'Marathi films need to focus on marketing'

Says director Wasim Maner, who has directed the Marathi movie Hou De Jarasa Ushir, which was considered for the Academy Awards and whose script has been preserved in the Oscar library

Hailing from a small-town like Phaltan (Satara district), director Wasim Maner has made a mark in the Marathi film industry as well as at the Academy Awards with his work. The first-time director was elated when his movie was considered among the top 282 Best Movie nominations at the Academy Awards.

Still from the movie Hou De Jarasa Ushiru00a0

Maner doesn’t have a film background; instead he started off as a wildlife photographer: “After completing my graduation in Zoology a few years back, I realised that I am more of an outdoor person. Photography is my passion and I decided to enter into the field of cinematography. Along with my brother, I established a production house called Biroba Films through which we made many films on wildlife. Now through Hou De Jarasa Ushir (HDJU), we have entered into the entertainment sector and are already getting a lot of positive feedback.”

Hou De Jarasa Ushir is based on the fast pace of life in today’s world. The film advises people to take life on a slow track by enjoying the small pleasures in life. Maner admits that it was a great honour to be part of the Oscars. “Our movie is the first Marathi film that has been selected among the top 282 films in the Best Movie category. Though the movie didn’t make it to the top 10 films short list, it’s still a big honour for us as we made a mark from amongst 1,376 eligible films from across the globe in this category.”

Interestingly, it is the first Marathi film to have its script preserved at the Oscar Library. With movies like Balak Palak, Pune 52 and Hou De Jarasa Ushir garnering good collections at the box office Maner is optimistic about the future of the Marathi film industry. “I don’t think Marathi films are any less than Hindi ones; but we need to focus more on distribution and marketing tactics,” he concludes.

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