Radhika Apte thinks it is high time regional cinema is given a platform equal to the Hindi film industry. She said:
“Why shouldn’t regional cinema be at par with Hindi cinema in the future? These days, the barriers have been broken down, festivals have been trying to break them down for years. And now, with the digital platforms, you have so much material available to watch in various languages. Also, the Hindi film industry is supporting regional cinema and taking part in it. I am sure regional cinema should be at par with Hindi cinema.”
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Apte cites the box office performance of her Kabali, and Baahubali as the reason why audiences view regional cinema differently now.
“We can see this happening slowly. Baahubali [series] has changed the way we look at regional cinema, and Kabali (2016) broke box office records last year. A lot of Marathi films are doing well. Also, the international film circuit has opened up, and people are taking their films abroad. Regional movies are being shown at big film festivals, and that gives Indian films a good standing abroad,” she said.