Maharashtra government decides to impose a fine of Rs. 10 lakhs if theatre owners do not screen Marathi movies.
To give a boost to the Marathi film industry, the government of Maharashtra imposed a fine of Rs. 10 lakhs at the time of licence renewal if the movie theatre owners do not screen Marathi films at least four weeks of the year.
On Wednesday a meeting by the state culture minister- Sudhir Mungantiwar made this decision regarding the screening of Marathi films during prime time. The decision has been taken because of repeated complaints from state-based producers. They claim that even though there is making of good quality regional cinema, these Marathi films are not being screened in their own state.
Mungantiwar said that these complaints will be taken to the home department. He tweets updates on the meeting, saying Marathi film producers should give their suggestions in the next 15 days. A comprehensive meeting about this will take place after June 1.
The decision to not hike the rent of single-screen cinemas was taken. The small cinema houses are getting lost in the floods of multiplexes, and the theatre owners are unable to sustain themselves. A quick look at the statistics says that the number of single-screen theatres has fallen from 8,500 in 2018-19 to 6,200 in 2022, according to a report. The pandemic has hit this already severe industry and brought it to its knees.
Numerous directors, producers, distributors, and other officials were present in a detailed discussion about the promotion of Marathi films. Taking into consideration the many complaints and gathering knowledge about the situation, the cultural department of the state has taken this decision.
In the midst of ‘The Kerala Story’ havoc, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Jitendra Awhad organized a special screening of a newly released Marathi film ‘Maharashtra Shahir’ in Thane. The film is about the life of Padma Shri Shahir Sable and his contributions in the fields of music, folk theatre, direction, and production.
Similarly, in January, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader, Ameya Khopkar, warned the multiplex owners not to set aside the screening of Marathi films due to the release of Shahrukh Khan’s ‘Pathaan’. The priority in the state would be screening films made in the Marathi language, he added.
Back in 2015, a similar decision was taken, of screening more Marathi films. Under the state government rules, each theatre and multiplex had to screen at least 112 Marathi films in a year, which they were not doing. The shows which were screened were scheduled at time slots like early morning or early afternoon when most people do not have time for films. The government had to make it mandatory for the theatre and multiplex cinema owners to screen at least one Marathi film during prime time(6 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.). This evoked an equal amount of praise and criticism.Â
