Pune: Marathi films hotspot

From the high mountains to the deep blue sea, filmmakers strive hard to bring out the beauty of lovely locations in their films.
In recent times, Marathi filmmakers are exploring the best that Pune has to offer, thereby showcasing the diversity in the city in the most aesthetic way possible. As director Sunil Sukhtankar says, “Pune gives a rustic feel as well as its marvellous metropolitan counterpart.As they say, beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.”
The dry lands of Phaltan to the greenery of Panshet and Sinhagad, Pune has different scenic characteristics, that are being explored by these filmmakers. “We select locations according to the subject of the film. I like shooting in completely unusual locations. For instance, I have shot in a stable with the stable boys and also in slums to capture the reality. We have shot on barren lands on the outskirts of Pune, and also Gultekdi behind Marketyard. Even locations like Saswad and Mawla are gorgeous,” continues Sukhtankar who has made films like Dahavi and Doghi.
Capturing the mesmerising images that the city is dotted with motivates many fiilmmakers. “I am proud of Pune’s history, and I want the audiences to see them. I have shot in many villages around the city, which have such a gorgeous scenery that I didn’t need any reason to even think about going elsewhere,” says actor-director Rajan Prabhu, who has films Ghaat Pratighaat and Most Wanted to his list.
Filmmaker Yashvardhan Pandey is also one of those who has been making his movies against the background of Pune. “Pune has a very rich tradition and, yet, it has a contemporary feel to it. We are lucky to have such a combination, which works very well for us.”
Budget is one of the reasons why some directors choose to shoot in Pune. Understandable, since why should one blow up unnecessary money when similar sights and sounds can be shot at much lesser costs? Director Ankur Kakatkar, who made Made in China and has used some 48 locations from the city, gives some interesting anecdotes. “For instance, in my film, I had to show a mob. The place I made my movie had a bullock cart race going on, and I managed to get a real life scene of a lakh and a half people cheering away, which saved money as well. If you add that to the fact that we got excellent shots all through, shooting in Pune is great,” says he.
Pune offers variety. And, it has its own charm and beauty. That being the case, why should the filmmakers go out of Pune? That seems to be the mantra of many directors, who are shooting their films within the city, ensuring that the product is something to ‘watch’ out for.
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