Appreciating Marathi Cinema | A Little Culture with Anil | Ep 1

I’m Gujarati. So naturally, I’ve grown up surrounded by the rhythm of Gujarati plays and films, the kind that feel like home. Being Gujarati also means a deep love for Navaratri, the festival that turns our state into a nine-night-long celebration of dance, devotion, and sheer joy. It’s a part of our culture, just like our love for Bollywood—because let’s be honest, Bollywood is practically a second language for us. The grandeur, the music, the drama—it’s all woven into our everyday lives.

But here’s the thing—I love peeking into other cultures, seeing the world through different lenses, and sometimes, just getting absolutely wrecked by a film in a language I barely understand. That’s the magic of cinema. It doesn’t need translation; it just needs to hit you right in the gut. And Marathi cinema? Oh, it does that. Brutally. Beautifully.

So, let’s talk about three of the best Marathi films I’ve had the absolute pleasure (and heartbreak) of watching: Natarang, Sairat, and Natsamrat. If you haven’t seen them yet, I envy you. You get to experience them for the first time.

Natarang (2010) – The Price of Art

Starring the phenomenal Atul Kulkarni, Natarang is about dreams and sacrifices, about the raw, painful, intoxicating love for art. It follows Gunvantrao Kagalkar, or Guna, a poor village laborer with an obsession for Tamasha—a popular theatrical folk art of Maharashtra. When unforeseen circumstances force him to set up his own theatre troupe, he faces a challenge: the troupe needs a "Nachya"—a man who acts in an effeminate manner. Strongly built and passionate about his art, Guna takes up the role himself, transforming both his body and soul for the sake of theatre. Every frame is poetry, and the music? Goosebumps. It’s one of those films that doesn’t just tell a story—it makes you feel it in your bones.

Sairat (2016) – Love, But Make It Hurt

Sairat is not just a film. It’s an experience. It takes the most overused plot in Indian cinema—young, forbidden love—and flips it into something so raw, so real, that it leaves you gasping. Rinku Rajguru and Akash Thosar bring their characters alive in a way that feels heartbreakingly personal. And let’s not even talk about Ajay-Atul’s soundtrack, because that music is basically a character in itself. This film doesn’t just break your heart; it shatters it into pieces and leaves you staring at the mess.

Natsamrat (2016) – The King Without a Stage

Nana Patekar. That’s it. That’s the review. But seriously, Natsamrat is a masterclass in acting. It tells the story of an aging theatre legend who gave everything to the stage and now finds himself lost in the real world. It’s Shakespearean in tragedy, grand in its storytelling, and painfully intimate in its emotions. If you’ve ever loved something so deeply that it became your entire identity, this film will hit different.

Marathi cinema isn’t just about entertainment; it’s about storytelling that grips you by the heart and refuses to let go. And that’s why I love exploring different cultures. Stories, whether they come from Gujarati theatre, Tamil poetry, K-pop lyrics, or anime plotlines, all have one thing in common—they connect us. They make us feel.

This blog series, A Little Culture with Anil, is all about that connection. About exploring cultures that have existed for centuries and the ones that are shaping our world right now. From folk songs passed down through generations to the modern madness of TikTok trends, culture is everywhere, and it’s constantly evolving. And honestly? I just want to talk about it.

So, tell me—have you watched these Marathi gems? And what’s a film from your culture that wrecked you in the best way possible? Let’s talk.