Sanjay Dutt's 'Baba' to Sonalee Kulkarni's 'Hirkani': The best Marathi movies of 2019

2019 was an excellent year for Marathi cinema. While there were some of the biggest hits, on one hand, there were a few others that missed the mark. This year, the industry saw over 40 releases, of which over a dozen did very well at the box office. Some of the hit flicks include Sameer Vidwans' 'Anandi Gopal' to Prasad Oak's 'Hirkani' which set the cash counters ringing at the box office. Here are our top picks of some of 2019's best movies in Marathi cinema (in random order) worth celebrating.

'Anandi Gopal' directed by Sameer Vidwans, is a biopic based on the life of Anandi Gopal Joshi, who is known as the first Indian woman doctor. It featured stars like Bhagyashree Milind, Lalit Prabhakar Geetanjali Kulkarni, and Yogesh Soman in pivotal roles. After receiving widespread praise for his blockbuster film, 'Anandi Gopal' was also screened at the 50th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in the open-air screenings, under the theme of The Joy of Cinema. The film was released on February 15, 2019.

The 2019 Marathi film is directed by Mahesh Manjrekar. The film is a biography of the popular writer Purushottam Laxman Deshpande. It released on January 4, 2019. It received critical acclaim from the critics. The lead role in the film is portrayed by Sagar Deshmukh. It also features Iravati Harshe, Saksham Kulkarni, Mrunmayee Deshpande in important roles.

Upendra Sidhaye's directorial 'Girlfriend' starring Sai Tamhankar and Amey Wagh is a romantic drama with a comedy angle, was released on 26th July 2019. This film is about a boy who has always been let down by love, finally getting his shot at getting a ‘Girlfriend’. As per the buzz and the reports, the 1st day Box office collection for 'Girlfriend' was around 65 Lakhs. For a Marathi film, trade experts described the box office collection as “very good”.

Sanjay Dutt and his wife Maanayata's first Marathi venture, 'Baba' directed by Raj Gupta was released on August 2, that took away the biggest glory this time. 'Baba' tells the story of a father-son (played by Deepak Dobriya-Aryan Meghji) duo in rural Maharashtra. Deepak plays the deaf and mute father in the film. Set in the 1990s, the film is about his child, who has the ability to speak and hear but hasn’t learnt to because his parents can’t. This heartwarming saga is undoubtedly one of the milestones in Marathi cinema this year.

Hirkani is a 2019 Marathi language historical period film that is directed by Prasad Oak. The film is produced by Falguni Patel. It features Sonalee Kulkarni in the lead role of Hirkani, who is a brave mother. It is set in the historical period of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Hirkani also marks the directorial debut of Prasad Oak. The music of the film is composed by Amitraj. It released on October 24, 2019.

The 2019 Marathi language romantic-comedy film is directed by Sanket Prakash Payse. It is produced by Narendra Shantikumar Firodiya. The film features Ankush Chaudhari, Shivani Surve, and Pallavi Patil. The film follows the theme of a love triangle. The refreshing comedy opened to good reviews. The music of the film is composed by Avinash-Vishwajeet. Triple Seat released on October 25, 2019, theatrically.

'Fatteshikast' is a Marathi historical period drama film that is directed by Digpal Lanjekar. The film is produced under the banner of Almonds Creations. It features Chinmay Mandleka, Mrinal Kulkarni, Sameer Dharmadhikari. It is set in the period of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. It was praised for its storyline and direction. It was released on November 15, 2019. The music of the film is composed by Devdutta Manisha Baji.