Sachin Pilgaonkar, renowned for his multifaceted career spanning over five decades in acting, directing, and singing in Hindi and Marathi cinema, is set to begin a new innings in the new year. He is presenting the much-talked-about film Sthal, produced by Dhun Productions and directed by Jayant Digambar Somalkar. The film is scheduled for release on March 7, in honor of International Women’s Day.
The poster of Sthal was launched on social media to commemorate the birth anniversary of Krantijyoti Savitribai Phule. The film is produced by Shefali Bhushan, Karan Grover, Riga Malhotra, and Jayant Digambar Somalkar. The cast includes fresh talents such as Nandini Chikte, Taranath Khirtkar, Sangeeta Sonekar, Suyog Dhawas, Sandeep Somalkar, Sandeep Parkhi, Swati Ulmale, Gauri Badki, and Mansi Pawar. Director Jayant Digambar Somalkar, who previously co-directed the acclaimed web series Guilty Minds and worked on short films, is making his Marathi film debut with Sthal.
The film had its world premiere at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the NETPAC Award for Best Asia-Pacific Film. Since then, it has been screened at 29 major film festivals and has won over 16 awards, sparking excitement in the Marathi film industry.
Actor Shreya first saw the film at the MAMI Festival. Following her recommendation, Sachin Pilgaonkar and his wife, Supriya, watched it at the NAFA Film Festival in the US. Deeply impressed by the film’s rooted portrayal of Maharashtra’s culture and its reception by the Marathi diaspora in the US, Pilgaonkar offered to help the team with its release. When the producers and director asked him to present the film, he immediately agreed. “A good script must reach discerning audiences, and that’s why I decided to present this film,” said Sachin Pilgaonkar.
