Chitrapataka 2026: Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar Says Festival Proceeds Will Go to Drought-Hit Farmers
A festival's ticket money usually disappears into its own costs. Maharashtra's Marathi film festival is doing something different with it this year.
Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar has announced that the entire proceeds of Chitrapataka 2026 will go to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund to help drought-affected farmers. He framed it, in his Marathi post, as an act of social commitment.
What the minister announced
Second edition of Chitrapataka, organised by the Maharashtra government's Cultural Affairs Department and its film corporation
15 to 18 November 2026, at the P. L. Deshpande Maharashtra Kala Academy complex, Prabhadevi
41 films, plus seminars and masterclasses
A strand called "Pustak te Cinema", from book to cinema
All proceeds to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund for drought-hit farmers
The stated purpose is to give Marathi cinema "an international-standard platform of its own", and the minister appealed to film lovers to attend in large numbers.
Why the gesture matters
Arts events often struggle to explain why public money should support them when the state has more pressing needs. Chitrapataka has answered that question directly by tying its audience to one of those needs. Every rupee the festival raises becomes a small contribution to farmers in districts where a failed monsoon is a matter of survival, not inconvenience.
It also changes how one might think about attending. Going to a Marathi film festival in Prabhadevi is no longer only a cultural choice.
Book to cinema
The "Pustak te Cinema" strand deserves attention in its own right. Marathi literature has supplied the screen for generations, and a programme devoted to adaptation suggests the festival intends to talk about craft and sources, not only to screen finished films. Speakers and titles had not been announced at the time of writing.
Plan your visit
For the venue, the festival's history and what to watch for, see our Chitrapataka 2026 guide. Shelar has been at the centre of several cultural announcements this season, including the Pinguli Kala Mahotsav in Kudal.
Frequently asked questions
Where will the money raised by Chitrapataka 2026 go?
According to Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar, the entire proceeds will be given to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund to help drought-affected farmers.
How many films will Chitrapataka 2026 screen?
41 films, according to the minister's announcement.
When and where is Chitrapataka 2026?
15 to 18 November 2026 at the P. L. Deshpande Maharashtra Kala Academy complex in Prabhadevi, Mumbai.
What is Pustak te Cinema?
A strand of the festival titled 'From Book to Cinema', listed alongside seminars and masterclasses.
Kenneth Hopkins is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of AltBollywood. Indofuturist, posthumanist and unapologetically Indocentric, he describes himself as an epimemeticist, a swaraji, a freakonomist, a lexicographer and a cartochronicler, mapping the ideas, words and quiet shifts that shape Indian entertainment. Follow him on Instagram at @kennethhopkins.
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