Dashavatar makers reveal how research and grit powered Marathi box office hit: TCH x VAM 2026

MUMBAI: From sacred forests to box office fireworks, the team behind Dashavatar proved that when storytelling digs deep into its roots, audiences are more than willing to follow the trail.

At The Content Hub x VFX & More Summit 2026, Ocean Film Company co-founder and Dashavatar writer-director Subodh Khanolkar, Ocean Film Company co-founder and director, and Dashavatar producer Sujay Hande, and Dashavatar sound designer Shishir Chousalkar came together for a masterclass presentation on the making of the film. The session was chaired by Applause Entertainment and IN10 Media Network core founding member Maansi S Darrbaar.

The discussion unpacked the making of the Marathi hit, which blended mythology, folklore, environmental themes and an emotional father-son narrative against the lush but unforgiving backdrop of Konkan.

The makers revealed that the project began with a simple story idea that quickly stood apart from more conventional commercial options. Although the production house had primarily worked on documentary features, the film became its first major fiction outing, driven by a belief that rooted stories with strong cultural identity could connect beyond regional boundaries.

Much of the session focused on the extensive research that shaped the film’s world. The team travelled repeatedly across Sindhudurg district, north of Goa, scouting villages, forests and ancient temples to build authenticity into every frame. Several visits were dedicated solely to interacting with traditional Dashavatari performers whose insights influenced not just the performances, but even the physical appearance and behaviour of characters in the film.

The production eventually locked seven to eight villages within the Konkan belt, each selected for a distinct visual texture. One sequence was shot inside a dense forest so remote that the crew had to build access roads just to transport equipment. The session painted a vivid picture of technicians climbing trees to mount lighting rigs, crew members trekking through mountainous terrain daily and production teams operating overnight shifts deep inside wildlife territory.

The filmmakers explained that visual authenticity became one of the project’s defining creative battles. Rather than relying on standardised studio-style forest sets or heavily stylised blue-toned night scenes, the team pushed for a more grounded visual language inspired by how darkness actually appears in rural landscapes. That commitment added complexity for the cinematography and lighting departments, but ultimately helped the film stand apart visually.

The conversation also highlighted the often delicate relationship between creative ambition and production realities. Instead of treating budgeting as a restriction, the team approached it as a collaborative problem-solving exercise where producers actively worked to preserve the director’s vision rather than dilute it. The filmmakers stressed that strong preparation was the single biggest factor behind the project’s efficiency.

According to the team, the film underwent nearly eight months of dedicated pre-production, allowing departments to plan logistics, locations and schedules in detail before cameras rolled. That groundwork ensured the film was completed within its planned Rs 10 crore budget, without extra shoot days or unexpected cost overruns.

The makers also reflected on the importance of eliminating unnecessary production excesses and redirecting spending towards the screen itself. The emphasis throughout the session remained firmly on storytelling value rather than vanity costs, with the philosophy that every rupee spent should visibly contribute to the film’s world-building and cinematic experience.

That disciplined approach paid off commercially as well. Produced on a budget of Rs 10 crore, the film reportedly went on to collect more than Rs 30 crore at the box office, emerging as one of Marathi cinema’s notable recent success stories.

Beyond revenue, however, the panel argued that the film’s most meaningful impact may have been cultural. The centuries-old Dashavatari folk performance tradition, previously concentrated largely within the Konkan region, has reportedly seen renewed interest across Maharashtra following the film’s success. Stage performances linked to the art form are now finding audiences in cities including Mumbai and Pune, even appearing during festival celebrations traditionally dominated by other cultural events.

The film also drew attention to Konkan’s ancient petroglyph heritage, some believed to date back thousands of years. Increased public awareness around these archaeological sites has reportedly triggered greater institutional interest, with NGOs, government bodies and preservation groups stepping up conservation conversations around the region’s historical assets.

The session concluded with a broader reflection on the changing ambitions of Marathi cinema itself. Once largely recognised for intimate storytelling and niche subjects, the industry is now increasingly being associated with technically ambitious, visually grand productions capable of travelling to wider audiences and global festival circuits.

If there was one clear takeaway from the masterclass, it was this: authenticity may take the long road through forests, folklore and painstaking prep, but when done right, it can still strike box office gold.