Marathi film shootings move to exotic locations

In recent times, an increasing number of Marathi filmmakers are opting for shooting locations beyond the regular places in and around Maharashtra. With a change in subjects and storylines, coupled with the willingness to pay more for an authentic product, filmmakers are now exploring locations such as Nepal, Ladakh, Darjeeling, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh among others. We bring you a few such films that are being shot in similar locations this year.

Honeymoon (working title)
Releasing in November (Diwali)
Location: Nepal
In director Tanaji Ghatge’s 'Honeymoon', the lead actors are shown going to Nepal for their honeymoon. Almost 80% of the film has been shot in Kathmandu and Pokhara regions. “A twist in the storyline leads to the wife spending more time than stipulated in Nepal. Audiences will get to see famous spots like the Pokhara Lake, Bharatpur Palace, Dhulikhel, Hanuman Dhoka and Swayambhunath Temple apart from the beautiful valleys, mountains and lakes which are the film’s constant backdrop,” Ghatge informed. The local television actors there were hired to play characters like hotel receptionist, bus driver, guide and watchman. “Shooting at unique locations certainly escalates a film’s budget but finances can be handled well with proper management,” added Ghatge.

Partu
Releasing in August-September
Location: Osiyan, RajasthanAs debutant director Nitin Adsul’s movie 'Partu' is inspired by a real-life story of a Rajasthani child, the film is being shot there. Speaking about the film, Adsul said, “'Partu' is the story of a seven-year-old boy from Osiyan, located 50 kms from Jodhpur, who loses his way and lands in Maharashtra. For authenticity, I wanted to shoot at real locations and so the first half, almost 50% of the film, which focuses on the child’s family, home and life in Osiyan, has been shot there.” The film includes various shots of the typical Rajasthani houses, deserts, colourful attires, camels with their riders and folk singers-dancers performing. A sequence has also been shot at the popular 13th century Sachiya Mata temple there. Adsul also hired local actors for a dacoit scene in the film. “We have retained the natural dialect of the locals in that particular shot to make it look natural,” he added.

Aditya Sarpotdar’s untitled next
Releasing next year
Location: Darjeeling, West Bengal
One of director Aditya Sarpotdar’s upcoming projects revolves around a Darjeeling tea estate, where the film will be shot entirely. Aditya said, “As the subject of my next film is tea, it will be shot entirely in Darjeeling. It was possible to create a similar backdrop in Maharashtra but I want to shoot in Darjeeling to lend the film an authentic visual, cultural, language and artistic treatment.” Elaborating on it, he said, “We are working hard to retain the Maharashtrian essence as without it the audience may not relate to the film. When you shoot at a non-Marathi location, there are chances of the film ending up looking like a Hindi product, so we plan to take special precautions for it, before we go on floors in December-January.” Speaking about Marathi film shootings happening beyond the regular areas, he said, “Most Marathi films are shot in a local set-up as the subjects are local and there are budget constraints too. But filmmakers are increasingly exploring new ideas and terrains for shoots and are also willing to pool in the required money, which is great.”

Bomb-A-Times (Working Title)
Releasing on December-January
Locations: Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Leh
Director Satish Motling will shoot a part of his next film, based on the 1992 Mumbai riots, in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh. “The two women protagonists of my film are shown to be taken to Azamgarh by a man, with the intent of turning them into human bombs. As this man is shown to be an Azamgarh native, about 15% of the film, including his childhood sequences, will be shot there. I am yet to finalise the exact locations but the portions shot in UP will reflect the culture and way of life of the people there. We will also shoot a song in Leh and I am in the process of acquiring the required permissions for it. We will go on floors in June.”

Jabardast 2
(Releasing on April 30, 2015)
Location: Ladakh
The title song of actor-director Pushkar Jog’s upcoming film 'Jabardast 2' (sequel of 'Zabardast'), will be shot at the Pangong Lake and mountains of Ladakh in the months of June-July. Speaking about it, Pushkar said, “As the title track has a rusty feel to it, Ladakh’s exotic locales which have a raw texture will be the perfect backdrop for it. For my film 'Mission Possible' (2010) too, I shot a song in Ladakh and am in contact with the Tibetan crew there. They are very helpful.” Talking about the costs, he added, “If you handle the budget smartly it is manageable to shoot at such exotic locations. The song has about 50 dancers of which 40 have been hired from Delhi to cut down on their travelling cost from Maharashtra.”