suddenly made a part of it and has to locate a treasure that was seemingly lost according to many historians. The show involves many people seeking to financially benefit from finding this treasure, while others only want to find it for the sake of finding it. These characters set in motion the plot of The Secret of the Shiledars.

Dr. Ravi Naik

Rajeev Khandelwal, the renowned television actor, is back in the Ott space again in The Secret of the Shiledars. He is Dr. Ravi Naik, the protagonist, who is a YouTuber and a history enthusiast. He was shocked...

A giant spaceship, Pushpak 634-a, lumbers along in infinite space. In the ship a demon, or rakshas, named Prahastha receives deceased humans, heals them and recycles them for their next birth.

Watch Cargo Movie Trailer

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Prahastha, played by Vikrant Massey, is a loner and an introvert. He exchanges few words even with his supervisors on earth via the TV screen that is his only source of communication. He also shuns the idea of social media exchange with his legions of fans. Yes, he has many fans, we are told -- doing what he does for 75 years now makes him an important cog in the wheel that drives peace between humans and demons.

Prahastha's lonely yet measured life is thrown in a tizzy when earth sends the spirited young Yuvishka (Shweta Tripathi) as his assistant. Her arrival on the ship not only disturbs his personal space.

Another word for “Cargo,” a truly unique blend of Hindu mythology and mid-concept science fiction about a futuristic new process by which the recently deceased are beamed onto a spaceship far away in order to have their memories wiped and their souls cleansed for reincarnation, might be “baggage” — as in, dead people show up with their hands and pockets full of whatever preoccupied them on Earth, and it’s the crew’s job to calm them down and ease them through the transition.

“Cargo” takes place aboard a nifty retro-styled space ship — with its rudimentary computer terminals and mid-20th-century corded phone receivers — called the Pushpak 634A, whose lone crew member is a demon named Prahastha (Vikrant Massey). Demons, according to writer-director Arati Kadav’s playfully revisionist premise, once sneaked around at night stealing humans’ souls, but now, thanks to a treaty between their kind and Homo sapiens, they catalog...

While the 2020 SXSW Film Festival has been canceled due to the coronavirus, IndieWire is covering select titles from this year’s edition.

A viewer experiencing “Cargo” with no expectations might spend the movie’s first few minutes assuming it hails from the “2001” school of near-future odysseys, as lonely astronaut Prahasta (Vikrant Massey) goes about his routine in a brightly-lit vessel while floating through an endless starry night. Instead, the imaginative first feature from Indian writer/director Arati Kadav offers a much stranger concept, one that , made all the more intriguing by the way she plays the whole thing straight.

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It turns out that Prahasta is actually a “rakshasa,” a type of demon from Hindu mythology that guides recently departed humans through the underworld...

At one point in this jigsaw puzzle that often leaves us….well, puzzled, Randeep Hooda playing Charles Sobhraj turns us to comment, ‘The escape should be so spectacular that a movie should be made about it.’

Well, surprise surprise. That’s what the talented director Prawaal Raman has done.

Raman attempts to piece together the seductive life of Charles Sobhraj. It’s an uphill task. And one that required reams of rigorous research, an actor who could define and own Sobhraj’s seductive charms and a certain detachment from Sobhraj’s scheming intellect to ensure we don’t get sucked into his deceptions.

This detachment is achieved in the plot by making the Delhi cop Amod Kanth who nabbed Sobhraj, the hero of the show. Not that Sobhraj plays the villain. But yes, his cool quotient, conveyed by Randeep Hooda in rationed doses, is ruthlessly challenged and thwarted by Adil Hussain...

National Award winning director and script writer Mangesh Hadawale, who is known for films like Tingya and Dekh Indian Circus, now, dons the hat of creative producer with Marathi movie Tapaal, directed by cinematographer turned director Laxman Utekar.

Ask Laxman how did he associate with Mangesh and he says, "I had long back thought about making a Marathi film. But when I was shooting as a cinematographer for Mangesh Hadawale's Dekh Indian Circus, I discussed about it with Mangesh and asked him to write a nice story for me. He wrote a beautiful story and that is how Tapaal started."

Adds Mangesh, "I have known Laxman for a long time now. There were many common factors between us like - we haven't taken professional training in filmmaking, we both are hardworking etc. over which we bonded. And he discussed the idea of directing a Marathi film and asked me to write a story.

After being the cinematographer for Bollywood biggies like Blue, English Vinglish, Boss, Lekar Hum Deewana Dil and upcoming film Tevar – Laxman Utekar has added another feather to his cap as he turns director for Marathi film, Tapaal.

Talking about his journey of becoming a director, he says, “I used to get a lot of offers to shoot Marathi films, but I didn’t want to shoot them. I always felt that if I shoot a Marathi film, it will also be directed by me. I didn’t want to shoot for somebody else. Because I was already shooting for people in Hindi films.”

He further adds, “After completing Mangesh Hadawale’s Dekh Indian Circus, I narrated a thought to him about the culture and people of my own village. I asked him whether he could weave a story for me and he did that beautifully. The film is the result of our experiences.

Mumbai, March 3: The Nationalist Congress Party Monday nominated state minister Suresh Dhas to contest the Beed Lok Sabha constituency, held by Bjp's Gopinath Munde, a party spokesperson said.

The name of Dhas, the minister of state for revenue and rehabilitation since June 2013 in the Congress-ncp coalition government, was formally approved after a party meeting at its headquarters here, said spokesperson Nawab Malik.

Dhas will be pitted against Munde, the Bharatiya Janata Party's deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, and well known Marathi actor-filmmaker Nandu Madhav, contesting on an Aam Aadmi Party ticket.

Beed.

Director: Sujay Dahake, Story: Milind Bokil, Screenplay: Sujay Dahake, Actors: Dilip Prabhavalkar, Nandu Madhav, Anshuman Joshi, Ketaki Mategaonkar

The name can be misleading. Shala is not about kids going to school nor is it a children’s film, even remotely. All that it has in common with Stanley ka Dabba begins and ends at the animated sequence that plays with the opening credits. Shala takes you to the next level: while you are still at school and your friends are important, you step onto the threshold of the adult world and start making sense of it.

Based on a story by Milind Bokil, Shala is a ravishing debut feature by Sujay Dahake. It is an adolescent love story set in a small town in the politically charged decade of the 70s. In the backdrop, there is the fear of the Emergency on one side and the insinuation of rebellion in...

Animation film Baru - The Wonder Kid is all set to release on 15 October. Presented by Shri Vishnu Entertainment & Lemon N Yellow Productions and produced by Vishnu Manohar and Prabhakar Shukla, Baru - The Wonder Kid is directed by Sachin Gote. The music of the film is by Vivek Prakash and lyrics are by Madan Pal. Dubbing for various animated characters has been done by Jagjit Singh, Avika Gor, Bhagyashree, Sharad Kelkar, Vrajesh Hirjee, Nandu Madhav, baby Anushka Shukla, Aditi Mandiwikar, Somesh Agarwal, Chinmay, Nilesh Harsora, Shalin Goyal and Princy Goyal. ...

The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) has announced the 2010 line-up of films for its 8th annual festival, which runs April 20-April 25 at ArcLight Hollywood. The six-day festival will showcase 33 films from 5 countries, including 4 world premieres and 7 Us premieres.

“This is a true celebration of the art and business of Indian film and culture as well as an opportunity to connect with the game changers and emerging filmmakers of Indian themed content,’ said Christina Marouda, Iffla’s Executive Director. “As filmmakers of Indian descent forge new relationships in Hollywood, we invite moviegoers and industry professionals to experience our unique and wide ranging program which includes thought-provoking dramas, engaging documentaries, along with a touch of light hearted fare and a taste of Bollywood.”

Kicking off the festival is the Los Angeles premiere and directorial debut of Dilip Mehta‘s Cooking With Stella, starring Seema Biswas, Lisa Ray, and Don McKellar.

Harishchandrachi Factory is a film about India's first feature film Raja Harishchandra and the road director Dadasaheb Phalke took to get it made. Produced by Utv Motion Pictures, Paprika Media and Mayasabha, the film stars the likes of Nandu Madhav, Vibhawari Deshpande, Mohit Gokhale and is directed by Paresh Mokashi.

Watch the video below to get a glimpse of what this film is about.

New Delhi, Jan 16 (Ians) A special screening of Marathi film ‘Harishchandrachi Factory’, India’s official entry to the Oscars, was held at Rashtrapati Bhavan Saturday evening.

The film, that will hit theatres Jan 29, was screened at the President’s Estate auditorium in the presence of President Pratibha Patil and its director Paresh Mokashi. The lead cast of the movie, including Nandu Madhav and Vibhawari Deshpande, and noted theatre and film actor Mohan Agashe were present at the screening.

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Not only has the film Harishchandrachi Factory won numerous awards at prestigious film festivals, it is also India's selection for the Academy Awards. The film is about India's first feature film Raja Harishchandra and the road director Dadasaheb Phalke took to get it made. Starring Nandu Madhav, Vibhawari Deshpande, Mohit Gokhale and directed by Paresh Mokashi the film is set to release on January 29th.

Here is a look at not only the synopsis, but also the theatrical trailer as well.

Dadasaheb Phalke had abandoned a well established printing business after a quarrel with his business partner. He gave his word to the worried partner that he would never enter into the printing business again as competition! Phalke got instantly unemployed and workless. The family was struggling to survive.

One day he accidentally stumbled across a tent theatre that was screening a silent motion picture. He was awestruck with the film.

New Delhi, Dec 2 (Ians) Utv Motion Pictures plans to release Marathi film “Harishchandrachi Factory”, India’s official entry for the Oscars, Jan 22 next year.

“Indian audiences will get to watch the film on January 22 and we are confident its appeal will reach across all audiences irrespective of language,” Siddharth Roy Kapur, CEO of Utv Motion Pictures, said in a statement Wednesday.

Co-produced by Paprika Media and Mayasabha Production, the Dadasaheb Phalke biopic is the directorial debut of Paresh Mokashi. Starring Nandu Madhav and Vibhawari Deshpande in the lead, “Harishchandrachi Factory” is also competing at the Golden Globes and the British Academy (BAFTA) awards.

“We.