Marathi film Ventilator completes over 50 days

In today’s time, a feat like a film completing 25 or 50 days has become history. Recently, Hindi films Rahasya (2015) completed 75 days and Airlift (2015) completed 50 days, while in Marathi cinema Ventilator completed 50 days last week (on 23 December 2016).

The film highlighted emotions of a family and had an ensemble cast of about 116 actors like actor/director Ashutosh Gowariker, who made a comeback to acting after 18 long years. His last release as an actor was also a Marathi film called Sarkarnaama in 1998.

The other cast members include well-known faces like Jitendra Joshi, Sukanya Kulkarni Mone, Usha Nadkarni, Rahul Solapurkar, Achyut Potdar, Sulabha Arya, Satish Alekar, Viju Khote, Swati Chitnis, Shashank Shende, Deepak Shirke, Nikhil Ratnaparkhi and debutant Boman Irani.

Rajesh Mapuskar made his directorial debut in the Marathi industry with Ventilator. He had earlier worked as an assistant director with Rajkumar Hirani in Munnabhai MBBS (2003), Lage Raho Munnabhai (2006) and 3 Idiots (2009). He made his debut as director with Hindi film Ferrari Ki Safari 2012.

Mapuskar got the idea of making the film when one of his relatives was kept on ventilator in the hospital. There were other patients around the relative and Mapuskar began talking to these patients. This is how he ended up writing the script for Ventilator as the word 'ventilator' had become a part of his life. 

He approached several filmmakers with the script who liked it, but weren’t keen to produce it. They tried to discourage him saying making a Marathi film would be downgrading to his career, espcially after making a Hindi film like Ferrari Ki Sawaari.

Around the same time, Priyanka Chopra had launched her production house Purple Pebble Pictures with her mother Madhu Chopra, and was looking to produce regional cinema. She liked the script and decided to produce Ventilator, making it her maiden production. She also acted in the film as herself in a cameo. She also sang the female version of the song 'Baba', and dedicated it to her late father Dr Ashok Chopra.

When Mapuskar approached Gowariker, he assumed Mapuskar wanted him to produce the film. Despite liking the script, Gowariker declined Mapuskar as he had not acted in almost 18 years. Mapuskar then convinced Gowariker for six months, before the latter finally agreed. 

Ventilator had a star-studded premiere at the Jio MAMI Film Festival 2016. The music was launched by Anil Kapoor during Diwali this year.

The film revolves around the Karmerkar family. Just as the Ganpati festival draws closer, the family is left shocked when head of the family Gaju Kaka is kept on a ventilator. Their relatives all around Mumbai and their village start coming together to the hospital to visit him and decide how to go about Ganeshotsav as the head of the family is on ventialtor.