Producer Akshay Bardapurkar, actor Pushkar Shrotri, and music composer Aditya V Oke have joined hands to launch an OTT (over-the-top) platform exclusively for Marathi content. Called Planet Marathi OTT, the platform will be launched soon under their firm Planet Marathi Seller Services.
Speaking about the initiative, an official statement from the owners said, “Planet Marathi OTT hosts a plethora of binge-worthy Marathi content like films, theatre, television shows, infotainment, educational content for kids, fiction, non-fiction, reality shows, and a lot more.”
The owners aim at making the subscription affordable. “Making premium subscriptions affordable for every household and viewing experiences simplified for all age groups, Planet Marathi OTT streams more than just regular entertainment. The OTT streams recreational content like karaoke songs, recipes, yoga, health, and live-fitness videos too. The somewhat neglected yet noteworthy Marathi content finally finds a rightful place on Planet Marathi OTT,” added the statement.
Bardapurkar believes their platform will also help those films that struggle at the box office. “Marathi films lack the edge in calculated box office releases. Planet Marathi aims to simplify this for talented filmmakers, who want to reach the global audience without worrying about consuming the budget on marketing the films rather than crafting it,” he said. “Planet Marathi’s overarching vision is to create an ecosystem where Marathi films, filmmakers, artistes, technical teams, and most importantly the language thrives.”
Shrotri, who is the CEO (chief executive officer) of the firm, said, “We see a paradigm shift in the way content is being consumed today. The changing times are setting new archetypes in Marathi entertainment, [with] OTT being at forefront of this movement. Marathi entertainment industry needed a call for action where an exclusive Marathi OTT is launched to cater to the entertainment needs of Marathi audience. Planet Marathi OTT will do exactly that.”
Oke, the COO (chief operating officer), shared his excitement saying, “Planet Marathi honours the language, culture, and the spirit of Marathi [language]. It gives us great honour to represent India’s one and only Marathi OTT. I am truly ecstatic to be a part of the team and we hope the audience will also love our offerings. It is a proud moment for me.”
Planet Marathi has produced Marathi films Rege (2014) and AB Aani CD (2020). They have an upcoming film in the form of Goshta Eka Paithanichi (2020) starring Sayali Sanjeev and Suvrat Joshi.