'Regional Cinema Is Evolving To Tell Interesting Stories'

Viacom18’s Nikhil Sane is bullish about films in local languages and says content matters first, and then the star.

- Neeraj Gangal

AS FORMER BUSINESS HEAD OF the Marathi film division of Zee Studios, Nikhil Sane helmed some of the most acclaimed Marathi blockbusters of recent times. These include Sairat (2016), Natsamrat (2016), Katyar Kaljat Ghusali (2015), Lai Bhaari (2014), Time Pass (2014), Killa (2015), Elizabeth Ekadashi (2014) Duniyadari (2013), Fandry (2013) and Natarang (2010).

Now, as the business head of Marathi Entertainment at Viacom18, a post that he assumed in June 2018, he seems to be continuing with that Midas touch. Ani… Dr Kashinath Ghanekar, a biopic on the Marathi theatre superstar, has opened to rave reviews and packed theatres. With audiences gravitating towards quality content, Sane, 41, talks to Forbes India about the celebrity superstar culture and the need for pan-India collaborations among filmmakers. Edited excerpts:

Q What has led to the commercial and critical resurgence of Marathi cinema?

In the last decade or so, we have seen Marathi cinema’s lost glory coming back. The makers are a bunch of young professionals. All of them came via Marathi theatre, then television and have been looking to fire their guns in films. The great thing is that it has all come together at the right time. In the last five years, especially, Marathi cinema has evolved not only in terms of content but also with respect to business. The big difference, which was lacking earlier, is that we were not good with the business part of it. We have to ensure a marriage of content, consumer [tastes] and business. That is happening today. In the last five years, our consistency has been fantastic.