Debutant director Kshitij Patwardhan says Marathi cinema will not be crushed

Two weeks ago, when Marathi film ‘Uttar’ starring Renuka Shahane, Abhinay Berde and others was released on December 12, it was a tough task to get a screen due to the dominance of the big guns in the theatres. “Marathi films have always struggled to get a slot,” says debutant director Kshitij Patwardhan, known for his work in Rohit Shetty’s ‘Singham Again’, Sushmita Sen starrer ‘Taali’, ‘Chhaava’. He is a respected young screenwriter, theater director, lyricist, playwright, who is a household name in Maharashtra.

Now he has made his directorial debut with ‘Uttar’. His posts on social media about the way his team is struggling to overcome the challenges have won hearts.

“Marathi cinema will not be crushed. For the first time in my career, my first film North released with two cinematic giants coming once in four years – a box-office monster like Dhurandhar and a global phenomenon like Avatar. Dhurandhar, which was already a powerful film, gained further momentum when its story cleverly revolved around Akshay Khanna after the Ranveer controversy. With a run of over 22 shows, the odds were clearly stacked,” Mr Kshitij said. Wrote in your post.

He said a turning point came when he decided not to play the victim card. “As a director stepping into this battlefield for the first time, I very consciously took a decision – no victim card. No complaints about show timings. No “Marathi vs Hindi” narrative. No excuses. The focus was simple: wherever we got shows, we would make them work. UTTAR released on the 12th and got a strong response from the urban centres. Very early on, we decided to mentally treat the release like the 19th – to regroup, To reach out and expand awareness. What happened next was tireless ground work: Kolhapur, Pune, Mumbai, college campuses, competitions, cultural forums – showing up physically, talking about the film, and building real word-of-mouth.

Acknowledging the support of Marathi media, he said that the positive attitude helped. “We have faced confrontation positively, strategically and without bitterness, and we will continue to do so,” he said in his post.

“This is not a one-time situation. Similar clashes have happened before, and they will happen again in the future with many Marathi films. The only way forward is faith in the content, smart positioning, perseverance day in and day out, and refusal to play the victim. If one message should go out loud and clear from this journey, it is this: No matter how big the Hindi or English release is, Marathi cinema will not be crushed. The fight continues,” he said in his post.

People appreciated the post saying that a Marathi family entertainer film should get more screens. “Great observation. It shows resolve, commitment and determination. Commendable attitude. We will be with you every step of the way in your march,” posted Vijay Jeste, a reader.