Chandramukhi Was Supposed To Be My First Film, Says Director Prasad Oak

With 바카라�Chandramukhi바카라�, actor-director Prasad Oak says he finally got a chance to fulfill a long-cherished dream of making a movie that combines the folk culture of Maharashtra with its politics.

Written by Oak바카라�s frequent collaborator Chinmay Mandlekar, 바카라�Chandramukhi바카라� is a musical love story between a rising politician Daulat and a leading 바카라�Tamasha바카라� singer and dancer 바카라�Chandra바카라�, played by Adinath Kothare and Amruta Khanvilkar.

The movie is an adaptation of noted author Vishwas Patil바카라�s novel of the same name.

바카라�바카라�Chandramukhi바카라� was supposed to be my first film. For more than ten years, I wanted to acquire the rights of the story, but he (Patil) was not ready at that time. I felt he didn바카라�t believe in me (at the time). Maybe after watching 바카라�Kaccha Limbu바카라� and 바카라�Hirkani바카라�, he changed his mind,바카라� Oak told PTI in an interview.

The 47-year-old director said his fondness for Patil바카라�s work began when he first acted in one of his plays titled 바카라�Ranangan바카라� (1999-2000). He soon became Patil바카라�s 바카라�fan바카라� and started reading his novels, including 바카라�Panipat바카라�, 바카라�Zadazadati바카라�, 바카라�Mahanayak바카라� and 바카라�Chandramukhi바카라�.

바카라�I'm crazy about his writing, it is very attractive. I am a fan of Mr Patil. When I read the book (바카라�Chandramukhi바카라�) in 2004, I so wanted to make a film on it and thought it should be my first film. But I was a struggler at that time,바카라� he said.

Oak made a foray in directing with 2009 comedy film 바카라�Hay Kay Nay Kay바카라� with Pushkar Shrotri, but the movie did not do well commercially.

"The movie turned out to be a super flop and I got a setback that my first attempt didn바카라�t work, Oak said, adding, 바카라�The dream of becoming a director took a backseat as I got offers for acting.바카라�

After acting in Marathi films like 바카라�Dharmaveer바카라�, 바카라�Picasso바카라� and 바카라�Balkadu바카라� among others, he again pursued Patil in 2011-12 to adapt 바카라�Chandramukhi바카라� into a feature movie but nothing materialised.

Oak went to direct two feature films 바카라� 바카라�Kaccha Limbu바카라� and 바카라�Hirkani바카라� and again chased Patil, who agreed this time, provided the director could mount the film on a big scale.

바카라�He said 바카라�Chandramukhi바카라� requires a good budget and asked if I have a good producer. Both Amruta and I happened to meet producer Akshay Bardapurkar (who started the first Marathi OTT platform) who was interested in backing 바카라�Chandramukhi바카라�. We had a great team in the form of the cast, Ajay-Atul for music, Chinmay for the story, after he saw the team on board for the movie, Patil gave his permission.바카라�

The key reason for Pune-based Oak to direct 바카라�Chandramukhi바카라� for all these years was his love for folk artists.

바카라�My background is almost the same as that of folk artists, the director said, recalling how he would sing in chorus in a programme called 바카라�Maharashtrachi Lokdhara바카라�, where all folk forms of the state like 바카라�lavani바카라�, 바카라�Gondhal바카라�, 바카라�Vasudev바카라� and 바카라�Dhangari바카라� were presented. My liking towards folk started from the show, where I have done thousands of shows for 바카라�Maharashtrachi Lokdhara바카라�. And then I became the producer of the show. I was doing my college and started directing plays too. That바카라�s how the career started,바카라� Oak added.

The director said a lot of folk artists are struggling with their life even today and their 바카라�pain and sorrow바카라� should be 바카라�underlined바카라� in stories.

Khanvilkar, whose other movie credits include Marathi film 바카라�Natrang바카라� and Meghna Gulzar's Hindi film 바카라�Raazi바카라�, was the first and only choice for the role of Chandramukhi, the director said.

바카라�Amruta is a superb actress but has not got her due. She did everything to get into the world of 바카라�Chandramukhi바카라�,바카라� he added.

Oak, who had had worked with Kothare in a film called 바카라�Full 3 Dhamal바카라�, said he is a very dedicated and passionate actor.

Made on a budget of Rs 5 crore, 바카라�Chandramukhi바카라� has emerged as a hit by earning over Rs 14 crore since its release on April 29. Oak is happy to see regional movies giving Hindi cinema a tough fight in theatres and on OTT.

바카라�People love to watch regional cinema, be it Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Gujarati or Bengali. These movies are true to the culture and the roots of the region which is why people like them,바카라� he added.

According to him, Marathi cinema has grown both in terms of commercial success and critical acclaim in the last few years with films like 바카라�Astu바카라�, 바카라�Kaasav바카라�, 바카라�Ringan바카라�, 바카라�Paani바카라�, his own directorial venture 바카라�Kaccha Limbu바카라� and others winning at the National Film Awards.

바카라�We are growing critically and commercially also with films like 바카라�Pandu바카라�, 바카라�Pawankhind바카라�, including my film 바카라�Hirkani바카라� which did well commercially. Right now, we are giving tough competition. Because of films like 바카라�Chandramukhi바카라� and 바카라�Dharmaveer바카라�, shows of 바카라�Runway 34바카라�, 바카라�Heropanti 2바카라�, 바카라�Dhakaad바카라� have been reduced,바카라� he added.

Up next for Oak as a director are two biopics 바카라� 바카라�Bhadrakali바카라�, based on Maratha leader Sarsenapati Umabai and another on Marathi cinema's celebrated actor Nilu Phule.

바카라�The script of 바카라�Bhadrakali바카라� is ready and we are in the process of pitching it to companies and producers. The script work has just started on Nilu Phule biopic and it will take time,바카라� Oak shared.

[With Inputs From PTI]