Amol Gole, who turns director with the film Nashibvaan, was present with the film's cast — Yateen Karyekar, Mitali Jagtap and Neha Joshi — at its premiere at the Pune International Film Festival on Sunday (14 January).
Nashibvaan explores the story of a municipal worker in Mumbai, played by Bhalchandra Kadam, who by a stroke of luck finds a huge stash of money.
Gole, who has been a cinematographer on acclaimed films like Elizabeth Ekadeshi (2014) and Stanley Ka Dabba (2011), said he wants to direct films that can be watched by the whole family.
"I believe cinema should be like where my father, son and I can sit together and watch," he said.
The director said he is hugely influenced by the work of filmmaker Sumitra Bhave. "We are blessed to be born in an era where we can take guidance and inspiration from many Marathi cinema idols," he said. "I personally feel influenced by Sumitra Bhave."
Karyekar, who plays a supporting role in the film, said he decided to be part of Nashibvaan because he found the story interesting.
"Even if I am given an extraordinary movie like Avatar, a good story still will always work for me," the veteran said. "This was one such movie and the director won my heart by going the extra mile to attain perfection."