# Filmmakers Say Marathi Cinema Leads With Socially Relevant Stories 2026-08-16T02:49:13+00:00 | Entertainment | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet On the occasion of FPJ's 98th anniversary, Marathi cinema is being celebrated for its offbeat stories that champion inclusivity. Filmmakers and actors told Freepress Journal that the industry has consistently produced socially relevant films. Director Jeejivisha Kale said Marathi cinema is deeply rooted in people's lived realities and has always questioned and mirrored society. Actor Sandeep Kulkarni noted that good films act as a mirror to life, and he was impressed by the recent film 'Ata Thambayacha Naay!' for portraying the dignity of Mumbai's cleaning staff. Writer-director Kshitij Patwardhan said Marathi cinema has always been content-driven, with no fan service films. He pointed to recent successes like 'Dashavatar' and 'Deool Bandh 2' as proof that audiences want big theatrical experiences, while smaller films like 'Tighee' also have a growing audience. Patwardhan noted that in the first six months of 2026, Marathi cinema has already done business of over Rs 200 crore, compared to Rs 100 crore in all of last year, and called for sustaining both kinds of cinema. ## Coverage - freepressjournal.in This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Jeejivisha Kale, Marathi cinema, Sandeep Kulkarni Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/filmmakers-say-marathi-cinema-leads-with-socially-relevant-stories/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/filmmakers-say-marathi-cinema-leads-with-socially-relevant-stories/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/