How women audiences are championing Marathi films in theatres

The inherent innocence of Marathi films is reaffirming. Whether it is the comic outbursts in the multi-starrer classic, Ashi Hi Banwa Banwi (1988), or the mix of thrill and fun in the timeless Zapatlela (1993), Marathi films have exhibited a disarming familiarity to local audiences, who see a part of their middle-class life represented in their own language on screen. Even ideas of womanhood have found powerful release since Maherchi Sadi (1991), which saw women turning out in large numbers and reacting emotionally to the film’s story. Off late, Marathi films have been exploring themes of women's liberation with an emotive touch, and they are largely resonating with female audiences, who are flocking to theatres in groups.

That was seen in this year’s Tighee, directed by debutante Jeejivisha Kale, which tells the story of a mother’s turbulent relationship with her two daughters. The film picked up largely due to word of mouth, with women leading the charge in theatres. A similar trend was seen in other films released this year, including Krantijyoti Vidyalaya, Tumbbad Chi Manjula, and Deol Band 2, all of which performed well at the box office. Producer of Tighee, Suhrud Godbole, opines that women are primary decision makers when it comes to Marathi film viewing. “We even decide the show timings thinking about women and when it would be suitable for them to go to theatres. Because when a woman decides to go to watch a film, she doesn’t go alone; she takes the entire family with her. Along with that, women also go to watch films with their own group of friends, making them a captive audience for Marathi films,” says Suhrud.

One such group, ‘Aapla Aawaz, Aapli Sakhi’ is run by Sangita Tarde, a resident of Pune, who organises special screenings of films, often in collaboration with the makers, so as to pull a large number of women to the theatres. Sangita was driven by the purpose of doing something for the benefit of Marathi films. “I was seeing how people were not coming out to watch Marathi films and were waiting for their OTT release. But when we started organising these events, one woman would bring more of her friends along and it became a group outing of sorts for them. That’s how entire screens get booked,” says Sangita.

Some of the movie screenings are designed on a special theme, like for the film, Aga Aga Sunbai Kay Mhanta Sasubai?, the group invited women to bring their mothers-in-law to watch the film wearing a matching outfit. “We even gifted saris to some of them, with celebrities handing them over. Experiences like these bring women out of their houses, where they can have fun with their friends and get away from household work for some time,” says Sangita.

Madhuri Awhad is an entrepreneur in Pune who attends these movie screenings regularly. She says that Marathi cinema holds a special place in her heart. “Marathi films feel like a glimpse into our own lives. The actors and actresses feel like my own brothers and sisters, with a familiarity in their expressions. So, a lot of the emotions that Marathi films carry seem personal. We love watching family dramas, and they give us exactly that. In fact, I take my mother-in-law regularly with me to watch these films. She loves them,” Madhuri says.

Another member of the group, Shubhangi Mahabare, a working professional based in Pune, feels a strong connection to Marathi films. “Marathi is my mother tongue, so I get drawn to the films naturally, which are full of heart-touching stories. On the other hand, there’s a lot of action in Hindi films, which I don’t really enjoy as much,” she says, adding that Marathi films also show the rooted reality of Maharashtra, citing how the recent Deool Band 2 portrayed the conditions of farmers in the state. “If a film can make people realise about the living realities of others, then that’s a great thing.”

It was due to the unprecedented response by women that the 2023 film, Baipan Bhari Deva, became the second-highest-grossing Marathi film at the box office, reviving the theatre business after the pandemic. The film tells the story of six estranged sisters, who reunite at their childhood home for a festival and face their past struggles together. Interestingly, director Kedar Shinde wanted to target men through the film to make them experience the inner life of being a woman. However, the film pulled women to theatres in extraordinary numbers, who thought of the occasion as a celebration. Sangita recalls organising over a hundred special shows for the film.

“If a woman can run a home, she can run a theatre too,” Kedar says, while reflecting on the reception to Baipan Bhari Deva. “As the film featured six women characters, it was easy for anyone to relate to them. I heard stories of women who watched the film with their family, friends from society and school. The film was watched on repeat by many women as they connected with the story.”

The director says that women become part of his stories naturally. “Their life naturally seeps into my films. While telling stories of women, it is important not to unnecessarily idealise their lives. Rather, it is important to delve into the depth of their emotions. That’s what helped in Baipan Bhari Deva, which was written by Vaishali Naik. When she told me the story, I was reminded of women from my own life,” he adds.

Kedar also feels that women audiences have always engaged with Marathi cinema deeply. “Men have various other means to get entertained. But for a lot of homemaker women, the avenues of entertainment are pre-decided. It is either watching television, attending a play or going to the cinemas. And when they realise that a particular film is talking to them, they come out in large numbers to watch,” he explains.

Due to the massive interest of women in Marathi cinema, Suhrud feels that films are made with the thought of catering to them. “We ask ourselves if women will like this film that we are making. We do that quite actively in Marathi films, as it's the women who drive cinema here. The industry is female-dependent, which I don’t think happens as much in other industries where film-watching is dominated by men,” he says.

Suhrud’s reading of the situation is welcoming, especially as the Marathi film industry continues to face competition from Bollywood. As some films in the past few years have shown, the strength of Marathi films lies not in star power and spectacles but in rooted sensitivity. After all, it’s the women who are enthusiastically buying tickets, ensuring a film’s success and consequently also deciding what gets made.