Mumbai: Planet Marathi, the group behind cutting-edge Marathi language content, set a new benchmark with the first-ever Navarashtra Planet Marathi Film and OTT Awards 2023. Along with Navarashtra, the group celebrated and felicitated the best talent and work done by the Marathi entertainment industry in a larger than life celebratory evening.
The event was graced by some of the prominent names of the Marathi industry, including Sonalee Kulkarni, Adinath Kothare, Anita Date, Nikhil Mahajan, Prarthana Behere, Gaurav Nalavade. Rajendra Shisatkar, Jitendra Joshi among others. It was a star-studded night that celebrated the outstanding contribution of actors, technicians, filmmakers, musicians and a host of other performers and talent. The awards recognised and honoured the most significant and exceptional works of the year. The winners of the night included Sonalee Kulkarni named Best Actress for Tamasha Live, Prasad Oak named Best Actor for Dharamveer, Shantanu Rode won Best Story for Goshta Eka Paithanichi, Prajakta Mali named Best Actress for OTT for Raanbaazaar, Ajay-Atul named Best Music Composer in film for Chandramukhi and Mahesh Manjrekar for Contribution To Marathi Cinema to name a few. Other major content wins of the night included Raanbaazaar, Goshta Eka Paithanichi, Athang, Godavari, Chandramukhi, Mi Vasantrao among others. Special awards were awarded to Suhas Joshi who received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution and an award dedicated to Nishikant Kamat, director of Drishyam and Dombivali Fast, which was awarded to Nikhil Mahajan for the film Godavari.
The event was a grand success, with the entire Marathi industry congregating under one roof to witness the mega extravaganza.
Planet Marathi has been a major trailblazer in the Marathi Entertainment Industry, having given the industry many of its firsts and putting it in the mainstream spotlight. Akshay Bardapurkar, the visionary behind Planet Marathi, launched Marathi's globally exclusive OTT, Planet Marathi OTT, providing the industry with its most significant digital win. With the Navarashtra Planet Marathi Film and OTT Awards, the group aims to acknowledge exceptional work from the industry and provide a well-deserved platform for recognition.
National Award Winner & Planet Marathi founder and CEO Akshay Bardapurkar commented, “The first edition of Navarashtra Planet Marathi Film and OTT Awards was an evening to remember and we are delighted to have successfully completed it for this year. Our team is elated to have achieved our vision of providing a larger platform for the tireless efforts of the entire Marathi entertainment industry. The tremendous response and participation from industry insiders and audiences alike were truly heartening, inspiring us to continue this IP in the years to come.”
Actor-director, Prasad Oak shared, “I strongly believe that recognizing and celebrating good work is crucial to the growth of the Marathi industry. This awards ceremony is a fantastic platform that inspires and encourages talent and recognises good work done.
Actor Sonalee Kulkarni commented, “I’m honoured to receive recognition for a very different kind of Cinema “Tamasha Live” and would love to share the credit with my entire team especially the director Sanjay Jadhav. And I applaud Planet Marathi along with Navarashtra for this award ceremony.”
Director Shantanu Rode shared, “Gosht Eka Paithanichi received a huge applause and acclaim all over, and it feels even more special to be recognised within your own industry. A huge thank you to the organisers of this ceremony which is honouring the talent and the fraternity I am proud to be a part of.”
