Ajinkya Deo On Marathi Films Struggling To Get Grand Releases: Youth Isn’t Coming To Theatres Because... – EXCLUSIVE

Ajinkya

Deo is one of the most popular actors from Hindi and Marathi cinema. He started his career in the late 80s and worked in a lot of Hindi and Marathi films. Nowadays, Marathi filmmakers are struggling to release films on a grand scale. In an exclusive interaction with Zoom, Ajinkya Deo revealed the real reason behind the struggle.

Ajinkya Deo on Marathi films’ struggle

During a candid chat with us, when asked about the revolution in Marathi cinema in the past 15 years, Ajinkya Deo said, “The growth has been driven by a new generation of talented and globally aware directors, writers, and actors. Many Marathi filmmakers today aren’t limited to regional boundaries anymore. They’re exposed to world cinema and platforms like OTTs, and they bring that sensibility back into Marathi storytelling.” “The audience, too, has evolved. They’re watching international content and expecting the same calibre of storytelling. That drives creators to match global standards while staying rooted in Marathi culture. The industry is definitely on the rise, and I’m confident the stories will only get more universal and powerful,” the Gharat Ganpati actor added.Also Read : 120 Bahadur Actor Ajinkya Deo Discovers Rare Quality In Farhan Akhtar: He Was Always In Student Mode – EXCLUSIVE Despite this growth, the audience is still not coming to theatres to watch Marathi films. Hence, the filmmakers are struggling to release Marathi films in theatres on a grand scale. When asked about his take on it, Ajinkya Deo said, “The challenge is complex. While South Indian films like Kannada blockbusters are made at budgets of ₹70–100 crores and cross ₹300 crores at the box office, Marathi cinema is still catching up. I feel Marathi cinema’s risk-taking appetite needs to grow. Most of our films are still aimed at women and a 40+ audience. The youth isn’t coming to theatres, even for Marathi stories, and that must change.” He concluded his chat by stating, “We need to make bigger, more universal stories that appeal to younger audiences – stories that combine scale and emotion. It’s a chicken-and-egg situation: if we don’t spend big, the audience won’t come, but without the audience, big budgets aren’t justified. Yet, I believe this shift is inevitable and will happen soon.” Talking about Ajinkya Deo, he will next be seen in the Farhan Akhtar-starrer 120 Bahadur. Directed by Razneesh Ghai, the film is slated to be released on November 21, 2025, in theatres. Stay tuned for more updates!