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By:

Bharati Dubey

17 May 2026 at 1:38:10 am

Raja Shivaji sparks a new era for Marathi cinema

Mumbai: As Raja Shivaji marches steadily towards the Rs 100 crore mark, the film has reignited debate around the future of the Marathi film industry. Having already crossed Rs 80 crore at the Indian box office, the historical drama is now only the second Marathi film after Sairat to achieve the milestone. Its success has raised a larger question within the trade: can a major blockbuster finally attract sustained investment into Marathi cinema, an industry often marked by cycles of growth and...

Raja Shivaji sparks a new era for Marathi cinema

Mumbai: As Raja Shivaji marches steadily towards the Rs 100 crore mark, the film has reignited debate around the future of the Marathi film industry. Having already crossed Rs 80 crore at the Indian box office, the historical drama is now only the second Marathi film after Sairat to achieve the milestone. Its success has raised a larger question within the trade: can a major blockbuster finally attract sustained investment into Marathi cinema, an industry often marked by cycles of growth and slowdown? Much of the buzz surrounding the film stems from the support it received from prominent Hindi film stars, several of whom reportedly came on board to back the project and the industry. Trade analyst Girish Wankhede believes the film’s biggest achievement lies in the scale of collaboration it represents. “The real strength of Raja Shivaji lies in its creative ensemble star cast, which Riteish Deshmukh successfully brought together. By roping in heavyweight Hindi stars like Abhishek Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, and Salman Khan, the film showcases the immense combined value of cross-industry collaboration. This strong gesture of Hindi cinema’s biggest names extending full support to a Marathi project has created a powerful impression, generating tremendous curiosity and respect for Marathi cinema among audiences, investors, and other industries. It underscores how Marathi films can now command pan-Indian attention and star power,” he says. At the same time, Wankhede feels it may still be premature to call the film a runaway commercial success given its production scale and costs. “What is heartening is the visible new energy and creative fuel that Riteish Deshmukh has infused into Marathi cinema. With him at the helm of affairs, the film looks strong and polished, and this momentum, further amplified by the star support, is already drawing serious attention from investors who were earlier hesitant about the regional space,” he adds. Producer Suniel Wadhwa, Co-Founder and Director of Karmic Films, says the film’s performance could play an important role in rebuilding investor confidence in theatrical cinema. “The success of Raja Shivaji could significantly improve investor confidence in theatrical cinema, especially at a time when many non-film investors have become cautious about the sector. If the film succeeds as a large-scale theatrical event rather than just an opening weekend phenomenon, it will reinforce the belief that culturally rooted Indian stories still possess massive commercial potential across regions and demographics,” he says. However, Wadhwa points out that the industry continues to face deep structural challenges. “One of the biggest is the shortage of true theatrical stars who can create urgency for audiences to step into cinemas. Streaming has created visibility, but not necessarily ticket-selling mythology. At the same time, India remains heavily under-screened, and even strong films often struggle with inadequate show slots, limited showcasing windows, and overcrowded release calendars. Many films today are judged within the first 48–72 hours, leaving little room for organic word-of-mouth growth,” he says. According to him, the theatrical business is evolving rather than disappearing. “Audiences are now reserving cinema outings for event-driven experiences — spectacle, emotion, mythology, action, horror-comedy, and culturally resonant storytelling. Films that can create that collective viewing urgency will continue to attract both audiences and serious investment capital,” he adds. The Marathi film industry has witnessed a mixed year so far. More than two dozen films have released, but only a handful — including Raja Shivaji, Kranti Vidyalay Marathi Madhyam, Aga Aga Sunbai Mahnatay Sasubai, and Super Duper — have performed strongly at the box office. Veteran journalist Dilip Thakur believes Marathi cinema has already begun regaining momentum after the slowdown caused by the pandemic. “New Marathi films are getting launched regularly. The upcoming film Bapya had its screening at Sunny Super Sound, which was attended by non-Marathi journalists in big numbers. The story of Bapya is complex and difficult to make. The point here is that a producer agreed to put his money into the film. Sabar Bonda was another difficult subject which won an award at Sundance. So, producers willing to invest money in such subjects is one positive sign,” he says. Thakur also points to the continued appetite for mainstream Marathi entertainers. “The boom after Sairat still exists in Marathi cinema. There was a setback for four years because of Covid, but the industry has gained momentum. Ravi Jadhav’s new film Fulawara, based on tamasha folk art, will soon go on floors in Pune,” he says. He further notes that Marathi cinema is increasingly attracting investors from outside the industry. “Most Marathi films have non-Marathi investors. They are putting in money because there is business in Marathi cinema. But not every film becomes a hit. Subhash Ghai also produced a few Marathi films. If the subject is good, people are willing to invest,” he adds. Not everyone, however, is convinced that one major hit can alter the industry’s fortunes overnight. Nitin Datar, president of the Cinema Owners Association, remains cautious about reading too much into the film’s success. “Only one film success is not going to bring investors. In the last five years, out of nearly 500 films produced, the success rate has not been encouraging,” he says. Datar acknowledges that the presence of Hindi stars has helped boost the film’s commercial appeal but stresses that Marathi cinema still lacks enough bankable stars capable of consistently drawing audiences to theatres. “The production houses and directors have attracted audiences. Unfortunately, producers haven’t been successful in attracting financial assistance, which has resulted in low production and advertising budgets. But if films succeed in pulling audiences over the weekend, exhibitors automatically increase shows and reduce screenings of underperforming films from other languages. The audience is always there, waiting to visit theatres in large numbers for a good film,” he says. For now, Raja Shivaji has undeniably given Marathi cinema a strong moment in the spotlight. Whether that momentum translates into long-term financial confidence and sustained industry growth remains the larger question.

NATO No More

Updated: Mar 3, 2025

While critics decry Trump’s reluctance to extend NATO’s protective umbrella over Ukraine, his approach may ultimately yield a more sustainable solution.

NATO

U.S. President Donald Trump has categorically ruled out offering U.S. security guarantees or NATO membership for Ukraine, instead emphasizing that European allies should bear primary responsibility for Kyiv’s defence. His remarks come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky prepares to visit Washington to finalize a deal involving the transfer of rare earth minerals, which are critical resources for U.S. technology and aerospace industries.


Trump’s stance, no surprise to any keen watcher by now, marks a departure from decades of U.S. policy, which saw NATO’s expansion steadily push eastward despite assurances given to Russia in the 1990s that the alliance would not move “one inch” beyond Germany’s borders.


Significantly, Trump alluded to that very promise when he said that the dangling of the NATO carrot before Ukraine had resulted in the current situation to begin with.


The roots of today’s crisis can be traced back to the immediate aftermath of the Cold War. As Germany reunified in 1990, U.S. Secretary of State James Baker assured Gorbachev that NATO would expand “not one inch eastward” beyond its existing borders. The understanding was that in exchange for allowing German reunification under NATO membership, the alliance would refrain from absorbing former Warsaw Pact states or Soviet republics. That promise, made to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev during negotiations over German reunification, was quietly discarded. Over the years, successive American administrations welcomed former Warsaw Pact countries and even ex-Soviet republics into NATO, steadily eroding Moscow’s strategic buffer.


While Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is rightly condemned, it is undeniable that NATO’s enlargement has played a role in escalating tensions. The inclusion of countries like Poland, the Baltic states, and most recently Finland, touted as a move for stability, was perceived in Moscow as a direct security threat. Ukraine’s pursuit of NATO membership, strongly encouraged by the West, became the final red line for Vladimir Putin, providing the pretext for military action.


Now, instead of reflexively expanding U.S. security commitments, Trump is pressing European powers to take responsibility for regional stability, making clear that NATO’s European members should shoulder the burden of defending Ukraine.


His reluctance to commit the U.S. to formal security guarantees stands in contrast to the stance of his predecessor, Joe Biden, who supported Ukraine’s eventual NATO membership but without offering a clear timeline. This vague assurance arguably prolonged the conflict by giving Kyiv false hope while simultaneously aggravating Russia.


Crucially, Trump also appears to be making headway in diplomatic efforts with Moscow. He suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin is now more open to compromise, having initially aimed to subjugate the entire country.


This war is more than a simple Russia-Ukraine conflict; it is the result of a geopolitical struggle rooted in the disintegration of the Soviet Union. As political scientist Paul D’Anieri argues in Ukraine and Russia: From Civilized Divorce to Uncivil War, Ukraine has been at the heart of Russia’s efforts to maintain influence over the post-Soviet space. Without Ukraine, Moscow’s ambitions to rebuild a sphere of influence crumble, making Kyiv’s westward drift an existential challenge for the Kremlin.


Compounding this is the issue of nuclear disarmament. As Yuriy Kostenko details in Ukraine’s Nuclear Disarmament, the 1994 Budapest Memorandum saw Ukraine surrender the third-largest nuclear arsenal in exchange for vague “assurances” of sovereignty. That agreement, brokered by the U.S., U.K. and Russia, offered no binding guarantees, leaving Ukraine vulnerable to Russian aggression decades later. The war has since reinforced scepticism about denuclearization, sending a clear message to countries like Iran and North Korea that giving up nuclear weapons without ironclad security guarantees is a strategic mistake.


By resisting the impulse to expand U.S. military commitments and prioritizing diplomacy, economic agreements and burden-sharing among European allies, Trump may be charting a course toward de-escalation. In doing so, he is challenging an entrenched U.S. foreign policy consensus that has too often ignored the long-term consequences of NATO expansion.

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