The Maharashtra government has decided to strictly enforce a rule which makes it mandatory for movie theatres in the state to screen Marathi films.

The culture department of the state government is formulating a fresh set of rules for theatres in the state after Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh's assurance in the legislature earlier this week, sources said.

The rules would make it compulsory for multiplexes to screen Marathi films if they wanted tax breaks.

"Though good films are being produced in Marathi, few theatres are interested in screening them," Deshmukh had told the state legislature.

The Maharashtra government has given a tax-free status to multiplexes with more than four screens in Mumbai and three screens in other parts of the state. Though no conditions were made then to make them screen Marathi films, the government has decided to do so now.

According to the law, all multiplexes and theatres have to screen Marathi films for at least four weeks in a year.

Deputy Chief Minister R.R. Patil has said cinema halls that do not abide by the rules may even be shut down.

In a further bid to boost the Marathi film industry, the state government has decided to release Rs.1.5 million to each film approved by the government selection committee. A nine-member committee has already been constituted for the purpose.

There are 54 Marathi films before the committee for assessment right now, and six have been approved for grants, sources said.

Though Maharashtra is the home of the Indian film industry with Mumbai's Bollywood producing hundreds of films each year, Marathi cinema is seen as a poor cousin.

The Marathi film "Shwaas" produced last year was India's entry for the Oscars.