After making a TV show revolving around a Maharastrian family
Producer Ekta Kapoor's production company ALT Entertainment has just completed it's first Marathi film. It has been readied in utmost secrecy. There was no mahurat, no announcement and no wrap-up party either.

The untitled film stars Sachin Khedekar along with Ashwini Giri and has been directed by Kiran Yadnyopavith. The film is produced by Ekta Kapoor along with Shital Bhatia and Neeraj Pandey.

Local flavour
Ekta confirms, "Last year the CEO of Balaji Telefilms Vikram Malhotra and Balaji group CEO Punit Kindra worked out a strategy for producing more regional films. They felt that regional films, especially Marathi, with their local culture and flavour were to be a big draw this year and that we should produce at least two to three such films a year."

Family outing
She continues, "Parents love to bring their kids to watch wholesome family entertainers of their culture and language. By watching such films we get to know more about our roots and culture too."

One of the reasons to make a Marathi film was also to please her dad Jeetendra. Ekta explains, "He is a Punjabi by birth but he is half Maharashtrian. Dad speaks Marathi as fluently as his own mother tongue.

He has grown up in the chawls of Girgaum and we have always had a very strong Maharastrian influence on us." ALT is also in talks with more Marathi directors for similar projects.

Kai bolte?
Ekta says her first Marathi film just happened. "We were on our way to Tirupati when Neeraj narrated the story to me. It was exciting and we decided to produce it together.

I thought that should be the first Marathi film from our banner. We have been working on the film quietly for two months ago and it's complete now." The story is about relationships set against Maharashtrian sensibilities and culture.

Ssssh... it's a secret
Ekta admits that it was their strategy to launch and complete the project without any hype. "Neeraj and Shital are very conservative people who like to keep their cards close to their chest. It was an unanimous decision not talk about the film till it was complete. It is an extremely sensitive and entertaining film with creative supervision by Neeraj."

Two years ago Ekta produced a Bhojpuri film, Hum Bal Brahmachari Tu Kanya Kunwari two. Now ALT will make more Marathi and regional films.

GHAI PRODUCES BENGALI FILM
To celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, Subhash Ghai's Mukta Arts has produced a Bengali film Nauka Dubi, directed by Rituparno Ghosh. Starring the Sen sisters (Raima and Riya), Prasenjeet and Jishu Sengupta, it is slated to release in August.

Says Ghai, ''I loved the film when I saw its first cut. Rituparno carries the sensitivities of Tagore's classic story with great visuals which inspired me to take this film onto a different level -- to reach out to non-Bengali audiences.

It is an interesting love story with amazing performances by the actors. This is one of the best films of Rituparno Ghosh. I would like to produce cinema for classes as well as and masses."

Fact Balaji's Pavitra Rishta on Zee is also set against a Maharashtrian background.