“I wanted to show the world of zhadipatti to those who were unaware of it,” says Trushant Ingle, director of ‘Zollywood’, a Marathi film, which explores the dynamics and celebration of zhadipatti, a thriving theatre scene in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region.

Prominent in the forested villages of Nagpur, Gondia, Gadchiroli and Chandrapur, together known as zhadipatti--roughly translating to trees and fields-- the local theatre of the same name presents a lesser-known picture of a region mainly shown as drought-stricken in the visuals by mainstream media. With zhadipatti, the region is in a different zone; it echoes with music, theatrical energy and people here have fun too, indulging in six-month long entertaining dramas at night post-work. ‘Zollywood’, by Wishberry Films productions, offers the viewer a glimpse into this zestful world of Vidarbha’s farmers, who eagerly await zhadipatti naatak every year.