Your debut directorial film ‘Paani’ (which you’ve also written and acted in) is a bold and emotionally touching film. It has already won critical acclaim and the National Award. Did you enjoy telling such a socially relevant story?

‘Paani’ is very close to my heart. The journey started in 2015 when I decided to tell a story on the topic of water. As I started doing my research, I stumbled upon the series ‘Satyameva Jayate’, which was produced by Aamir Khan and directed by Satyajit Bhatkal. The episode on Hanuman Kendre impacted me deeply.

He comes from a small village called Nagdarwadi in the Nanded district of Maharashtra. The Nanded district and the entire Marathwada region, the Vidarbha region, come in the drought patch of India. The conditions are very bad in these areas even today and it’s only getting worse.

So, this story takes place in the year 2000-2001 when Nagdarwadi was a Godforsaken village. There was a pathetic drought and because of this, there was no agriculture, and hence no income. There was severe unemployment and because of this, alcohol addictions and other vices erupted, crippling the village completely.

Hanuman Kendre had just finished his social work diploma and used to stay in that village, doing odd jobs. During that time, he got engaged to a girl called Suvarna Nagargoje from the Nanded district, who lived more towards the city limits. The girl was beautiful and intelligent, and Hanuman was very happy. But the girl’s parents got to know that there was a water crisis in the village and people had to walk four kilometers to fetch water. So, they called off the wedding.

But Hanuman Kendre didn’t give up. He went to that girl and he told her: “I will marry you the day there’s water in my village, will you wait for me?” What happened ahead is the story of ‘Paani’. Today, that village has water around the year and it also supplies water to five neighbouring villages!
I felt I just had to tell this inspiring story to the world.

‘Paani’ has been produced by Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Madhu Chopra. Was it difficult getting them on board for a Marathi film? What has the experience of working with Priyanka been like?
My dear friend Nitin Dixit, a renowned writer-director, agreed to write this film with me. It took us three years to get the script ready. I then got to know from another director friend of mine, Neeraj Udhwani, that Priyanka Chopra and her creative producer Rashmi Kulkarni were looking for a good regional script. We met and had a reading for Priyanka Chopra, Madhuji, Siddharth Chopra and Rashmi. They all loved it. We had a couple of readings, but the film wasn’t getting green-lit. I was a bit apprehensive because I was already looking for options as an actor for the character of Hanuman Kendre.

Then one day, I got a call from Rashmi asking me to come in for a meeting. She wanted to discuss the casting and plan forward. I opened my presentation, which also had a lot of contenders for the character of Hanuman Kendre. She liked the whole thing, and then she just looked at me and asked, “Adi, why don’t you play the part of Hanuman yourself?” I was blown away!

In Rashmi and Priyanka Chopra, I found producers who trusted me, invested in this dream of mine and stood by me. Hats off to Priyanka for standing by me throughout this journey. I’m blessed because in the film, the way Hanuman Kendre has the support of Suvarna, the love of his life, this project has the support of two women with a big heart. One is Priyanka Chopra Jonas. And the other is Neha Barjatya, who is presenting the film and releasing it. ‘Paani’ has been blessed with passionate and dedicated people – Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Rashmi Kulkarni, Madhu Chopra, Siddharth Chopra and now Rajshri Entertainment, Neha Barjatya and her team of Ashish, Darshana, Rohit. I was guided by the right kind of people and the right team was put together, hence I could achieve this.

Could you walk us through your interesting career graph so far…
I started my journey as a child actor in the year 1994 in the film ‘Majha Chakula’ which won me the State Award for best child actor. Then I concentrated on my education and finished my bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology. I did my MBA with finance and then worked with Pritish Nandy Communications as associate executive producer. Then I worked with Walkwater Media, Manmohan Shetty’s company, as a business analyst and with Gurudev Bhalla.
Post that, I produced my first television show with my dad through our own production house called Kothare Vision. It’s been a wonderful journey as a producer so far wherein we’ve produced over 15 television shows.

I ventured into acting again in the year 2010 with my first film ‘Ved Laavi Jeeva’. And then I did my first play as an actor in 2013 called ‘All The Best’, which was produced by Mahesh Manjrekar. And since then, I have done numerous films as the protagonist.
I have acted in many films in Hindi as well. I did ‘83’ where I played the character of Dilip Vengsarkar, and I was directed by Kabir Khan. I did ‘City Of Dreams’ with Nagesh Kukunoor for Hotstar in which I played the character of Mahesh Arable.

Then I did a web series called ‘Bajao’ on Jio for Jio Cinema. I did a web series with Sudhir Mishra which is going to be rolling out on Zee5 soon. It stars Saqib Saleem, Sai Tamhankar and me. I’ve recently done a film with Nitesh Tiwari called ‘Ramayana’ in which I play the character of Bharat. I have done a web series called ‘Gandhi’ with Hansal Mehta in which I play the character of Gopal Krishna Gokhale.
‘Paani’ is my debut directorial dream venture being released by Rajshri Entertainment and Priyanka Chopra Jones’ production house Purple Pebble Pictures. It is releasing on October 18, 2024 in theatres and I’m excited and gearing up!

As a producer, I produced the web series ‘Manvat Murders’ which is trending right now on Sony Liv. People are binging on it. It stars Ashutosh Gowariker, Sai Tamhankar, Sonali Kulkarni, and Makarand Anaspure among others. That’s my first web series as a producer and there are more surprises in the pipeline.

Your father, Mahesh Kothare, is a legendary figure in Marathi cinema. How has his influence shaped your career and approach to films?
I’m blessed to have a father like Mahesh Kothare who is my friend, philosopher and guide. We fight, argue, celebrate, have fun and go out for movies together. I’m blessed to have a wonderful relationship with my mom and dad. In fact, my parents know more of my dark secrets than my friends do!! I’m fortunate to share this equation with them. And yes, my parents, grandparents, and my family have been very instrumental in influencing me in every way. Whatever I am today is because of the values they have taught me.

Marathi cinema is known for its strong storytelling. How do you think Indian regional cinema can reach a global audience?
The web series ‘Manvat Murders’ which I produced, has already crossed over and is being watched by a non-Marathi audience as well. Today, language is no longer a barrier because we are used to watching content with subtitles and dubbed in different languages. We have become more open to different stories from different parts of the world. The borders and demarcations between different countries, ethnicities and languages have blurred because of technological evolution. You don’t need to be based in Mumbai or Hollywood anymore to become a good filmmaker because today there is ample access to the technical support required to make a film. You can be anywhere in this world and if you have a story to tell, you will be noticed. Hence, it’s a wonderful time for storytellers!