How women audiences are championing Marathi films in theatres

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With a host of female-centric films being made, Marathi cinema is speaking closely to women audiences, who are in turn showing up in large numbers to watch them, celebrate them and turn them into box office successes

Updated - July 17, 2026 04:28 pm IST

Actor Girija Oak Godbole posing for a photo with others during a movie screening | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The inherent innocence of Marathi films is reaffirming. Whether it is the comic outbursts in the multi-starrer classic, Ashi Hi Banwa Banwi (1988), or the mix of thrill and fun in the timeless Zapatlela (1993), Marathi films have exhibited a disarming familiarity to local audiences, who see a part of their middle-class life represented in their own language on screen. Even ideas of womanhood have found powerful release since Maherchi Sadi (1991), which saw women turning out in large numbers and reacting emotionally to the film’s story. Off late, Marathi films have been exploring themes of women's liberation with an emotive touch, and they are largely resonating with female audiences, who are flocking to theatres in groups.

That was seen in this year’s Tighee, directed by debutante Jeejivisha Kale, which tells the story of a mother’s turbulent relationship with her two daughters. The film picked up largely due to word of mouth, with women leading the charge in theatres. A similar trend was seen in other films released this year, including Krantijyoti Vidyalaya, Tumbbad Chi Manjula, and Deol Band 2, all of which performed well at the box office. Producer of Tighee, Suhrud Godbole, opines that women are primary decision makers when it comes to Marathi film viewing. “We even decide the show timings thinking about women and when it would be suitable for them to go to theatres. Because when a woman decides to go to watch a film, she doesn’t go alone; she takes the entire family with her. Along with that, women also go to watch films with their own group of friends, making them a captive audience for Marathi films,” says Suhrud.

One such group, ‘Aapla Aawaz, Aapli Sakhi’ is run by Sangita Tarde, a resident of Pune, who organises special screenings of films, often in collaboration with the makers, so as to pull a large number of women to the theatres. Sangita was driven by the purpose of doing something for the benefit of Marathi films. “I was seeing how people were not coming out to watch Marathi films and were waiting for their OTT release. But when we started organising these events, one woman would bring more of her friends along and it became a group outing of sorts for them. That’s how entire screens get booked,” says Sangita.

Some of the movie screenings are designed on a special theme, like for the film, Aga Aga Sunbai Kay Mhanta Sasubai?, the group invited women to bring their mothers-in-law to watch the film wearing a matching outfit. “We even gifted saris to some of them, with celebrities handing them over. Experiences like these bring women out of their houses, where they can have fun with their friends and get away from household work for some time,” says Sangita.

Women audiences during a movie screening event in Pune | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Madhuri Awhad is an entrepreneur in Pune who attends these movie screenings regularly. She says that Marathi cinema holds a special place in her heart. “Marathi films feel like a glimpse into our own lives. The actors and actresses feel like my own brothers and sisters, with a familiarity in their expressions. So, a lot of the emotions that Marathi films carry seem personal. We love watching family dramas, and they give us exactly that. In fact, I take my mother-in-law regularly with me to watch these films. She loves them,” Madhuri says.

Another member of the group, Shubhangi Mahabare, a working professional based in Pune, feels a strong connection to Marathi films. “Marathi is my mother tongue, so I get drawn to the films naturally, which are full of heart-touching stories. On the other hand, there’s a lot of action in Hindi films, which I don’t really enjoy as much,” she says, adding that Marathi films also show the rooted reality of Maharashtra, citing how the recent Deool Band 2 portrayed the conditions of farmers in the state. “If a film can make people realise about the living realities of others, then that’s a great thing.”