Marathi cinema’s Subodh Bhave — Acting his Part

And while this is a project that is closest to this heart, the year 2018 is a busy one,with big ticket projects. One of the most talked about one is the biopic Ani Kashinath Ghanekar, where he plays the superstar of Marathi theatre industry whose name alone drew housefull shows. It is Bhave’s third biopic after the superhits Balgandharva and Lokmanya: Ek Yug Purush. “I used to feel even I should have had extraordinarily good looks and features. But maybe it is because of this face that I landed these biopics as directors can imagine me in any role, I can become any person,” he says.

While some may have boxed him into the category of a biopic king, a look at the number of projects and variety of parts he is playing, would prove otherwise. This year, he has John Abraham’s Savita Damodar Paranjpe; Shubh Lagna Savdhan; a role in SAB TV’s show Namune on Pu La Deshpande; and a Marathi TV show Tula Pahate Re, which has returned after three years. In Namune, Pu La Deshpande’s work Vyakti ani Valli, is explored. “Why did Rabindranath Tagore’s stories and characters inspire so much content in mainstream cinema and TV, but not Pu La? That’s because he was considered a regional writer. It’s only after the commercial success of Marathi films that Pu La’s characters are considered universal and acceptable.”

Marathi cinema has been received a lot of attention from Bollywood that is now investing in it. Mainstream actors like Madhuri Dixit or KayKay Menon are making their debut here and even remakes of Marathi films are being made. For instance, Dhadak is an adaptation of Nagraj Manjule’s 2016 hit, Sairat.

“I honestly don’t believe that all of these people from outside are interested in Marathi cinema only because of content. The commercial success of films like Lai Bhaari, Sairat, and Katyar Kaljat Ghusli are discussed in crore, not lakh anymore. A medium that allows minimum investment, less risk, more scope for content, commercial success and less turnaround time, is a win-win. Marathi films have had a good run at the National Awards as well, and critical acclaim is an added advantage,” he says. However he is quick to defend his producer Abraham. “Look at the film he chose, based on a Marathi play. It is out and out a content-oriented decision, and it is an amazing experience to work with him.”