'Dashavatar': Subodh Khanokar REVEALS the MOTIVE behind releasing the film in Malayalam

Subodh Khanolkar’s directorial ‘Dashavatar,’ starring Dilip Prabhavalkar, became a massive hit as it was released in Marathi on September 12, 2026. The socia-thriller drama made on a nominal budget of just Rs. 5 crore, went on to earn an impressive Rs. 25–28 crore worldwide. This huge reception made 'Dashavatar' the year’s most profitable Marathi project.

Looking at the overwhelming response, the makers released the film in Malayalam on December 12, and it appears to be receiving an equally enthusiastic reception across the southern belt. Social media has been flooded with praise, with viewers applauding not only the powerful performances but also the film’s compelling storyline, assured direction, and the overall cinematic experience offered by the project.

Subodh Khanolkar shares their intention to release Dashavatar in Malayalam

ETimes contacted the captain of the ship, Subodh Khanolkar, and he shared his joy as he explained the motive behind releasing the film in Malayalam. "While making 'Dashavatar,' our conscious effort was to ensure that the film should not be confined by the boundaries of language but instead emerge as a universal story. We firmly believed that if a film has a strong visual language, emotions that resonate universally, and a theme that speaks to everyone, it can connect with audiences across languages. This belief got confirmed when the film was released in September."

"The film did well in theaters not only in Maharashtra but across the world, and received immense love from audiences. Soon there was a strong demand for the film to be released in other languages as well. Therefore, as an experiment and a learning experience, we decided to release the film in the Malayalam language. For which, we worked with artists from Kerala whose mother tongue is Malayalam for the dubbing. Interestingly, the songs were recreated in Malayalam, and they were very well received. The film has now been released on a limited scale," Khanolkar shared how they worked along with the dubbing artist to stick to the essence of the story.



An elated Subodh Khanolkar further added, "The response from both audiences and critics has been very encouraging for the entire 'Dashavatar' team, and people are actively engaging with us through platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. This is perhaps the first time that a Marathi film has been independently released in the Malayalam language. This was an attempt we consciously undertook to expand the horizons of Marathi cinema and to help stories told in the Marathi language reach audiences beyond linguistic boundaries."



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