Marathi film industry is experiencing a period of transition. In 2016, a film called Sairat was released in 400 plus theatres and got revenues touching Rs.80-90 crore . This year (2017), Kasav has won the national award, but has not yet been released.
The production of Marathi Films has gone up. However, the ratio of films passed by the censors and then released in the theaters is interesting. Of the censored films, few get released. In 2005, there were 58 censored films, of which only 13 could be theatrically released. In 2016, the ratio has improved. Of the 115 censored films, 85 have been released. In the last 11 years, as many as 1151 films have been censored. Out of these 687 have been released in theatres. It comes to 60 per cent.
Natsamrat in 2016 attained revenues of Rs.40 crore, and Sairat overtook it. In 2016, all Marathi films togethter collected Rs. 161 crore.
The digitisation started in 2006-07 is one important event for the release of movies. It facilitates distribution. However, it must be backed up by marketing to bring the audience to the theatres. Zee Group realised this and plunged into Marathi film production in 2007. Zee employed the twin technique of wider distribution and effective marketing for film ranging from Sade Made Teen to Sairat.
Of the box office collections, the producers share is 40 per cent. Between 2005 and 2016, a period of 11 years, the box office collection of all Marathi films stands at Rs. 669.66 crore. Of this the income flowed to producers was Rs.265.12 crore. The total production cost was Rs.867.85 crore. The overall cost in the last 11 years for Marathi film industry was Rs.602.73 crore. It is a loss of 69 per cent as an industry.
Last year (2016), as many as 85 films were released. The major contributing factor is subsidy for the Marathi films. To get the subsidy, the film must be released. There is a long queue for getting the subsidy. The cinema made in 2015 are under consideration now. There is a committee to scrutinise films for subsidy. The committee classifies the films in A, B and C categories. A category movies get Rs. 40 lac, B Rs 30 lac, and C Rs. 0 lac.
There is a scheme for returning the taxes collected. The average cost of production of a Marathi film is Rs. 2 crore, without foreign shooting and special effects. The publicity and distribution cost is Rs. 1.25 to Rs. 1.5 crore.
The total cost can be recovered if the box office collection touches Rs. 7 crore. If the average ticket rate is Rs.100, minimum 7 lac people must watch the movie. To bring seven lac people to the theatres, your marketing message must reach 30 lac people. There are competing factors, such as marriage season, cricket, rains, big budget Hindi cinema etc.