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Riteish Deshmukh highlights the challenges faced by Marathi cinema in Maharashtra, saying Hindi films dominate theatres and calling for stronger support for regional films.
Riteish Deshmukh has raised concerns about the shrinking space for Marathi cinema in Maharashtra, saying Hindi films dominate theatres despite the state’s strong regional audience.
Actor Riteish Deshmukh recently voiced concern over the declining presence of Marathi cinema in its home state, calling for greater support and structural changes to strengthen the regional industry in Maharashtra.
Speaking at an event organised by the Samajwadi Party, the actor reflected on how the dominance of Hindi films in Maharashtra’s theatres has gradually pushed Marathi cinema to the margins.
Riteish Deshmukh On Marathi Cinema Losing Ground
Riteish pointed out the irony that the roots of Indian cinema lie in Maharashtra itself. He reminded the audience that the legendary Dadasaheb Phalke, a Marathi pioneer, laid the foundation of Indian cinema more than a century ago.
“The film industry was born here in Maharashtra, in Mumbai, and a Marathi man, Dadasaheb Phalke, gave birth to it. I am not trying to create a divide here, but people from different parts of the country came here and made this journey their own. That is why the headquarters of the film industry eventually became Mumbai,” he said, as quoted by the news agency IANS.
He further noted that other regional industries, such as those in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, have managed to build strong local audiences, something he believes Marathi cinema still struggles with.
‘Hindi Is First Choice In Maharashtra’
The actor explained that unlike other states where regional cinema dominates, Maharashtra’s audiences often prioritise Hindi films over Marathi ones.
“You will see this in Karnataka and in the Malayalam industry as well, but in Maharashtra, the first choice is Hindi and Marathi becomes the second choice. Over the years, that gap has only increased,” he said.
Riteish also highlighted the demographic reality, noting that Maharashtra has around 10–11 crore Marathi-speaking people, a number larger than the population of several southern states with thriving regional film industries.
Budget Gap And Theatre Economics
According to Riteish, one of the biggest challenges faced by Marathi cinema is the financial disparity between Marathi and Hindi films.
“Marathi films are often made within budgets of ₹3–7 crore. But when people go to theatres, the ticket price is almost the same as that for a ₹100 crore Hindi film,” he explained.
He said that when audiences are given the option to watch a big-budget Hindi spectacle for the same ticket price, many naturally choose that option.
“When people have the option of paying ₹200 to watch a ₹5 crore film or a ₹100 crore Hindi film, they usually choose the bigger one. That is why the Marathi film industry has gradually shrunk,” he added.
Why Riteish Focused On Marathi Film Production
Riteish also spoke about his own journey as a producer and how his father encouraged him to contribute to Marathi cinema despite his success in Hindi films.
“When I started producing films, my father asked me that while I work in Hindi cinema, what am I doing for Marathi cinema,” he recalled.
Over the past decade, the actor’s production company has focused exclusively on Marathi projects.
“It has been about 10–11 years since my company started, and we have made six films, all of them in Marathi,” he said.
Riteish emphasised that although he is active in Bollywood, he felt a responsibility to create films for Marathi-speaking audiences.
“I felt that films should be made for my people, for their region, for stories they can connect with. We didn’t make them on Hindi-film budgets, but we tried to spend more than the usual Marathi film budget to create bigger and better cinema,” he added.
March 15, 2026, 16:55 IST
