Pune: Marathi cinema needs to be star-driven to be successful, said actor-director Riteish Deshmukh at the 22nd Pune International Film Festival (PIF) on Saturday.
Deshmukh was speaking at a panel discussion on "The Search for the New Marathi Cinema." The other panelists were director Nikhil Mahajan, writer-director Varun Narvekar, actor-producer Mangesh Desai, and writer Sanjay Krishnaji Patil. PIF director Dr. Jabbar Patel moderated the discussion.
Deshmukh said that Marathi cinema needs to be more visible and accessible to the public. He called for a collaboration between major studios to produce 12 major Marathi films per year. He also said that Marathi films need to be more engaging and exciting, in order to attract audiences away from streaming services and television.
Mahajan agreed that Marathi cinema needs to be more commercial. He said that Marathi films need to be more competitive with films from other languages, both domestically and internationally. Narvekar said that Marathi films need to tell stories that are both entertaining and thought-provoking.
Deshmukh also spoke about his journey into cinema. He said that he originally studied architecture and moved to the United States to work. However, he decided to pursue a career in acting after taking an acting class in the United States. He said that he and his wife, Genelia Deshmukh, decided to make their Marathi film debut after watching the film "Jogwa."