A well-known face of the Marathi film industry, Mr Sunil Barve interacted with Spectralhues about his spectacular journey in the film and television industry – Marathi, Hindi and Gujarati, Herbarium project and a book written on it, the challenges that Marathi Cinema has had, the rapid progress it has made and a lot more. Following are the transcripts of the interview:
From Aatmavishwas to Shrimanta Damodar Panta to the present serials, plays and movies, tell us about your journey as an actor.
Well, it is quite a long journey because as you ask me the question it seems as if I have completed all these things in a few years, but it has been quite some years. Like, when I did my first film, it was in 1989 and the film that you are talking about Shrimanta Damodar Panta was done sometime around 2013 — so it is a journey of 24 years. Throughout these 24 years I have been continuously doing Marathi theatre with which I began my career. I have done plays like Charchoughi, One Room Kitchen, Hello Inspector, Shree tashi Sau, Ekda Pahava Karun, Baykochya Nakalatach and many plays like these. Besides, I have always been active on television i.e. on the small screen. Marathi films currently are doing a really good business, but otherwise in Mumbai or metro cities, these films were not received that well. But that was the time when I had done many Marathi films also and many Marathi serials; few Hindi serials too, like on Sony tv and NDTV Imagine. I did serial for Kundan Shah named Abhi toh mai jawan hu. So, a lot of stuff on Hindi, Marathi as well as Gujarati theatre. Then I did a few serials on a Gujrati channel too. It has been quite busy and happening career for me with all the ups and downs of the career.
What propelled you to quit your job as a Medical Representative and turn towards acting?
The pleasure I get out of acting or maybe pleasing somebody or getting a smile on somebody`s face is immense in comparison to the drab selling of medicines which many a times doctors were not interested in listening. Doctors used to, just for the formality`s sake, entertain me for a minute, looked into whatever offers I had and then ask me to come some other time. It was such a boring thing and it wasn`t as exciting as my acting career is.
Tell us something about your production house Subak and its special project Herbarium.
Subak is nothing but Sunil Barve Kalakruti and Subak also means nice petite, idealistic. So, that`s what Subak means and that`s why I kept this name. And I never intended to do anything as such, but I completed my 25 years in this career. I felt I owed my audience, which has given so much of love to me in my career, I was indebted to them and I needed to give them something which I liked. So, the plays that I had not seen or maybe my generation had not seen, I felt if I could revive them, the Marathi audience, i.e. my audience, which I was talking about, would be happy about this gift. So, I decided to present them myself under this banner Subak. And I named this entire project Herbarium. Actually, you will find this term in Botany where you have the collection of leaves and twigs in a book and proper information about plants and twigs and flowers written besides these twigs. You collect them and make a collection out of these in a book and that book is known as Herbarium. Normally, if you go to some place and someone gives you a rose and keep it in a book, its collection is also called as Herbarium. The leaves and flowers dry up, but memories written beside it stay strong. And when you read it or go through it, you do get nostalgic. This is something a common man often experiences.
For it may bring that nostalgia back in their life, I termed this entire project as Herbarium: Sunil Barve
I somewhere felt it resembled the thought I had while doing these plays. Maybe because many people were nostalgic about these plays and they would like to see these plays just because they have heard about them from their parents or relatives. For it may bring that nostalgia back in their life, I termed this entire project as Herbarium, in which I did 5 plays with 5 well known directors of Marathi theatre. And requested them to take all different authors for their plays, so that those authors could also come back in the light and we would get to know more about them.
According to a story in the TOI, dated 19th April, 2015, funding is a still a huge struggle for Marathi Cinema. Why do you think funding issues are persisting to be a challenge for the Marathi industry?
See, I’ll tell you, there are many bloated figures and you don’t know the reality behind it that whether these figures are real or bloated or to misguide other producers.
Because of this what happens is eventually the budget of Marathi film may be approximately 1.5 crore – 2 crore, nowadays. But then is the recovery that much? Because you don`t see, you get only one or two shows in the theatre, then there is a turnout of maybe 100 people during weekends but not many people go and watch it during weekdays. Out of the revenue that you collect at the Box office, 45% is taken away by the exhibitors and only 55% is left with the producers, who have to then share it with their partners. They have to get even with the expenditure that occurs during the making of the film. And eventually what is left for them is not much. So, after spending 1.5 crores also, if you are not going to get atleast 1.5 crores plus, i.e. the profit, why would anyone come and put money. The pain that you take in making a film is really huge. It is at par with the Hindi films too. In Hindi films they shoot for 110 days, in comparison to that we shoot only for 30 or maybe 40 days. But then the entire crew, the cinematographer, light men, spot boys, makeup artists, costume designers, everybody is working the same. I think the main reason is that money is not coming back.
But though the figures are bloated, people should not get carried away by them. The Marathi film industry has not got a boom, but the viewers count has definitely escalated. And, this is a very positive sign. So, people should come here and do different projects for creative satisfaction. Monetary satisfaction cannot be assured.
Mr Sunil Barve while interacting with Suyash Karangutkar of Spectralhues. Photograph: Umang Sampat
What do you think can be the solution for this?
Well, I am not a producer of Marathi films. As I initially said that I never ever had an ambition to become a producer. But still I could manage it with the plays because there the budget would be approximately 10 lakhs under production and then recurring every show budget, maybe 1 lakh or 1.5 lakhs per show, which I had to generate from the audience that would come. For me, fortunately, it worked.
Largely being a part of the Marathi film industry, what would you say about the rapid progress of the industry?
I am very happy about the progress. I will tell you very frankly, I am happy with the kind of turnout that Marathi films now have. In cities also, people are now keen to watch Marathi films. When they come to know that this film is good they are looking forward to watching that film. So, this is a very positive sign and I am sure that this is going to work. And the producers will get their money back.
As you just said that the things have changed and turnout has improved. This, I believe, is because of the evolution in the Marathi industry. Tell us about it.
Evolution of the industry has been continuously happening, but it is a gradual process. I am very happy about the younger generation also wanting to watch Marathi films, which is the major factor. Because finally, what happens is people who are 40 plus are busy with their work schedules. So they go and watch the films during weekends because they are working on weekdays. But the younger generation can go from colleges too, if they want to go, and watch Marathi films. So, maybe, that kind of audience is also coming to Marathi films which is a positive sign.
I would majorly distinguish between the scenario in 2009 and 2015. The exposure that is being given to Marathi films, the publicity that is being done is immense as compared to what was happening in 2009. The makers are good, new makers are coming up, fresh and new ideas are flowing in. So, this is the basic difference. On the film front, we are at par with any other language in India. The good films are in Marathi for sure. I won`t say they are the best because there are very good makers in South India and from other languages too. But we are at par with good movies being produced in India.
Where we lag behind is the budget part: Sunil Barve
Where do you think the industry is lagging behind still and where do you think are the improvisations are required?
I will tell you frankly that in the films I have done recently I have seen a very good technical staff, very good technical visualizations by the directors. So, technically I don`t think we are lagging back. Then caliber wise, work wise – the actors, if you look at them, the scriptwriters, directors are pretty good. They are really very good, I must say. But, what happens is, finally it is a very dreamy field. What happens is a person writes a story, I visualize, I imagine, I listen and I want all those huge mushrooms, grass and Alice. When I go and tell this to my producer, he says, oh god, had you done this in Hindi, I would have funded well. But, you are doing it in Marathi, so we can go to Mahabaleshwar maybe, but not Alps. We will have to shoot it there in Mahabalewshar. So, suddenly all things get sized down and brought down, and the entire idea and whatever is imagined comes down by maybe 90 degrees. So, where we lag behind is the budget part.
What is your opinion on the recent order issued by Maharashtra Cultural Minister Vinod Tawde, making it mandatory for multiplexes to show at least one Marathi film during the prime time, and the diverse kind of a debate that intensified on twitter, with Shobha De raising her voice and people from the Marathi industry supporting the order and the diktat of the government?
I feel people should introspect and think about this. Why does this kind of a thing need to be placed in an order form in Maharashtra? Are not we responsible for such an order being issued by the government? Why does anybody have to pass an order? You should behave in a nice manner, if this kind of an order is passed means that you are not behaving properly. So if Marathi films need to be given prime time, the government writes it down as an order, it means that we are not doing well, and we have been keeping it away. Who is Shobha De? As I would say, if any person comes and tells me that I don`t know Marathi, I would say fine. I would ask that person how many years has he lived here, whether he understands Marathi or not. If he does not understand Marathi, I would say he is wrong. Similarly, if Shobha De has not seen any Marathi film or if she sees Marathi films she better tell me one film which she has seen in theatre. But anyways, it is her point of view and I absolutely condemn it. But, I am very much in favor of the diktat issued by the Maharashtra government and I welcome it.
And Marathi films should be given priority in Maharashtra. I will tell you something: Court won the golden lotus, it is a national award winning film and according to the rules this film compulsorily must be shown in every state with the subtitles. The person named Chaitanya Tamhane (Court film director), on TV, said that he can show the film everywhere but not in Bangalore. He does not know the reason. Who is not ready? Exhibitors say that they want to screen, but theatre is not available. Because he said this censor certificate is from Maharashtra they are not giving us the permission to run it in Bangalore. We are not saying anything of that sort. Are we saying that you don`t show any Tamil/Telugu film during the prime time. Are we saying do not show Bhojpuri films during the prime time? Those films should get their time. But, Marathi films too, need to be shown at a proper time, when a larger Marathi audience can go to theaters and watch the films there.
Tell us about the book that you have authored, off lately.
Herbarium was the book I wrote about the experiences that I had during the production I did under Subak. It is not entirely my book. I have written my experiences about the play and during the shows whatever happened. How people met me, how people congratulated me on my idea. At the same time, I also asked my directors, my set designers, my actors in the play about their experience during the play. Actually, it is a compilation of the experiences we all had in the making of this or in the travel of this project.
What do you enjoy more- acting or producing?
Acting
What would you say to our readers reading this interview?
Do watch Marathi films (smiles); that is the first thing I can say. Give us your feedback, we would love to know it! Marathi plays, films should be watched. Attitude towards the language should be changed. It is on par with any other language
Thank you so much for interacting with us, sir.
_______________________________________________________________
Photography: Umang Sampat
Interview coordinator: Shruti Dabholkar.
Tags: Chaitanya Tamhane Gujarati Herbarium Hindi Marathi Marathi Film Industry Subak Sunil Barve
