At the 24th Pune International Film Festival, in a session titled, "Voices of Tomorrow: Conversations with today’s Marathi Competition filmmakers" the spotlight turned to the "Marathi Film Competition" category. In a deeply personal session moderated by PIFF Deputy Director Vishal Shinde, seven director; ranging from industry veterans to bold newcomers, shared their raw and often precarious journeys behind their latest films
Personal struggles and varied perspectives shaped the narratives shared by the filmmakers.
Jeejivisha Kale marked her directorial debut, with, "Tighee", nearly a decade after assisting on the film "Vazandar", drawing deeply from her own experiences of loneliness as an only child. Her film reflects an intimate, lived reality, particularly of the women she has encountered through her life.
The women I have seen in my life will be seen in my film. Passion is vital, but without the right people, a story cannot move forward.
Jeejivisha Kale
Similarly engaging with lived experience, Mohit Takalkar transitioned to filmmaking after a long career in theatre. His film "Toh, Ti Aani" Fuji responds to what he describes as “urban chaos,” examining how the pressures and rhythms of city life influence human behaviour.
Through the film, Takalkar explores the ways in which relationships shift and transform under the strain of contemporary urban living.
Creative ambition often demanded significant financial risk from the filmmakers, with some choosing to “sink” entirely into their art.
Manoj Naiksatam, a former wedding photographer, adapted his 2015 novel into the film Gaman, doing so without any external financial backing. With limited resources and everything at stake, he committed fully to the project, summing up his choice starkly
There were only two options; either go mad, or sink. I chose to sink.
Manoj Naiksatam
A similar leap of faith defined Santosh Davakhar’s tryst with Gondhal. With no formal background in filmmaking, Davakhar educated himself by reading Robert McKee’s books on screenwriting and learning through observation.
Determined to explore the traditional form of ‘gondhal’, often described as ritual chaos, he financed the film by taking a loan from a bank and worked closely with folk performers, allowing lived tradition and personal risk to shape the final work.
Support for these films often came from unexpected quarters, shaped as much by personal relationships and academic encouragement as by conventional production structures.
Ravindra Manik Jadhav, a schoolteacher from Dhule, began his filmmaking journey with nothing more than a handycam. "I work as a teacher in Dhule, but I always had filmmaking in mind."
The idea for his film Jeev emerged from a memory shared during a school interaction on the occasion of Nag Panchami, and the project moved forward with financial backing from his wife, allowing the film to be completed outside traditional production systems.
It was my wife who supported me financially, and the film was completed
Ravindra Manik Jadhav
This was also the case for Baapya director Sameer Tewari. Originally from Uttar Pradesh, Tiwari developed a connection with Marathi culture.
After spending four years searching unsuccessfully for a producer, he ultimately found support at home, with his Marathi wife raising the funds needed to realise his vision. The film draws directly from social realities he has closely observed, giving voice to experiences often left outside mainstream narratives.
I am from Uttar Pradesh, but my wife is Marathi, and I wanted to make a film in Marathi. And at the end, my wife raised the money and the film was made.
Sameer Tewari
For Adishesh director Ramesh More, the path to production was equally unconventional. Raised in a Mumbai slum and with no formal training in filmmaking, More struggled for over three years to find a producer who could understand the distinction between a project and a finished film.
I grew up in a Mumbai slum. I never formally learned the techniques of filmmaking. I learned while making films.
Ramesh More
Inspired by A. H. Salunke’s book Balivansh, he eventually found an unlikely but decisive ally in a university professor, whose academic faith in the project helped bring the film to fruition.
