Marathi fame Addinath M Kothare, who has acted in several projects in Bollywood, including 83’ (2022), Criminal Justice, and Bajao, among others, feels that there are no major disparities between Marathi and Hindi cinema. “The only major difference that I observed in both the industries is that Hindi cinema has a larger audience, hence the budgets are bigger,” Kothare explains and continues, “In Marathi films, budgets are not that high as there are less people to watch. Besides that, the type of films that Marathi makers make are mostly content driven, which is not usually the case in Bollywood.”

As an actor, Kothare expresses his eagerness to explore diverse roles. “I want to wear every genre’s hat, be it action, thriller, or a comic role. I want to keep experimenting. Mujhe maza aata hai alag alag tareeke ke roles karne mai, that’s what I’ve always wanted, and I am even getting that in the industry,” says the 39-year-old, who played a cop in Criminal Justice and an antagonist in Bajao.

With his Marathi followers and being the son of Mahesh Kothare, popular Marathi actor and director, the Chandramukhi actor quips, “I don’t disagree with the fact that I already have a fan base because of my Marathi background, but that doesn’t necessarily add an advantage in making a base in Bollywood,” adding, “Even if my father and myself are established in Marathi cinema, I started from ground zero in Bollywood. I have given proper auditions and gotten selected for every role that I have done till now. Mujhe kuch bhi thaali mai parosa nahi gaya hai.”

Kothare proudly wears the hat of a director, actor and producer. With Paani releasing in early 2024, he shares, “I am the director and actor, and Priyanka Chopra is the producer of the project. It will be released theatrically in 2024. The film is a true story based on an ordinary man living in a village in Nanded, plagued with drought,” adding that he is also “elevated and feels blessed to be getting to work with the top Bollywood actresses,” as his collaboration with Madhuri Dixit Nene’s Marathi production is also releasing next year.