“Farmers are not the owners, but the guardians of the land they own, as they own a legacy of the generations that came before them. Selling the farmland is like selling the hard work of the ancestors who built it,” declared celebrated actor and filmmaker Pravin Tarde. He was speaking on the second day of the ‘Zero Mile Literature Festival’, held under the ongoing nine-day Nagpur Book Festival 2025 at Reshimbag Ground, organised jointly by the National Book Trust (NBT) India, the Maharashtra Government, and the Zero Mile Youth Foundation. Vikas Vaidya Principal Correspondent ‘The Hitavada’ conducted the interview.

 

Tarde said that, although Marathi cinema has historically demanded immense effort, it went through a phase when it distanced itself from Marathi sentiment and gravitated towards formulaic love stories. It neither reflected the interests of the Marathi audience nor upheld the cultural ethos of the community. Copying other industries only deepened the creative decline. He added, however, that Marathi cinema has now regained its strength, with powerful themes and substantive content returning to the forefront.

 

He credited the success of South Indian cinema to its unapologetic portrayal of its soil, culture, deities and social realities. “They proclaimed their identity to the world, and the world embraced their films,” he observed. Reflecting on his personal journey, from an RSS volunteer and the son of a farmer to a filmmaker, Tarde said, he drew inspiration from his 80-year-old father, who continues to work in the fields. This shaped ‘Mulshi Pattern’, a film capturing the agrarian crisis, political exploitation and the resulting rise in crime.

 

Released and remade in 14 languages, it resonated widely because it portrayed the harsh truth of farmers caught in the turbulence of globalisation. Tarde also spoke fondly of Nagpur, describing each visit as a celebration. He recalled coming to the city multiple times for play performances and to meet poet Grace, adding that Nagpur has produced numerous personalities who have shaped literature, cinema, culture and national identity. The event saw the presence of actor Mukund Wasule, celebrity chef Vishnu Manohar, NBT Chairman Milind Marathe and Zero Mile Foundation Director Samay Bansod, among other dignitaries.