Mumbai, Sep 9 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said the state government will make more cinema halls available for Marathi films and soon announce a plan in this regard.
Speaking at the 62nd Maharashtra State Marathi Film Awards ceremony here, Fadnavis said the government also plans to develop a modern film city equipped with the latest technology, facilities required for film production and different types of sets at one location.
“An action plan has been prepared to make more cinema halls available for Marathi films and it will be announced soon,” Fadnavis said.
Marathi cinema is among the best in the country in terms of artistic quality and is known for its content, diversity and experimentation, he said.
“Marathi theatre is regarded as one of the best theatre traditions in the country, and Marathi artistes have preserved its tradition and prestige even today,” he said.
Fadnavis said the Marathi film industry has continued to progress on the strength of this rich cultural tradition.
At the function, Fadnavis presented the Chitrapati V Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award to veteran music composer Pandit Hridaynath Mangeshkar and the Chitrapati V Shantaram Special Contribution Award to actor-director Prasad Oak.
Actor and writer Salim Khan was conferred the Raj Kapoor Lifetime Achievement Award, while actor Rani Mukerji received the Raj Kapoor Special Contribution Award. Actress Helen accepted the award on behalf of Khan.
Praising Mangeshkar’s contribution to music, Fadnavis said he had created a distinct musical world through his lifelong service to music. His compositions on Dnyaneshwar Mauli, Veer Savarkar and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj reflected Marathi culture, spirituality and national sentiment, he said.
Referring to Oak’s acting and direction, Fadnavis described him as a “360-degree man” in the field of arts and praised his portrayal of Anand Dighe in the film ‘Dharmaveer’.
He also lauded Salim Khan and the Salim-Javed duo for giving a new direction to Indian cinema through films such as ‘Zanjeer’, ‘Deewaar’ and ‘Sholay’, saying their writing played a major role in popularising the concept of the “angry young man”.
Fadnavis said Mukerji had portrayed a variety of roles during her three-decade career and effectively presented women-centric characters in films such as ‘Mardaani’.
Maharashtra Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar said the state government was working towards setting up new film cities at Ramtek (in Nagpur) and Nashik to strengthen film production infrastructure.
“Mumbai’s Film City, N D Studio and filming facilities in Kolhapur are already available. Now, the state government is working towards setting up new film cities at Ramtek and Nashik,” Shelar said.
He said Maharashtra and Mumbai had a globally recognised identity as centres of the film industry and the state had contributed a rich tradition to Indian cinema through Marathi and other films.
The government was working to ensure that Marathi and other films produced in Maharashtra reached a wider audience and that filmmakers, professionals, artistes and technicians received the required facilities, he said. PTI MR NP
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