There is money in Marathi cinema: Nana Patekar

Nana Patekar, who entertained viewers with his quirky act in Golmaal Again, will be seen next in Aapla Manus, which is produced by Ajay Devgn. The veteran actor, who portrays the role of a cop in it, tells After Hrs why Marathi cinema is a profitable proposition for Hindi producers and how its exhibition should be given priority in theatres.

You will be seen in a Marathi film after two years?

I keep doing Hindi movies. In between, I was shooting for Tadka-Love is Cooking, which hasn’t released yet, so you see this gap. Hopefully, that film will release soon now.

You have played the role of a cop in the past too. How different is your character in Aapla Manus?

Even though they are from the same profession, each character is different. Like others, even this man has a latent aggression. It’s so piercing that you hate him, but you start liking him later.

From the trailer, it seems the movie is about the safety of senior citizens.

Not really. Since it’s a thriller, I can’t reveal a lot about the story, but my co-actors Iravati Harshe and Sumeet Raghavan have done such fantastic work that they don’t let the balance or the tempo drop, even for a moment.

Mainstream Hindi filmmakers are now producing Marathi cinema. What do you think of this trend?

Today, there is money in Marathi cinema as producers have to only invest about Rs 5 to 7 crore, but the returns are thrice or four times the cost. If the movie is really good, than the numbers are extraordinary.

Marathi cinema has been facing several issues when it comes to exhibition of films. Comment.

My projects have never had an issue when it comes to exhibition. Having said that, these things shouldn’t happen. As we are in Maharashtra, Marathi movies should be given priority. In fact, the government rule also states the same thing. If they are not being given that status, then it’s really unfair to Marathi filmmakers.

Your act in Golmaal Again is a far cry from your earlier roles. Whose idea was it to use your voice for other characters as well in the comedy?

It was filmmaker Rohit Shetty’s idea. At the time of dubbing, I was only supposed to dub for myself but when I saw the other actors, I decided to dub for them too. Later, I told Rohit that if he wished he could keep it or discard it, but he decided to retain my voice.

Nowadays, creative expression is increasingly being throttled, due to which the film fraternity is facing a tough time. The most recent case was Padmaavat. What is your take on that?

Every cinema cannot go to court. People cannot become the Censor Board, which has cleared the film. One can decide whether they have a problem with the movie, only after it is released.