Mumbai, Nov 2 (IANS): Marathi actor Gashmeer Mahajani, who is making his Bollywood debut with the film "Dongri Ka Raja", feels glad that people don't look at Marathi cinema as downmarket anymore.

"I am glad that people don't look at Marathi cinema as downmarket. Being Marathi my mother tongue... I am proud about that. As an actor I want to do all kinds of cinema because for me, the language doesn't matter. But Marathi is something which will always be close to my heart," Gashmeer told IANS.

Gashmeer is known for his Marathi films including "Deool Band" and "Carry On Maratha".

He said: "We have to handle this openness of the audience more responsibly. We can't take it for granted. It's a stepping stone and we need to be more careful."

"Filmmakers have to come up with more good content to sustain for a longer time. We should invest only on content-oriented films and let's not drive away the audience that has started coming to theatres," he added.

Talking about his Bollywood debut, Gashmeer said: "I couldn't have asked for a better launch. I believe this is the perfect film for me to make my debut in Bollywood. The film is a love story set in the underworld."

Directed by Hadi Ali Abrar, "Dongri Ka Raja" also features Ronit Roy, Sachin Suvarna, Ashwini Kalsekar and Ashmit Patel.

Produced by P.S. Chhatwal and Filmy Keeda Productions, the film will release on November 11.