Exclusive/ I Got A Call From Riteish Deshmukh: Pravin Tarde Recalls Raja Shivaji Filmmaker's Reaction To Deool Band 2 Success

Released almost 10 years after the first film, the Marathi movie Deool Band 2 has wreaked havoc at the box office. The film has been drawing audiences to housefull theatres and has grossed over ₹50 crore at the domestic box office. Directed by Pravin Tarde, Deool Band 2 was released 3 weeks after Riteish Deshmukh's Raja Shivaji. Based on the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the movie became a blockbuster in Marathi as well as Hindi.

In an exclusive conversation with Republic Media Network, writer-director Pravin Tarde recalled the encouraging words by Riteish Deshmukh following the release of his film Deool Band 2. In the conversation, the filmmaker admitted his admiration for the actor-director. He noted that with exceptional response to movies like Raja Shivaji and Deool Band 2, the time for the Marathi industry is most glorious recently.

Pravin told us, “Riteish Deshmukh ji ki Raja Shivaji, based on the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, woh super duper blockbuster gayi. Uske teen hafte baad Deool Band 2 aayi aur woh bi hit ja rahi hai. I got a call from Riteish ji. Unhone bola, 'Pravin, mujhe lagta hai maine jo record banaya woh tum tod do, tum jo record banaoge woh koi aur tod dega. Apni Marathi film industry badhti jayegi'. It's big of him to say it." Calling it a ‘daring’ move, he also appreciated Riteish Deshmukh for making Raja Shivaji on a budget of ₹100 cr, unheard of in the Marathi industry.

Also Read: Pravin Tarde Reveals Modest Yet 'Huge' Budget Of Deool Band Franchise 

Pravin Tarde reacts to criticism over Deool Band 2 runtime 

While Deool Band 2 is a blockbuster hit, it is not free from scrutiny. Some critics and cinegoers have called the sequel made simply as a ‘cash grab’ while others have criticised its length. Reacting to the negativity, Pravin Targe aruges, “Dhurandhar toh 4 ghante hi thi na. Animal ke liye toh 3.30 hours ke liye baithe the. Meri teen ghante ki toh film hai. Beech mein kuch art film wale log aa gaye aur unhone trend nikala tha 2 ghante ki film ka. Art waalo ko art ka kaam karne dijiye. Hum toh commercial cinema wale hain. Hum teen ghante ki hi film banayenge. Agar teen ghante zyada hai toh log kyun enjoy kar rahe hain yeh film. Blockbuster kaise banti ja rahi hai?”

Released on May 21, Deool Band 2 is still running in theatres. The movie has amassed a total of ₹53.74 cr in India owing to the positive word of mouth.