One of the most ambitious Marathi film projects to date, ‘Anntar’, an observational drama about the socio-political situations of both the UK and India, begun filming in the UK this month.

Produced by Akshay Kumar and Ashvini Yardi’s Grazing Goat Pictures, the film stars a mix of Indian cinema’s rising talent including Tanisha Mukherjee and Sumeet Raghavan (U, Me Aur Hum, My Name Is Khan) who make their acting debut in regional Marathi cinema, and noted Marathi television and film actress Manse Salvi. Setting another first, the peppy, modern soundtrack is by Apeksha Dandekar, who also has an essaying role in the film.

The vibrant city of London provides the backdrop in May for filming part of the scenes in the capital, with the remainder of the film being shot in Pune, India.

Spearheading investment into quality film-making, Grazing Goat Pictures is taking Indian regional cinema to new heights with a range of innovative and fresh film and TV projects. Renowned for thought-provoking, unique and emotive filmmaking across boundaries and genres, Grazing Goat Pictures delves deep to bring the audience films that are cutting edge and high-concept, resonating with multiple audiences.

Ashvini Yardi said, "What better date than the 3rd May to have the first day shoot of our film Anntar, which marked 100 years of Indian cinema...and in London! Indian cinema began with Marathi cinema and we’re glad to have gone full circle to launch our Marathi film. Our aim at Grazing Goat Pictures is to put Indian regional cinema at the heart of quality filmmaking. We have taken this vision and turned it into reality with our projects. It’s great to see that regional cinema is coming to the fore not only in India but also internationally. We have secured the finest acting, directing, music and scriptwriting talent for this film, including Tanisha Mukherjee and Sumeet Raghavan, who make their acting debut in regional Marathi cinema."

‘Anntar’ is certainly at the forefront of this trend. An observational drama about the socio-political situations of both UK and India, ‘Anntar’ is about the dilemma that a young Maharashtrian student faces when he leaves the security and comfort of his homeland of India to study in the UK on a scholarship. The film charts his journey of trials and tribulations as he grows and matures into the person he becomes. We find him change from an innocent young man, to a worldly-wise person with a different set of goals and priorities from which he started with.