Chitrapataka 2026: Maharashtra's International Marathi Film Festival Returns to Prabhadevi, 15 to 18 November
Chitra is a picture. Pataka is a banner, the kind once carried at the head of a procession. Put together, Chitrapataka is a flag raised for cinema, and the Maharashtra government's Marathi film festival has chosen its name with some care. It returns to Mumbai this month.
The facts
Festival: Chitrapataka, an international-standard Marathi film festival
Dates: 15 to 18 November 2026
Venue: P. L. Deshpande Maharashtra Kala Academy, Prabhadevi, Mumbai
Programme: screenings of Marathi films, conversations with dignitaries, seminars and masterclasses
The announcement from Film City Mumbai, written in Marathi, describes the festival as a celebration of the "rich content, creativity, artistry and talent" of Marathi cinema, and invites audiences to celebrate that creativity together. The emphasis falls on the range of the industry rather than its stars.
What the first edition established
Chitrapataka is young. Its first edition ran from 21 to 24 April 2025 with 41 films, and its emblem was unveiled by the state's Cultural Affairs Minister, Ashish Shelar. The return in a second year matters more than any single title on the schedule: a festival becomes an institution only by recurring.
Why a state-run festival for one language
The question is reasonable, and the answer lies in the economics of regional cinema. Marathi films are made with modest budgets, compete for screens with Hindi releases produced a few kilometres away, and depend on word of mouth that a crowded weekend can smother. A festival concentrates attention. It also gives a body of work a critical context, the difference between "a Marathi film came out" and "Marathi cinema is doing something".
There is precedent for the approach. Marathi films have long punched above their weight at national awards and international festivals, from the arthouse to the mainstream. What has been missing is a home showcase with the scale and seriousness of a festival rather than a release calendar.
The venue
The P. L. Deshpande Maharashtra Kala Academy, named for the writer and humorist whom Maharashtra knows simply as Pu La, is a fitting choice. It sits in Prabhadevi, in the old cultural heart of Marathi Mumbai, a short distance from Shivaji Park and Dadar's theatres.
What to watch for
The full film list and masterclass speakers had not been published with the announcement. Three things are worth tracking as they appear:
Debuts. Regional festivals are where first-time directors find distributors
Masterclass names. The quality of the speakers tends to indicate how seriously the industry itself is treating the event
Access. Whether passes and screenings are open to the general public, and how they are booked
While the schedule is awaited, it is worth noting how busy Maharashtra's cultural calendar has been this autumn. Our report on the Pinguli Kala Mahotsav in Kudal covers the state's folk-arts festival, and IFFI 2026 follows in Goa just two days after Chitrapataka closes.
Frequently asked questions
When is Chitrapataka 2026?
From 15 to 18 November 2026.
Where is Chitrapataka 2026 being held?
At P. L. Deshpande Maharashtra Kala Academy in Prabhadevi, Mumbai.
What happens at Chitrapataka?
Screenings of Marathi films, conversations with dignitaries, seminars and masterclasses, according to the organisers.
Who organises Chitrapataka?
The festival is promoted by Film City Mumbai, the Maharashtra government's film body.
Is this the first Chitrapataka?
No. The first edition ran from 21 to 24 April 2025 and screened 41 films.
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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