The Marathi thriller *Dashavtaar* has already crossed the ₹25-crore mark and continues to rake in more. Remarkably, it is the only Marathi film to have a first show at 7:30 AM at more than two theatres in Mumbai, followed by a last show at 11:30 PM. The film is proving to be tough competition for Bollywood releases and has been applauded by critics for the strong social message it delivers.
This film marks the debut of tele-serial director-producer Subodh Khanolkar in the commercial film space as a writer-director. Was he nervous about this transition? “Little nervous, yes… but apprehensive, no,” says Subodh quite vehemently.
### Joining the ‘Elite Class’ of Success
Today, with the bumper success of *Dashavtaar*, Subodh joins an ‘elite class’ of filmmakers. Did he expect such success? “Not at all,” he admits. “Having said that, I have to accept that for any filmmaker, commercial success is important. One wants their film to be a hit. It is only when the film — especially one with a mega budget like this — is commercially successful that one can think of making another one.”
### A Story Close to the Heart
The story of the film is very close to Subodh’s heart. His ancestral home in Kelus is more than 100 years old. Nearly three years ago, on his way back from Kelus after celebrating the centenary of the house in a grand way, Subodh shared his emotions with his wife Anvita.
“I was so enamoured and overwhelmed by the whole experience that I wanted to recreate the ambiance of Konkan in my next venture,” he informs. “Anvita loved the idea. Back in Mumbai, I discussed this with my partners at Ocean Film Company. They too liked the idea. After some brainstorming, it was decided that I should write the story and screenplay… and I started working on it.”
Subodh worked diligently on the script, and once it was ready, he decided to direct the film as well.
### The Social Message: Intentional or Not?
Did he start writing the script with the social message in mind? “No,” he confesses. “When I set out to write the script, it was a story of a father-son duo with *Dashaavtar* as the underlying factor. A story of emotions, a story of the relationship between father and son with all its layers.”
Subodh acknowledges that as the story unfolded, many other layers emerged during research and development. “Nothing was intentional, not even the social message. I had not intended the final message to be ‘in your face’ as many feel. It is always an alert social mind that starts putting social context into the story. And that’s what happened with me.”
### Appealing to All Generations
A lot of youngsters have been attracted to the film. However, Subodh denies having kept them as a target audience while writing or directing. “It was a simple storytelling process when I began. I wanted to make an engaging film that would appeal to all age groups — a film that an entire family can watch together.”
### Casting Highlights
Dilip Prabhavalkar’s performance as Babuli is being widely praised. “For me, it had to be Dilip Kaka as the protagonist. I believed that he would be the only one to do justice to the character. His chameleon-like capacity to become the character that he plays was his unique selling point. I would have temporarily scrapped the project if he had not agreed to play Babuli,” Subodh asserts.
The surprise package in casting comes in the form of Vijay Kenkare and Mahesh Manjrekar. “I wanted someone who doesn’t have a negative image to play the antagonist and someone unpredictable to play the police inspector. That’s the reason I chose Kenkare to play the villain and Manjrekar to play the inspector.”
Both Kenkare and Manjrekar are brilliant and successful directors themselves. How was it directing them?
“Very easy. Neither of them interfered with the process. On the contrary, they were extremely helpful and cooperative. Manjrekar especially went out of his way to ensure that I got exactly what I had visualised.”
### Being Compared to *Kantara*
Subodh is aware of comparisons between *Dashavtaar* and the blockbuster *Kantara*. “I know. I guess the regional flavour, the folk art, and a few locations triggered that.”
The main location representing the forest deity, Katolba, was discovered by the team in the forests of Vaingani near Vengurla. The banyan tree with many branch roots and a sheltered center made for an ideal locale. Art Director Sanjiv Rane created the Katolba in resin as per sketches by Ocean Film Company’s graphic designers, explains Subodh.
### Lessons Learned and Takeaways
With all the comparisons and inevitable criticism that come with commercial success, Subodh’s takeaway from the film is insightful.
“This is my first film as a writer-director. I had the license to make mistakes, and I have learned a lot in the process. The positive side is that it has given me confidence about the medium. And the biggest lesson I learned is to pre-plan extensively to save time,” Subodh concludes.
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*By Shruti Pandit*
https://www.freepressjournal.in/weekend/writer-director-subodh-khanolkar-enjoys-the-success-of-his-debut-marathi-film-dashavtaar
