In the last edition, we have dealt with the problem of donations in schools and colleges. At the end of the article we have mentioned that students who have benefited from institutions like IIT etc. should try to repay their motherland in some manner if they are settled abroad. The same sentiments have been echoed by no less a dignitary namely economist Bhagawati who has proposed some thing like a tax on NRIs. Though Srikrishnamangal fully agrees with his sentiments it does not share his solution. We would like more and more NRI funded institutions in India catering to the meritorious students among the poor, irrespective of their religion or caste.

In the current edition, the problem we are going to deal with is Non-availability of Prime Theatres to Marathi Films in Mumbai and Pune.

Recently a big budget Marathi film was released in Pune. Instead of the usual Rs.30 to 40 lacs spent on an average Marathi film, nearly 15 crores were spent on this film Maratha Battalion. The film is running to packed houses in places like Solapur, Nasik, Latur, Nagpur and Kolhapur. It might run successfully in Pune too.

However the point I want to make is different. Why was this mega film, which is advertised as the Marathi film industrys answer to Hollywoods Rambo and Bollywood's Border not released in a multiplex? It is often seen that multiplexes in Mumbai and Pune generally screen only Hindi and English films. Even other theatres are reluctant to screen Marathi films. This problem is peculiar to Maharashtra, a being the only state where the mother tongue of the majority of the citizens is neglected by the state, universities and the people themselves.

To find the solution one has to analyse the causes of the problem. Mumbai is the Citadel of Hindi films. Crores of rupees, both black and white, are invested in producing costly Hindi films which are screened throughout India.

The cost of everything is very high in Bollywood. This has inflated the rent of the theatres also. Though Hindi films producers and distributors can afford to pay such exorbitant rent, Marathi film producers are not in a position to do so. Even if a producer dares to screen his film in a prime theatre there is no guarantee for a successful run due to the apathy of the viewers towards Marathi films vis-a-vis Hindi films. This is the crux of the problem.

It is the duty of the state to promote the local language. But whatever the government is doing today is detrimental to the local language. Recently the state has declared Marathi as an optional subject along with computer science encouraging must of the career-minded Maharashtrians to choose the latter. The son of the Chief Minister and the daughter-in-law of the Sena Supremo are both involved in Hindi films. State patronage is given more to Hindi films.

How to remedy the situation?

1. The govt should involve pro-actively in the matter. There is already a law enacted insisting that every theatre should screen Marathi films for at least 4 weeks in a year. This rule is followed only in the breach. The govt. should add teeth to the law and enforce it strictly.
2. The govt has declared a 100 percent tax holiday for multiplexes for the first three years of their operation. We have no complaints about that. But the govt should have added a condition that at least one screen in each multiplex should be reserved for Marathi films. This is not asking for the moon in a state where Marathi is the local official language.
3. Govt can give tax exemptions to films dealing with social reforms, communal harmony etc. thereby encouraging students to see such films

One of main reasons for the poor turnout for Marathi films is the low quality of the product dished out.

Marathi films can broadly be classified under the following categories.

1. Nilu Phule films with him acting as a village bully.
2. Dada Kondke films with his pornographic comedy.
3. The slapstick comedies portraying Laxmikant Berde and Ashok Saraf
4. Historic films mostly about the Shivaji dynasty.
5. Devotionals and
6. Miscellaneous

Though there is nothing wrong in any of these films, time has come to get beyond the stereotyped films and delve into new types of films.

I am really surprised at the paradox of high quality Marathi stage on one side and low quality Marathi films on the other side. In the field of drama, Marathi stage stands number I followed by Kannada, Hindi etc. Marathi music dramas were the inspiration of other language dramas in the early thirties and forties. The famous Sangeetha Sharada lead to the ban on child marriages. Who can forget 'Nata Samrat', 'Sansay Kallol', ' Bhau Bandaki', etc. Even in the literary field Marathi writers like V.S.Khandekar, Jaywant Dalvi etc. are very popular throughout India through the translation of their works. Yayati, Karnayan, Mrutunjay etc. are evergreen in the minds of Marathi Readers.

Such being the case, why none of these novels or dramas have been filmed so far. The answer is not far to seek. The producers of the dramas and the producers of the films seem to come from two different social set up. When shall the twain meet?

Technologically also Marathi Films leave much to be desired. Money may be one of the causes. Non-Maharashtrian Films makers do not invest in Marathi Films but they invest heavily in Hindi Films. In the South, a film produced in any one of the Southern Languages is automatically translated in other Southern Languages with the local actors. Why not Marathi be added to the list? The owners or E-TV Marathi channel who are from Andhra Pradesh should take initiative in the matter.

Due to underworld-Bollywood nexus and due to deteriorated quality, Hindi films are going through a bad patch. This is the right time for Marathi producers to produce good Marathi films and fill up the vacuum and take their rightful place in Mumbai and Pune. Will they rise to the occasion?

Recently Dinesh Thakur, Secretary, Poona Exhibitors Association has demanded the Tax slab to be reduced to 30% from the current 60% and brought on par with other states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamilnadu and West Bengal. But he has safely overlooked the fact that in all these states, the maximum films screened belong to the local language of the states, whereas in Mumbai and Pune, Hindi films are screened. Similarly, let these distributors screen more and more Marathi films and then ask for the concessions. It can't be all take and no give; deserve, then desire

Last but not the least the success or failure of the films are dependent upon the viewers. Middle class Maharashtrians are slowly shifting their attachment to Hindi films. Their children speak Hindi in the schools and offices and also on the streets. The day is not far off when children in Marathi speaking houses in Mumbai and Pune will be speaking with each other in Hindi. This is a dangerous trend which needs to be nipped in the bud. Maharashtrians must realise that linguistic states were formed to promote the local language and not to encourage provincialism. Marathi Sammelans generally see English as the villain blocking the progress of Marathi. They are absolutely wrong. Though English has been a career language, for many in India, it has never entered the streets and homes. The threat to Marathi is from the substandard Mumbaiya film Hindi which any person from Hindi belt will immediately disown. Hence I humbly request Marathi speaking people to encourage their children to speak Marathi outside even with Non-Maharashtrians. Thus indirectly enabling Non-Maharashtrians to learn Marathi. In the present scenario a non-Maharashtrian can live for years together in Mumbai or Pune without learning Marathi. This is not the case with any other state.

Readers may be surprised about why a non-Maharashtrian Iyer is encouraging Marathi chauvinism? Anyway linguistic chauvinism is definitely better than provincial chauvinism. Further if the indigenous Marathi culture is to be protected and nourished, Marathi should regain its prime position in Maharashtra. It required a linguistic movement similar to those witnessed in Tamilnadu and Karnataka. Will the real Maharashtrians stand up and be counted?