Marathi films to be screened in prime slots

The Maharashtra government will make it mandatory for multiplexes and cinema halls in the State to screen Marathi movies in the evening prime time slot.

State Minister for Culture and Education Vinod Tawde told the Assembly on Tuesday that between 6 pm and 9 pm, at least one screen in a multiplex must be reserved for Marathi movies.

The law will be enforced with the help of the Revenue Department, he said.

Maharashtra already has a law that makes it mandatory for cinema houses and multiplexes to show Marathi movies.

For the last five years both the Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena have been threatening cinema owners and demanding prime time slots for Marathi movies.

Tawde said the previous governments had also made it compulsory for movie houses to show Marathi films but that rule was never followed strictly. Owners of the movie houses screened Marathi movies during morning hours or late evening hours, which was inconvenient for movie goers, he said.

Criticising the move by the Maharashtra government, former Union Minister Milind Deora tweeted that if Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is serious about promoting Marathi cinema, he should announce a grant for filmmakers who develop and produce movies in the language.

Tawde also said the State government plans to produce a short film on Dadasaheb Phalke, considered the Father of Indian Cinema.

This film will also have to be compulsorily shown in cinema halls after the national anthem.

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