Animation and VFX (Visual Effects) are rapidly transforming the landscape of Marathi cinema, bringing a new level of visual storytelling and technical innovation to the industry.
While they may not yet match Hollywood standards, the thinking and approach are certainly moving in the right direction. Who knows, they might reach that level in the coming years. Lets discuss the rapid change in the Marathi cinema with the use of technology.
PATH-BREAKING MARATHI FILMS AND PERFORMANCES:
‘Zombivli’
Director Aditya Sarpotdar’s ‘Zombivli’ deserves full marks for its concept. A film in this genre relies a lot on VFX and prosthetics, and ‘Zombivli’ scores on that front by making the zombies look scary and believable.
‘Mitwaa’
Swwapnil Joshi’s ‘Mitwaa’ featured the work of 30 artists from Vertex Volt, who contributed to 3D character designing and animation, matte paintings, particle effects, rotoscoping, and compositing. The film included nearly 325 VFX shots, such as transitions between shots using rotoscoping and compositing, text formation in the sky through smoke emitted from a 3D jet plane, and close-up shots of 3D birds.
Pawankhind
Best known for his VFX, this historical epic ‘Pawankhind’ is liked well by the spectators. The film cast Ankit Mohan as Rayajirao, Chinmay Mandlekar as Shivaji Maharaj, Ajay Purkar as Baji Prabhu Deshpande, Prajakta Mali as Shrimant Bhavanil, and others.
Sher Shivraj
Digpal Lanjekar’s historical epic was based on the life of Maratha warrior ‘Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj’. Cinematographer Reshmi Sarkar handled the VFX scenes well. The film was framed on one of the events of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s life, where he defeated Afzal Khan.
Animation and VFX have revolutionized Marathi cinema:
Shreyash Jadhav
After impressing the audience with his debut directorial film, ‘Me Pan Sachin’, ‘Pune Rap’ fame Marathi rapper King JD aka Shreyash Jadhav is gearing up for his highly anticipated film ‘Jantar Mantar Choomantar’.
Spilling some beans on what Shreyash feels about the role of Animation and VFX in Marathi Cinema. Shreyash told ETimes, “As a producer and director in this new era of contemporary cinema, I am thrilled to embrace the extensive use of VFX, CGI, Animation, Motion Capturing, AI, and more in my past and upcoming projects. These technologies greatly enhance my creative vision. One of the films produced by my company, Ganaraj Studio, Prabha Shivaji Raja (2018), holds the distinction of being the first Marathi animation film centred on Maharaj.”
Elaborating further, he added, “I directed a film titled Jantar Mantar Choomantar, a horror-comedy featuring over 1,000 VFX shots. I believe this will be the first Marathi movie with such an extensive use of VFX in the history of Marathi cinema. The film is slated for release at the end of this year, and its VFX work, which has been in progress for two years, is something audiences will soon experience. The quality of the VFX in this movie is on par with what you would see in top-tier Hindi and South Indian films.”
Akshay Bardapurkar
The National Award-winning filmmaker Akshay Bardapurkar is making headlines for his two movies ‘Chhatrapati Tararani’ and ‘Raavsaaheb’.
The filmmaker told ETimes, “VFX and Animation are fast becoming the most important pillars of cinematic storytelling worldwide. Marathi cinema is not yet there but not far behind either. Both Tararani and Raavsaaheb use vfx and animation as an integral tool of storytelling and both films feature cutting-edge, international quality of VFX.”
“Anuj Deshpande (Raavsaaheb) and (Parth Gajjar )Tararani VFX have both done a phenomenal job keeping in mind the budget constraints of Marathi cinema,” Akshay added.
Navjyot Bandiwadekar
Navjyot Bandiwadekar made his directorial debut with Marathi feature film, ‘Gharat Ganpati’. The film starred Nikita Dutta, Ashwini Bhave, Bhushan Pradhan, Shubhangi Latkar and Ajinkya Deo in pivotal roles.
Shedding some light on the impact of animation and VFX in Marathi films, Navjyot shared, “Animation and VFX have revolutionized Marathi cinema. They have opened new realms of creativity and storytelling. It empowers us filmmakers to tell our stories in ways we’ve never imagined, breaking the boundaries of creativity and imagination. By integrating these technologies, we can now bring to life stories and visions that were once confined to the imagination, pushing the limits of what Marathi cinema can achieve.”
Pushkar Jog
Actor Pushkar Jog is currently gaining much attention after he announced his upcoming film which is about Artificial Intelligence (AI). It will be the first Marathi film about AI.
When asked about animation and VFX roles in Marathi movies, Pushkar said, “I believe technology has come a long way, much like the transition from shooting on film in the 90s to now shooting digitally. As technology continues to evolve, artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to have a significant impact on filmmaking. For filmmakers who specialize in technical, sci-fi, or VFX-heavy films, the advancements in AI will make their work much easier and more comfortable for technicians. This is undoubtedly the future of cinema.
Eloborating further, Jog added, “Just as no one could have predicted the shift to digital filmmaking, or the rise of OTT platforms as the future of content consumption, AI is set to revolutionize our industry. While it won’t replace the magic of theatres or traditional cinema, AI will enhance the creative process in ways we are just beginning to understand. I would love to see more AI integration at Marathi cinema. I have already experimented with this in my film ‘Dharma AI Story’, where I explored the adverse effects of misusing AI and the dangers of endorsing such behaviour. AI, like any powerful tool, has its pros and cons. It can make life easier but also presents scary possibilities, like the ability to morph and manipulate faces through coding. Therefore, AI must be used constructively rather than destructively, much like how social media should be handled.”
Marathi filmmakers are increasingly embracing innovation, recognizing the vital role of animation and VFX in modern filmmaking. Despite budget constraints traditionally faced in the Marathi film industry, producers are now allocating substantial funds to ensure high-quality VFX. They understand that every penny invested in VFX yields an output that far exceeds its cost, enhancing the overall value of the film
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