Although the industry is much smaller than Bollywood (which is also based in Mumbai), Marathi cinema is tax free at the privilege of the government of Maharashtra, and is experiencing growth in recent years.

[14] Baburao Painter made many silent movies till 1930, including Surekha Haran (1921), for which he brought the best camera of the time, manufactured by Bell & Howell, and Savkari Pash (Indian Shylock) in 1925, a social film based on a short story by Narayan Hari Apte.

The 1960s saw the emergence of directors such as V. Shantaram and Anant Mane, who made Marathi films based on the folk art form Tamasha.

Noteworthy films from this period include the family drama Manini (1961), the historical fiction Mohityanchi Manjula (1963) by Bhalji Pendharkar and the drama Aamhi Jato Amuchya Gava (1968), which took six years to make, was a big success upon release, while the comedy Pandu Havaldar (1975) brought Ashok Saraf into recognition.

[22] By the early 1970s, Dada Kondke captured audiences with his distinct style of ribald humor, often incorporating sexual innuendo.

His first film in this genre, Songadya (1971), was loosely inspired by Tamasha and featured a seductive heroine, a bumbling yet innocent hero, and dialogue filled with innuendo and sexual puns.

[23] Around the same time, Jabbar Patel's Samna (1974) marked a pivotal shift in Marathi cinema, offering a profound critique of systemic corruption and social inequities, further broadening the scope of the industry.

By this time, Marathi cinema largely gravitated towards either Tamasha-based films or traditional family dramas, alongside Kondke's signature comedies.

He also directed the supernatural revenge drama Bhutacha Bhau (1989), feel good movie Aayatya Gharat Gharoba (1991), Aamchya Sarkhe Aamhich (1990),[25][26] and around the same time Kothare made hit films Dhoom Dhadaka (1985), Dhadakebaaz (1990), De Danadan (1987), and horror-thriller Zapatlela (1993), which was an unofficial remake of Hollywood cult classic slasher film Child's Play (1988).

[29] Following the significant success of Maherchi Sadi (1991), starring Alka Kubal, which grossed a record ₹12 crores and became a landmark in Marathi cinema, the industry experienced a wave of family drama films.

Other reasons include the shortage of cinema halls for distribution due to poor marketing, a lack of money magnets, a vibrant theatre scene, and the emergence of private television.

Saatchya Aat Gharat (2004) tackled the serious issue of sexual assault, and Dombivli Fast (2005) followed a middle-class man’s fight against corruption and injustice.

Uttarayan (2004) told a touching story of elderly love, Jatra: Hyalagaad Re Tyalagaad (2006) revitalized the comedy genre, and Saade Maade Teen (2007) became a cult classic, one of the highest-grossing Marathi films of the era.

6 crore) told the struggle of Dadasaheb Phalke in making Raja Harishchandra (1913), directed by theatre-veteran Paresh Mokashi.

[21] Since the beginning of the new decade in 2010, Marathi cinema has witnessed a remarkable resurgence with the release of several contemporary artistic films, including Vihir (2009), Deool (2011), Mala Aai Vhhaychy!

(2011),Fandry (2013), Ek Hazarachi Note (2014), Elizabeth Ekadashi (2014), Ventilator (2016), and Mulshi Pattern(2018), which have collectively given a new direction to Marathi films.

Noteworthy films such as Natarang (2010), Shikshanachya Aaicha Gho (2010), Kaksparsh (2012), Duniyadari (2013), Lai Bhaari (2014), Timepass (2014), Katyar Kaljat Ghusali (2015), and Natsamrat (2016) achieved both commercial success and critical acclaim.

[38] During this decade, several films sparked controversies, including Zenda (2010), Lalbaug Parel (2010), Mee Shivajiraje Bhosale Boltoy (2010), Sanngto Aika (2014), Nude (2018), and Dashakriya (2017), which ignited discussions by touching upon sensitive issues like caste, religion, politics, and societal norms.

[39] The decade also marked the rise of biographical films such as Mee Sindhutai Sapkal (2010), Balgandharva (2011), Dr. Prakash Baba Amte (2014), Lokmanya: Ek Yugpurush (2015), Ekk Albela (2016), Ani... Dr. Kashinath Ghanekar (2018), and Anandi Gopal (2019).

In the late 2010s, historical films began to gain attraction, particularly through the works of director Digpal Lanjekar, who created a series titled Shri Shivraj Ashtak, focusing on the Maratha Empire.

The pandemic forced the industry to adapt rapidly, embracing digital platforms for film releases, which allowed filmmakers to reach audiences.

The ensemble film Jhimma became the first to release in theaters post-pandemic, achieving significant success by running for 50 days, ultimately grossing over ₹14.07 crore.

The year highlighted a diverse range of genres, including the zombie comedy Zombivli, the historical action Pawankhind, the musical romantic Chandramukhi, the thriller Y, and the accidental drama Ananya.

Notably, Kedar Shinde's Baipan Bhaari Deva, centered around six elderly sisters, became the second highest-grossing Marathi film of all time, grossing over ₹92 crore and making history as the first female-centric movie to achieve such success.

[58] Renowned actors of this time included Shanta Apte, Durga Khote, Lalita Pawar, Meenakshi Shirodkar, Shobhna Samarth, Chandrakant Mandare, Shahu Modak, Master Vinayak, and Baburao Pendharkar.

[59] Following India's independence, Marathi filmmakers began to focus on mythology and pressing social issues such as caste discrimination, women's rights, and the struggles of rural populations.

[60] Notable actors of this period included Sulochana Latkar, Sandhya, Hansa Wadkar, Usha Kiran, Chandrakant Gokhale, Raja Gosavi, Suryakant Mandhare, and Ramesh Deo.

[62] The 1970s saw the rise of Dada Kondke, who became a leading figure by producing and directing hit films like Songadya, Ekta Jeev Sadashiv, Andhala Marto Dola, Pandu Havaldar, Tumcha Aamcha Jamala, Ram Ram Gangaram, Bot Lavin Titha Gudgulya, Aali Angavar, and Hyoch Navra Pahije.

In more recent times, actors like Upendra Limaye, Girish Kulkarni and Vikram Gokhale have garnered critical acclaim, with receiving the National Film Award for acting.

[68] Contemporary figures such as Nagraj Manjule, Ashutosh Gowariker, Makarand Deshpande, Atul Kulkarni, Mahesh Manjrekar, Ashok Saraf, Laxmikant Berde, Sadashiv Amrapurkar, Siddharth Jadhav, Shreyas Talpade, Shivaji Satam, Mrunal Thakur, Radhika Apte, Sai Tamhankar, Urmila Matondkar, Sonali Bendre, Amruta Khanvilkar, Renuka Shahane, Sharvari, Rohini Hattangadi and Reema Lagoo have achieved national recognition for their contributions to cinema.