Some of the timeless Marathi classics you should not miss

Marathi cinema is growing by leaps and bounds. The foundation of the film industry was laid by the Marathi Manoos Dadasaheb Phalke. Though being qualitatively rich, Marathi cinema did not get its due before the turn of the millennium in India. Rich in content, here are a few of the Marathi classics that you should not miss watching.

The list of the Marathi classics would have been incomplete without mentioning the name of this movie. Directed by the great Acharya Atre based on a book by Sane Guruji, this is a story about the unconditional love and warmth between mother and son. The movie may seem impractical today but the struggle of a mother to raise her child is worth watching. The simplicity of the story makes it a classic.

This tragedy drama was directed by the very famous director V.Shantaram which featured the great actors Shriram Lagoo, Sandhya and Nilu Phule in prominent roles. The movie had a powerful plot, the film is about a morally righteousness school teacher, who wants to reform a Tamasha performer, played by Sandhya, but ends up falling in love with her. This film was a blockbuster of its time and the first coloured movie of Marathi industry. 'Pinjra' took Marathi cinema to the other level and thus is considered as an evergreen movie.

This film was a masterpiece by Jabbar Patel and turned out to be a box office hit back then. It featured fine actors like Mohan Agashe, Nilu Phule, Shriram Lagoo, Smita Patil and Vilas Rakate in prominent roles. The story revolves around the sudden disappearance of the soldier Maruti Kamble. The performances by the actors made it one of the golden movies. It was entered into the 25th Berlin International Film Festival.

Sanjay Surkar directorial 'Chaukat Raja' pictured a story of a mentally challenged boy and his struggle while dealing with the situations in the life. This movie featured Sulabha Deshpande, Dilip Kulkarni, Dilip Prabhavalkar, Ashok Saraf and Smita Talvalkar. All the credit goes to the phenomenal acting of Dilip Prabhavalkar that made the movie a box office hit.

Sandeep Sawant's 'Shwaas' was India's official entry to 2004 Oscars. The film is a sweet tale about a grandfather's struggle to show his grandson every beautiful thing in the world before he loses his eyesight. With an absolutely touching story, the emotional roller coaster tugs at your heart. This movie definitely deserves a watch.

Directed by Nishikant Kamat, this masterpiece is a story of the common Mumbaikar Sandeep Kulkarni who goes on a rampage against the corrupt system to correct all the wrongdoings. The story has a tragic end of how he fights till he is completely shattered. The film gives the message of self-awareness. The movie has a realistic touch and thus was a super duper hit.

Mahesh Manjrekar's 'Natsamrat' featured Nana Patekar, Medha Manjrekar, Vikram Gokhale in prominent roles. The film's story is an adaptation of the legendary play written by Kusumagraj. The film is the story of the retired stage actor who divides his property amongst his children and how ungrateful they become. This is considered as one of the superhits in Marathi cinema.