I plan to use it as motivation to keep telling stories I truly believe in and not the content which is driven by market demands.” When asked about how he intends to use the boost of this win to push the boundaries in upcoming projects, Joshi said: “It makes me believe in the power of the stories I really want to tell. So, while we were just very content with having made the film we wanted to make, to win such prestigious awards in an international competition is tremendously humbling.” We worked with a very small budget and against a crazy production schedule in the middle of a pandemic to make this happen. Jitendra and I started ‘Godavari’ with the pure intent of making a film in the memory of our friend, Mr Nishikant Kamat. Everyone felt it was their film.”ĭescribing the film’s journey from inception to its win at IFFI, Mahajan said: “It is nothing short of a dream. Everyone went above and beyond their responsibilities to help finish the film one time. Our director of photography slipped and fractured his tail bone. Joshi continued: “There was a little accident on the second day of the shoot.
Maintaining the health of the cast and crew was crucial and we went through it without anyone getting any infection.” “The biggest battle our crew won was completing the film in 16 days with senior actors on the sets, despite the first wave of Covid. The ‘Godavari’ team, Joshi said, was up against several challenges. Regional content has become very important today, especially in the Marathi language, which is getting its due credit.” To win an international award for a Marathi film feels like a victory for our industry in these trying times. Sharing Joshi’s sense of elation, Mahajan said: “This film has been close to my heart since this comes with a reason and I am grateful that my vision has been appreciated. The credit goes to the entire team and the experience at IFFI has been a memorable one for us.” Talking about what the Silver Peacock means to him personally, Joshi said: “This comes with a huge responsibility of working even harder and bringing the best stories that we can for the audience both as a producer and as an actor. Joshi and Mahajan spoke with IANS about their film’s big win, the battles they fought to put it together, and the future prospects of Marathi cinema. Its other stars playing the lead roles are Neena Kulkarni and Vikram Gokhale. Co-produced by Jitendra Joshi, Mitali Joshi, Pavan Malu and Nikhil Mahajan under the Blue Drop Films banner, ‘Godavari’ tells the story of a family living on the banks of the holy river in Nashik.