Aanand L. Rai’s debut regional productions sweep awards

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Filmmaker Aanand L. Rai has now conquered the regional market with his production ventures. His first foray into Marathi cinema, Aatmapamphlet, received widespread acclaim at the 73^rd Berlin International Film Festival and has continued its winning streak by sweeping major awards at Filmfare Marathi Awards 2024 as well. The coming-of-age film captivated audiences with its portrayal of a 10-year-old protagonist navigating love amidst socioeconomic transformations in the country.

Following the success of Aatmapamphlet, Rai’s production house, Colour Yellow Productions, marked its presence in the regional cinema landscape with Jhimma 2. This tale, depicting the journey of women from diverse backgrounds coming together to celebrate life, resonated with audiences and went on to become a box- office success, like its predecessor, Jhimma, which was before Rai’s entry into Marathi cinema.

At the recent award function, Aatmapamphlet clinched multiple accolades, including Best Original Story, Best Dialogue, Best Director, Best Editing and also shared the prestigious Best Film award. Congratulating the cast and crew on-stage with him, Rai said, “Thank you very much for making this film for us. It is such a beautiful film and I am really proud of it.” The film’s success underscored his commitment to fostering diverse storytelling across languages.

Additionally, Rai’s Jhimma 2 earned Nirmiti Sawant the Best Actor in Supporting Role (Female) for her performance. Rai extended his support to talent by also presenting the Best Actor Critics Choice (Female) award to Rohini Hattangadi for her stellar performance in another 2023 film, Baipan Bhaari Deva.

Talking about sweeping such awards, Rai said, “The fact that people could relate to Aatmapamphlet and Jhimma 2 is a great industry validation that makes us want to do even better. This recognition also serves as a motivation to storytellers.” He added, “A good story always crosses beyond languages and territories. Both the stories are beautifully crafted and narrated, and I had full confidence that they would reach each and every heart out there. Their wins and accolades only solidify my belief and push me to tell stories that resonate.”

Aatmapamphlet has been directed by Ashish Avinash Bende and produced by Colour Yellow Productions, T-Series and Zee Studios, while Jhimma 2 has been directed by Hemant Dhome and presented under the banner of Colour Yellow Productions and Jio Studios.

On the work front, Rai is looking forward to Nakhrewaalii (starring newcomers Ansh Duggal and Pragati Srivastava), Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba with Taapsee Pannu and his directorial venture with Dhanush.