In 2004, Shwaas, a Marathi film was not only India’s official entry to the 2004 Oscars, but was ranked sixth in the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film category. It won the National Award that year too, 50 years since a Marathi film had last earned it. And then in 2009, Harishchandrachi Factory, another Marathi movie was selected as India’s official entry to Academy Award in the Best Foreign Language Film category. In the last couple of years, Marathi films have also been at the forefront of National Film awards. Not only are the budgets going higher, the new breed of Marathi filmmakers are leaving no stone unturned to venture into unchartered territories, creatively as well as technically. Probably the biggest change Marathi cinema has seen in the past one year or so, is the interest Bollywood is showing in it. While Akshay Kumar and Ashwini Yardi co-produced 72 Miles Ek Pravas, Riteish Deshmukh too chose to turn producer with Balak Palak, a comedy-drama on the subject of sex education.

Balak Palak marked Riteish Deshmukh’s debut as a produceru00a0