MUMBAI: The Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG)-organised three-day Marathi film festival has started in Goa.

The festival was inaugurated by theatre and film personality Sai Paranjape and the Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar on 8 June. Veteran Marathi actor Dilip Prabhavalkar was given special recognition award during the inauguration.

Paranjape, who has penned several Hindi films like Katha, Anguthachhap, Disha and Saaj said that the Marathi film industry was in a rejuvenating stage. "The Marathi film industry after its golden era had fallen apart due to advent of Bollywood. Marathi films were treated as unwanted relative by Bollywood films which met with success due to big budgets and national reach," she averred.

Baing a staunch Maharashtrian, Paranjpe hasn‘t made a single Marathi film as yet. "I agree that I have not made any Marathi film. But all my films had Marathi essence. I have showcased Marathi Manus in it," she observed.

In his speech, the chief minister said that his government would continue to support the Marathi film industry.

The festival will witness the screening of 18 Marathi films and will have the premiere of films Dhag and Gajarachi Pungi. It will also showcase films like the 1930s classic Sant Tukaram, and Nitin Desai‘s Ajintha among others.

The Goa Tourism Development Corporation has initiated a special package ‘Movies, Monsoon, Magic‘ on the occasion of the film festival, where tourists on vacation in Goa can be part of the festival.