New Delhi, Aug 4 (PTI) Acclaimed drama “Sthal” and Marathi classic “Samna” will be among the attractions at the inaugural Delhi Marathi Film Festival, which will be held in the national capital from August 7 to 9.
Organised by the Delhi Marathi Pratishthan with support from the Maharashtra government’s Department of Cultural Affairs, Maharashtra Film, Theatre and Cultural Development Corporation, the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), the three-day festival aims to celebrate the rich legacy and contemporary landscape of Marathi cinema, a press release said.
Directed by Jayant Digambar Somalkar, “Sthal” has travelled to several international film festivals and received critical acclaim for its portrayal of arranged marriage through the perspective of a young woman from rural Maharashtra.
The festival will also screen Jabbar Patel’s landmark 1975 political drama “Samna”, regarded as one of Marathi cinema’s defining works.
Written by Vijay Tendulkar, the film stars Dr Shriram Lagoo and Nilu Phule in a powerful ideological confrontation that remains relevant decades after its release.
Besides “Sthal” and “Samna”, the festival’s line-up includes “Deulband 2”, “Mamachya Govyala Jau Ya”, “Phulwanti”, “Ghabadkund”, “Bhutam Bhayam”, “Uttar”, “Satyashodhak”, “Tumbadchi Manjula”, “Asha” and “Gandhi Tax”. A total of 16 telefilms will also be screened across three dedicated sections.
The inaugural ceremony on August 7 will be attended by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Maharashtra Minister for Cultural Affairs Ashish Shelar, Delhi Minister for Art, Culture and Languages Kapil Mishra, Rajya Sabha MP Vinod Tawde and Maharashtra Chief Secretary Rajesh Agrawal.
The festival will also feature interactions with noted Marathi film personalities, including filmmakers Pravin Tarde, Jayant Somalkar, Ramdas Phutane and Kishore Belekar, as well as actors Sandeep Pathak, Abhijeet Chavan, Usha Nadkarni and Priyadarshini Indalkar following screenings of their films.
A three-day masterclass by FTII for aspiring filmmakers and a special exhibition tracing the evolution of Marathi cinema will be organised alongside the screenings.
The organisers said the festival is intended not only for Marathi-speaking audiences in Delhi-NCR but also for cinema lovers interested in socially relevant and artistically significant filmmaking.
The screenings, to be held at the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Centre, are free of cost, although prior registration is mandatory. PTI RB RB
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