Speaking Marathi at Cannes

By Pickle April 12, 2018

Speaking Marathi at Cannes, Pickle Media

For the third consecutive year, Maharashtra will set up a stall at the Cannes Film Market, the business counterpart of the Cannes Film Festival and one of the largest such markets in the world.

Though the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is organising the India Pavilion every year at Cannes, Maharashtra is the only state from India to pitch its films in the global market.

The practice which initiated in 2016 thanks to Vinod Tawde, Minister for school education, higher and technical education, sports and youth welfare, Marathi language and cultural affairs, is continuing in an active manner.

This year, three Marathi films- Dhondiba Balu Karande’s Palashichi PT, Deepak Gawade’s Idak and Manouj Kadaamh’s Kshitij- are going to the Cannes.

According to fim critic, journalist and writer Ashok Rane, who has also been the coordinator of the project, “It’s the one and only kind of initiative ever thought of by any state government in the country.”

While all the three films will have two industry screenings each at the Cannes Film Market, a 10-member team from Maharashtra will also be going to Cannes this year.

According to the organisers, about 67 Marathi films competed for the ticket to Cannes this year. Among them, the three were selected through a two-tier jury system.