Maharashtra Film Company

Set up in 1918 by Baburao Painter in Kolhapur with a home-made camera, initial capital of Rs 15,000 from Tanibai Kagalkar and a dedicated team of disciples. Their first successful production was Sairandhri (1920), eliciting praise from B.G. Tilak. Sardar Nesrikar persuaded the Shahu Maharaj to give him land, an electric generator and equipment. A contemporary of Phalke’s Hindustan Film, Maharashtra Film made a greater impact on the Marathi cinema with the first films of V. Shantaram (Netaji Palkar, 1927), Damle- Fattelal (Maharathi Karna, 1928) and Bhalji Pendharkar (Rani Rupmati, 1931). After 26 films, the studio lost Shantaram, Damle, Fattelal and Baburao Pendharkar who set up Prabhat in 1929. Painter left in 1930 and joined Shalini Cinetone, set up for him by the Kolhapur royal family. The company closed in 1932 after some expensive disasters: Moti Gidwani’s Nisha Sundari (1929) and Baburao Patel’s Kismet (1932).

Studio