Few years ago, IT Guru Narayana Murthy during a biggest entertainment seminar in Mumbai invited the attention of all big film makers, as to why no Indian film maker could produce a film on India’s greatest freedom fighters, when an English film maker could make a film on Mahatma Gandhi and  win Oscar award. Soon thereafter, we saw the release of film ‘The Forgotten Hero’ made by Shyam Benegal  on Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. But, not many people were even aware of it. There was a film made on Swatantryaveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, but even that film could not see many theatres, as it was funded by well wishers .

In our Marathi film industry, we do have creative film makers and we also have the audience, who appreciate films on such subjects. Otherwise, films on Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Vasudev Balwant Phadke would not have invited the attention of Marathi audience. All that we need to do is to produce such films in Marathi, with proper technical support and good script with proper research, as  Richard Attenborough  did for ‘Gandhi’.

On this independence day, only one thought that comes to our mind, that at least one such film should be released on this day in a year, which should inspire the youngsters in Maharashtra. It is not necessary that the film should be a biopic of a freedom fighter; but a subject with a good presentation on patriotism. There is a village in Satara District of Maharashtra, which is named Apshinge Military Village. This village has kept alive its rich & unique tradition of offering at least one member from each family, to serve the Indian armed forces. Can we not make a film on this subject ? If there could be a successful Hindi film ‘Border’ , why can’t there be such type of  film in Marathi ?