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Aayna Ka Bayna (Marathi Movie) Review

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Direction: Samit Kakkad

Production: Manju Paras Porwal, Amar kakkad and Pushpa Kakkad

Writers: Story – Raju Khuste, Suchita Sawant, Screenplay – Samit Kakkad, Dialogues – Bhalchandra Jha, Pradeep Rane, Hemant Edlabadkar and Sachin Darekar

Cast: Sachin Khedekar, Amruta Khanvilkar, Raqesh Vashisht, Ganesh Yadav, Siddhesh Pai, Amit Rokade, Pravin Nair, Rahul Kulkarni, Anand Chavan, Dinesh Kamble, Akhilesh Vishwakarma, Nikhil Rajemahadik, Sanket Farad

Music: Ajit-Sameer

Genre: Drama

Rating: * * * *

Plot: Warden of a children’s remand home Harshawardhan Sathe (Sachin Khedekar) is a firm believer in the use of the stick in order to control the juvenile criminals over there. Naturally, his name ignites fear and hatred among all. But with the entry of the counselor Shivani (Amruta Khanvilkar), the young inmates find a new meaning to their lives.

Apart from showering the children with love and care, Shivani uses the dance therapy to counsel them. As the adolescents start mastering the art of dance, they develop a sense of fulfilling their dreams. But Sathe is hell bent to transform their dreams into nightmares!

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Review: If children or adolescents are forced to indulge in some sort of crime, they should be taken care of to make sure they become law abiding citizens in the future. Treating them like hardcore criminal shouldn’t be an option at all.  Debutant director Samit Kakkad gives this strong message successfully in Aayna Ka Bayna. But what makes the message more appealing is the fact that it is put across while presenting an applaud-worthy dance extravaganza. The end result is an inspiring humane saga that touches your heart.

The writers deserve applause as it would have been difficult at the start to define two starkly opposite characters (Sathe and Shivani) and portray the life at the remand home and, at the same time, take the story forward. The flashback portions of few inmates are nicely included by keeping it brief and to the point. Even the emotional or painful moments, thankfully, don’t appear depressing.

Picture courtesy – AKB Facebook page

When dance plays an important part in a film, there is a danger of the makers going overboard by including too many dance sequences. Fortunately, that doesn’t appear here. The dance scenarios and songs constitute an important part of the narration. Of course, there is a long dance sequence at the end but by this time; you develop a liking for the characters thereby making you root for them.

Although there aren’t big flaws, the film does become predictable later on. Also, a funny dance scene involving one of the main characters (won’t reveal the name) should have been shortened.

Sanjay Jadhav’s camerawork perfectly captures the dance as well as the action sequences. Like his previous films, he continues his good work. Without such brilliant dance sequences, the film wouldn’t have created such an impact. For this, choreographers Umesh Jadhav and Rohan Rokade deserve thumbs up. Ajit-Sameer’s peppy music suits the genre of the film. From the songs, the title track stands out. The editing and background score are adequate too.

Sachin Khedekar shows his brilliance by perfectly getting into the skin of the character of a ruthless warden. He generates the fear and hatred which was vital. Amruta Khanvilkar gives a strong performance. She manages to speak through expressions and is perfect during the dance sequences. However, her dancing skills should have been exploited more.

Ganesh Yadav is brilliant as the cop. The scene where he interacts with the media will have audiences in splits. Decent support is provided by Raqesh Vashisht. Lastly, the nine young debutants – Siddhesh Pai, Amit Rokade, Pravin Nair, Rahul Kulkarni, Anand Chavan, Dinesh Kamble, Akhilesh Vishwakarma, Nikhil Rajemahadik and Sanket Farad – deserve high applause for their super dancing skills and as well as acting. Some of their moves are overwhelming! Santosh Juvekar is likable in a cameo.

Overall, Aayna Ka Bayna gives a strong message through the art of dance without going overboard. Since it is released with Talaash starring the powerful Aamir Khan, it is in need of some prolific word-of-mouth.

Bhandarkar launches Bhagwan dada biopic Albela

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A number of interesting, humorous incidents from the legendary actor’s movies and life were shared at the event

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Acclaimed filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar recently said in an interview that he used to run a video library during his growing up days in Khar, Mumbai. But on Saturday he got further candid by revealing that his lot of 70-80 video cassettes always used to have few prints of Bhagwan dada’s popular movie Albela.

“There was a lot of demand for Albela. People watched it again and again. Sometimes I used to urge my customers to watch it again and they used to happily oblige. Even I have seen the movie many times. I also have fond memories of watching Bhagwan dada a number of times in a small restaurant in Khar where he used to shoot his films.” said Bhandarkar.

Madhur Bhandarkar during the launch of Albela (Pictures – Ashish Desai)

The Chandni Bar director went into the flashback mode during the launch of the Marathi movie Albela, which is based on the life of the late yesteryear superstar Bhagwan Abhaji Palav aka Bhagwan dada. Produced under the banner of Kimaya Motion Pictures, the film is directed by Niranjan Patwardhan. The event also marked the launch of Isak Mujavar’s Marathi book Ek Albela, which is also based on the dancing superstar.

Patwardhan, himself a big admirer of dada, said he is eager to spread his art. “I was highly surprised when I realized nobody has ever written even 30 pages on him. If people had known even fifty percent of his talent, he would have been considered the biggest showman,” he said. This is Patwardhan’s first film as a director. He has earlier worked with Bhandarkar in Corporate, Traffic Signal, Fashion and Jail.

Various other guests spoke about dada’s greatness which turned out to be very informative for youngsters who don’t know much about him. “While working with him in any film, we always felt as if we have come for a picnic. His dance was remarkable. In fact, dada’s dancing style is also visible in Amitabh Bachchan’s dance steps,” said senior actor Viju Khote. “It is not possible for the current actors to match his dancing skills,” stated filmmaker Kiran Shantaram, son of the late legendary V Shantaram.

Some funny incidents about the actor were also shared by Mujavar and the yesteryear Marathi and Hindi film actress Sulochana Devi, who launched Mujavar’s book. “He had an unusual habit of sleeping while standing. But when the shot was announced, he used to automatically wake up and start acting,” laughed Sulochana.

Mujavar added, “Once during our train journey out of city, he fell down from the upper berth. So I was told to occupy his berth while dada was given the lowest berth. But in the morning, we realized he had fallen from the lowest berth as well.” He also revealed that some of his movies had the same basic plot but despite that, each film succeeded in keeping the audience engrossed.

Attendees also included dada’s son Arun Palav, yesteryear actresses Jeevan Kala and Leela Gandhi, Uday Chipalkatti and others. The event surely generated a lot of curiosity for the biopic. But one has to wait till 2013 to see how the film turns out to be.

Sulochana Devi launching Isak Mujavar’s book Ek Albela

Kale’s novel relevant even in today’s era: Shree Partner director

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Whenever a film is made from a popular novel, the first question that arises in everybody’s minds is whether the celluloid version is as good as the book, if not better. But should there be any comparison between both the versions? If yes, to what extent? Such questions were explored at a discussion in Mumbai named ‘Pratisanvad – Sahityache Cinematle Roopantar’. The conversation took place after Ganesh Matkari’s book ‘Chaukati Bahercha Cinema’ was launched.

The focus of the interaction was director Sameer Surve’s movie Shree Partner, which is based on the classic novel Partner by Vasant Purushottam Kale. Secretary of Prabhat Chitra Mandal Santosh Pathare, author Anant Samant, filmmaker Sameer Surve, filmmaker and writer Abhiram Bhadkamkar and film writer Ganesh Matkari were the speakers at the event.

During the discussion, Pathare raised a question on Surve’s decision to make a film on Partner since the book has been read by a large number of people over the decades. To this, Surve replied, “We have to accept that in today’s times, there is a dearth of good stories. But the base of every film is a story. Many of the classic foreign films are based on some great literature. I chose Partner since it has a great story. Although the book was written in 1977, I think it is relevant even in today’s era.”

Narrating his experience, Surve adds, “In fact, I was surprised why not a single movie was made on Partner all these years. But when I was thinking of making a movie on the book, I came to know someone else has already decided to make it. Obviously I was disappointed. But later on, that person shelved the project. Hence, I grabbed the opportunity with both hands.” He also says he found a cinema angle in the book as he was stunned and touched by it, just like one does in a movie.

When Pathare pointed out that Shree Partner will be compared with the book, Bhadkamkar opined that there shouldn’t be comparison. But on the contrary, Surve said there should be comparison. “If you have passion, you don’t worry about post mortem. I have worked hard for three years to make this film. The script was finalized after 17 drafts and I also had to re-shoot some of the scenes. When a friend of mine got to know this, he laughed at me saying this is just a Marathi film. But I said I wanted to do full justice with the book.”

To know whether Shree Partner has done justice to the book, one has to wait till October 26 when the film releases.

(The remaining part of this interesting discussion will be published soon.)

Kutumb (Marathi Movie) Review

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Director: Sudesh Manjrekar

Producer: Great Maratha Entertainment

Writers: Mahesh Waman Manjrekar (Story and Screenplay) and Raveen Tarade (Dialogues)

Cast: Jitendra Joshi, Veena Janmkar, Gauri Ingawale, Mihir Soni, Siddharth Jadhav, Manasi Naik, Vaibhav Mangale, Bhalchandra Kadam

Music: Ajit-Sameer & Abhijeet Kawthalkar

Rating: * * ½

Plot: Even though they struggle to make ends meet, Namdeo (Jitendra Joshi) and Ganga (Veena Janmkar) live a peaceful life with their children Laxmi (Gauri Ingawale) and Subhan (Mihir Soni). Namdeo, who works as a gardener, will go any heights to fulfill the wants of his family. He even does some extra work and bears all pains with a smile. However, their simple life turns ugly when they are faced with a number of obstacles.

Namdeo receives unconditional family-like support from his friend Magic Mamu (Siddharth Jadhav) and his wife Saira (Manasi Naik).

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Review: Parents are always expected to work hard to present a better or a comfortable life to their children. But how acceptable is when children take up the responsibility to better the lives of their parents? Such an unusual yet interesting question is explored in Sudesh Manjrekar’s Kutumb. The characters and some of the events surely succeed in moving the audience but due to the writing and execution (in some parts), the film turns out to be just a one-time watch.

During the initial moments, the writers and the director use the visual medium very intelligently. The nature of the four characters, the love between them, their problems and their everyday life is described without much use of dialogues. And once Siddharth Jadhav’s character is introduced, the proceedings get a booster. But there was no need to include two songs without any gap to prove the dancing skills of the two kids. Despite that, the first half manages to lay a decent foundation.

The events that follow are appealing alright. But now the film starts treading on predictable lines. An over-emotional scene (not possible to reveal more), involving one of the main characters, appears silly. But what hurts the most is how the audience is made to watch a dance reality show for a long duration later on. The pre-climax and the climax should have been framed in a way that it gets the audience rooting for the kids.

A very interesting fact is observed in a number of Mahesh Manjrekar’s films including Kutumb. The main protagonist receives tremendous help from a supporting character who is Muslim by religion. Apart from Kutumb (where Jadhav plays Joshi’s friend), this is seen in his earlier films Kurukshetra, Viruddh, Vaah! Life Ho To Aisi!, Mee Shivajiraje Bhosale Boltoy and Shikshanachya Aaicha Gho. Co-incidentally, in three of the six films mentioned, Jadhav has played the concerned character.

Technical aspects like cinematography (Ajith Reddy) and background score can be included in the plus points. The editing is fine but it should have been tighter during the dance reality show scenes. Ajit-Sameer and Abhijit Kawthalkar’s music suits the film. Dialogues (Pravin Tarde) are effective and moving.

The performance area is the biggest plus point. Jitendra Joshi is brilliant as he pours his heart out while playing a caring father and husband. He is on a roll this year. Vena Janmkar too gets into the skin of her character with perfection and presents a realistic act. Gauri Ingawale and Mihir Soni deserve huge applause for not only giving mature performances but also showing some terrific dancing skills.

Siddharth Jadhav presents a lovable act. Manasi Naik is likable too. Vaibhav Mangale plays the bad guy well while Bhalchandra Kadam, his sidekick, is not bad either.

Overall, Kutumb can be seen once if you prefer emotional family dramas. The film will need positive word-of-mouth to succeed at the box-office. It will face opposition from next week’s awaited No Entry Pudhe Dhoka Aahey.

Bharatiya (Marathi Movie) Review

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Director: Girish Mohite

Producer: Devisha Films

Writers: Anirudha Potdar and Sanjay Pawar

Cast: Subodh Bhave, Mohan Agashe, Makarand Anaspure, Jitendra Joshi, Meeta Sawarkar, Kuldeep Pawar, Hrishikesh Joshi, Tejashree Khele

Music: Ajay-Atul  

Rating: * * * ½

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Plot: City-dweller Abhay (Subodh Bhave) returns to his native place Adnide to trace his roots and claim rights over his ancestral property. He is in for a shock when village head (Mohan Agashe), who has occupied the house, refuses to vacate the place saying he owns it and has been running it since decades. Abhay is unable to prove his right over the property as Adnide has no official existence in either Maharashtra or Karnataka.

Call it a miracle or a mere co-incidence, Abhay lays his hands on something which makes Adnide a burning national issue which also becomes a reason for concern for the Prime Minister of India (Manoj Joshi).

Review: A number of small villages on Maharashtra-Karnataka border are ignored by the government to such an extent that they have neither a place in India’s map, nor any written record of their existence. Girish Mohite’s Bharatiya successfully exposes this truth apart from exploring the meaning of being Bharatiya i.e Indian. Although the film lacks 100% conviction, the makers Devisha Films bring another feel good and impactful village tale after Deool.

The writers (Aniruddha Potdar and Sanjay Pawar) succeed in the task which is the most vital in such movies – of getting the audience involved in the village proceedings. This was possible due to the inclusion of some interesting characters and their humorous conversation. The story nicely moves forward after Subodh Bhave’s arrival and his frustrating experience with the government officials. An unexpected turn during interval point sums up a well made first half. A flashback scene during this half turns out to be very appealing due to the color scheme used in it.

The turn at the interval point ensures some highly dramatic moments in the second half. The questionable aspect all this while is how Bhave’s character carries out such a humongous task without blinking an eye-lid and thinking about its dire consequences. Due to this, even his stand in the end is surprising. However, since the climax is powerful and eye-opening, there aren’t any major turn offs. The film should also be lauded for showing the mirror to the current government and its functioning.

Ajay-Atul’s music is effective. The song ‘Aamhi Lai Solid Aahot’ stands out. Shrinivas Achari’s cinematography and Santosh Futane’s art direction stay true to the subject – simple yet appealing. The background score and editing add to the plus points.

With this performance, Subodh Bhave once again proves he is one of the most talented Marathi actors currently. He gives a mature performance without going overboard in scenes which required him to portray anger and frustration. Mohan Agashe shows his class in an unusually funny role. Meeta Sawarkar is perfect as an educated village girl. Kuldeep Pawar fits perfectly as Agashe’s rival who loves using English words regularly.

Jitendra Joshi is lovable as a dumb village youngster. He comic timing is terrific. Hrishikesh Joshi offers flawless support. Makarand Anaspure as a wandering gypsy gives a mature act, although he speaks a bit too fast on few occasions. Tejashree Khele doesn’t get much scope but she does well as a simple village belle. Manoj Joshi excels in a cameo.

Overall, Bharatiya succeeds in throwing light on a neglected issue. Although the content has potential of scoring at the box-office, it will have a tough time after Bollywood’s hugely awaited Ek Tha Tiger releases.

Badam Rani Gulam Chor (Marathi Movie) Review

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Director: Satish Rajawade

Producers: Shekhar Kulkarni and Ajit Bhure

Writer: Dr. Vivek Bele

Cast: Upendra Limaye, Anand Ingle, Pushkar Shrotri, Mukta Barwe, Dr. Mohan Agashe, Vinay Apte, Deepak Karanjikar, Sudhir Gadgil

Music: Sandeep Khare and Salil Kulkarni

Rating: * * * ½

Plot: Three friends Chaku (Upendra Limaye), Pustak (Pushkar Shrotri) and Makad (Anand Ingle) with unusual characteristics live under the same roof. Due to the bond they share, their house is called Unbreakables. However, breaks start appearing in Unbreakables after the arrival of Pencil (Mukta Barwe). This starts a political game between the four.

Review: Political leaders playing tricks to preserve their vote bank is nothing new in today’s times. But what happens when ordinary people start playing such political games in interpersonal relationships? This question is explored in Satish Rajwade’s Badam Rani Gulam Chor. The exploration succeeds in providing some high doses of entertainment in the form of non-stop humor, although it lacks 100% conviction. The film is also blessed by some quality performances.

The wicked yet interesting chemistry between the characters of Chaku, Pustak and Makad is put forth intelligently in the very first scene. The entry of Pencil and its consequences gives rise to hilarious consequences. The names of the characters might sound absurd initially but after knowing the logic behind them, they appear apt and also add on to the humor and so does the different wavelengths of the characters.

Picture courtesy – BRGC Facebook page

A political track is very intelligently mirrored with the tale of the four characters and this is another reason why Dr Vivek Bele deserves high applause. The story takes a very interesting turn in the second half. From this part, Makad’s theories related to marriage and the scene where he and Chaku imagine Pustak and Pencil’s fighting for one and half minutes deserves special mention. These moments certainly have repeat value.

The pre-climax and the climax, however, don’t appear too convincing.  But since you have already connected with the characters and have had loads of laughter, you leave the cinema hall with satisfaction. We can say that after the successful Mumbai Pune Mumbai, Rajwade has once again handled another light-hearted film with maturity.

Decent efforts are seen in the technical departments (background score, cinematography and editing). The songs (Sandeep Khare and Salil Kulkarni) complement the theme well.

Pushkar Shrotri gets into the skin of the character of a bookworm with ease. His comic timing is perfect. Upendra Limaye is maturely convincing as a hot-headed toughie. Mukta Barwe displays the cuteness needed in her act. She is convincing in emotional scenes too.

But the one who turns out to be a surprise package is Anand Ingle. His smart and highly humorous act proves his talent. Vinay Apte and Deepak Karanjikar play warring politicians with conviction. A good cameo act is provided by Dr Mohan Agashe.

Overall, Badam Rani Gulam Chor is a clean entertainer with intelligent humor. The film has a chance of clicking at the box-office.

Tukaram (Marathi Movie) Review

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Direction: Chandrakant Kulkarni

Production: Sanjay Chhabria, Everest Films

Writer(s): Ajit Dalvi and Prashant Dalvi

Cast: Jitendra Joshi, Radhika Apte, Padmanabh Gaikwad, Veena Jamkar, Sharad Ponkshe, Prateeksha Lonar, Yatin Karekar

Music: Ashok Patki and Avdhoot Gupte

Rating: * * * *

Plot: The film is a biopic on the life of the great Sant Tukaram. As a child, Tukaram Bolhoba Ambile aka Tuka is different than other children with respect to intelligence and curiosity to know about almost everything around him. This enables him to assist his father in his money lending business at an early age. As his elder brother is unable to look after the business due to strange circumstances, Tukaram happily starts looking after his father’s business when he grows up.

But fate has something dark in store for him and his family when his parents pass away in quick succession. If this wasn’t enough, his village is hit by drought. Tukaram is moved by the plight of his family and villagers. These tragedies enlighten him on the true meaning of life and transform a mere money-lender into one of the greatest saints and poets the country has seen.

Review: When you think of a biopic based on a 17th Century saint and poet, chances are you will label it as a film for the classes or the older generation. However, filmmaker Chandrakant Kulkarni proves with Tukaram that even biopics can appeal to all sections of the audience.

But while he succeeds in making his latest offering masses-friendly, what makes the film special is the fact that he doesn’t compromise on the message and teachings of the great saint. This fact coupled by Jitendra Joshi’s mind-blowing performance makes Tukaram a must watch.

The runtime of the movie (162 minutes) might appear lengthy in today’s times but considering the large number of events in Tukaram’s life, it is totally justified. The intelligent script and dialogues (writers: Ajit Dalvi and Prashant Dalvi) keep boredom at bay. You get so engrossed in the simple life of Tukaram’s family that you fail to realize that the story has hardly moved forward in the initial portions. And as the story unfolds after that, you get further impressed by the writing.

(Review continued after picture.)

Picture courtesy - tukaramthefilm.com

Even the tragic scenes are handled in a way that they don’t appear lethargic. Once Tukaram attains enlightenment and subsequently transforms into a saint, it gives rise to a number of scenes that move, delight as well as show the true meaning of life. The scenes where Tukaram rubbishes off something as inhuman as the caste system deserve special mention. Lastly, the makers also deserve full marks for creating a climax that delights you while highlighting the greatness of Sant Tukaram.

If one tries to find the flipsides, one can say that the family life of Tukaram, in the first half, could have been shortened which would have given extra time to focus on the protagonist when he becomes a saint.

Production design (Eknath Kadam), costumes (Poornima Oak) and make up (Vikram Gaikwad) successfully recreate the 17th Century era with realism. Rajan Kothari’s camerawork is a big factor for the film to look an impressive piece of art.

Abhangas were an important part of Sant Tukaram’s life and teachings. Due to this, music becomes an important part of the film’s narration. Ashok Patki and Avdhoot Gupte churn out praiseworthy songs and also recreate the classic abhangas perfectly. They play a vital role in creating an impact. ‘Jagnyacha Paya’ and ‘Sada Maze Dola’ are the ones that stand out.

It was absolutely important for Jitendra Joshi to provide a flawless act. He does exactly that as he brings Tukaram alive on screen by enacting different emotions with ease. Some performances become a talking point for years to come. This is one such performance. Padmanabh Gaikwad is also lovable as young Tukaram.

Radhika Apte does well playing the aggressive second wife of Tukaram. Although she is too loud at times, it was the requirement of the character. Actors playing the rest of the Ambile family Sharad Ponkshe, Pratiksha Lonar, Veena Jamkar, Vrushasen Dabholkar and Smita Tambe play their part perfectly. Yatin Karekar shines in a negative role. Apt support is provided by Vikas Patil, Madhav Abhyankar, Ravindra Mankani, etc.

Overall, Tukaram is remarkable in all departments making it a fitting tribute to the great saint. The film will be a winner at the box-office.

 

 

Ajintha (Marathi Movie) Review

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Direction: Nitin Chandrakant Desai

Production: Neha Nitin Desai, Meena Chandrakant Desai

Writers: Nitin Chandrakant Desai, Mandar Joshi

Cast: Sonalee Kulkarni, Philip Scott Wallace, Manoj Kolhatkar, Avinash Narkar, Murli Sharma, Makrand Deshpande, Reena Aggarwal, Manoj Joshi

Music: Kaushal S. Inamdar

Rating: * * * ½

Plot: During a hunting expedition in 1819, British officer Captain James Smith (Jian Bostoch) accidently discovers the Buddhist caves of Ajanta which date back to the Satavahana dynasty in the 200th Century B. C. Smith is astonished by the beauty of the pictures inside the caves. Later on in 1844, the Britishers send Captain Robert Gill (Philip Scott Wallace), a top quality painter, to recreate the paintings on canvas to enlighten the world about the great Ajanta caves.

As soon as Gill arrives at Lenapur for his task, he falls in love with the cave paintings and the surroundings. In recreating the paintings, Gill gets much needed help from Paro (Sonalee Kulkarni), a girl from the local tribal community. As fate would have it, the couple falls in love. But will the society accept such a relationship?

Review: Love is a feeling that is devoid of language barriers. It really doesn’t matter if you can’t understand a word of what a person speaks if your heart has struck a chord with him or her. Nitin Chandrakant Desai’s Ajintha explores this pure form of love while offering a visually stunning cinematic experience. Naturally, due to such genre, the film caters more to the art-house audience.

The subject of Ajanta caves provides plenty of scope for Desai to showcase his artistic skills, which he does brilliantly in creating sets similar to real caves. The images and the architecture inside and outside of it put you in awe of the art. Add to this, Rajeev Jain’s breathtaking and artistic cinematography (especially while capturing waterfalls and landscapes) and you get nothing less than a visual treat, which has the capacity to impress the audience world over.

As mentioned earlier, there is a huge language and cultural barrier between Paro and Gill. Therefore, it can be very difficult for the writers to show love blossoming between them as they can’t use proper dialogues. This difficult task is managed well as the love story between the couple is made believable with the use of intelligent situations and circumstances. Due to this, the audience instantly starts feeling for the characters. In between, explanation of the philosophy related to the cave paintings and Indian mythology adds further colors.

The second half deals more with the circumstances of the love story of the couple. It is this part that will test the patience of a section of the audience due to the inclusion of a number of songs. Even the duration of some scenes could have been shortened. But if you are an admirer of such genre, it shouldn’t bother you much, especially after witnessing the moving climax that extends till the ending credits.

It’s necessary to mention that a good part of the movie is in English. Although there are sub-titles provided during English dialogues, it is doubtful whether the Indian audience is used to reading them while watching a movie.

Kaushal S. Inamdar’s compositions and N D Mahanor’s lyrics add more soul to the proceedings. Neeta Lulla also deserves praise for creating costumes that look believable to be of that era.

Sonalee Kulkarni moulds herself brilliantly in the role of Paro and expresses every emotion with ease. She impresses with her dancing skills too. This will surely be a talked about performance from her career even after decades. British actor Philip Scott Wallace deserves equal praise for a mature act. The chemistry between both the actors is appealing.

Manoj Kolhatkar gives a fine act (Jalal-Ud-Din) and so does Avinash Narkar (Pandit). Murli Sharma and Makarand Deshpande play the bad guys with ease. Reena Aggarwal provides good support. Manoj Joshi and Jian Bostoch excel in cameos.

Overall, Ajintha is a picturesque saga defining the true meaning of love. The film has a chance of succeeding at the box-office.

Kaksparsh (Marathi Movie) Review

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Direction: Mahesh Vaman Manjrekar

Production: Great Maratha Entertainment

Writer: Girish Joshi (Screenplay and Dialogues), Usha Datar (Story)

Cast: Sachin Khedekar, Priya Bapat, Ketaki Mategaonkar

Music: Rahul Ranade, Ajit-Sameer

Rating: * * * ½

Plot: Based on a story by Usha Datar, Kaksparsh, set in the pre-independence era in Konkan, Maharashtra, revolves around Haridada (Sachin Khedekar), who is the head of the Damle family. Haridada gets his younger brother Mahadev (Abhijit Kelkar) married to the adolescent Durga, who is later named Uma (Ketaki Mategaonkar). However, the happiness of the Damle family is short-lived as Mahadev passes away due to illness on the night his marriage was to be solemnized.

Being a widow, Uma now has to live life full of atrocities. But Haridada comes to her rescue. His affection and care towards Uma raises a lot of questions.

Review: It is believed that love is the greatest feeling on earth. And what goes hand-in-hand with love is loyalty. It is this loyalty that compels you to sacrifice everything, including your life, for the one you love. Director Mahesh Vaman Manjrekar presents this fact in his latest offering Kaksparsh, a film that leaves an impact long time after you leave the cinema hall. But one has to mention that the film caters more to the lovers of serious, hard-hitting cinema.

The makers succeed in the difficult task of taking the viewer back to the 1930-50s era right at the onset. For this, the art director’s sincere efforts need to be appreciated for creating the bygone era with realism. Ajit Reddy’s artistic camerawork too deserves equal applause. Rahul Ranade and Ajit-Sameer’s compositions and the background score (which are apt for the subject) add further realism. But these things wouldn’t have created much impact without a creatively written script (Girish Joshi).

(Review continued after picture.)

Slowly but surely you get involved in the tale and subsequently start relating with the characters; their joys and sorrows. The writer does well in not extending the death and post-death scenes which would have also increased the length of the film. Extinguishing a lighted diva (lamp) as a symbolism for death was impressive. The writer and the director also leave a mark in the all important issue of widow’s rights and Sachin Khedekar’s stand on it.

The idea of narrating the tale in the form of a flashback in the second half works very well for it makes the audience curious in knowing the final outcome. The pace does drop in the latter part of the second half. This is where the patience of the entertainment-hungry audience will be tested.

But the moving and thought-provoking climax, which follows, sums up a well-made product. This was largely possible because of Khedekar’s terrific act in the finale that touches you. It is the performance of this veteran star that is the backbone of Kaksparsh as he gets into the skin of Haridada and pours plenty of life in it. This one is easily one of his best acts.

After her impressive act in Shala, Ketaki Mategaonkar continues her good work by portraying a difficult character. Priya Bapat, who plays the elder Uma, too gives a terrific performance. The scenes where she depicts pain and tragedy prove her talent. Savita Malpekar easily essays a character which would have challenged any talented actor. Vaibhav Mangle excels in a negative role and so does Sanjay Khapare as Haridada’s friend. Fine acts are also provided by Medha Manjrekar and Abhijit Kelkar.

Overall, Kaksparsh is a moving saga which will surely interest the thinking audience. Due to the positive opening it has received, it will turn out to be a winner at the box-office.

Phalke’s 142nd Anniversary: Overshadowed National Event!

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Over the decades, movies have become an integral part of the lives of Indians. People of all ages, gender, religion, caste, language and class have been regularly thronging movie theatres ever since cinema arrived in India 99 years ago. The choice of movies among people might differ but visiting cinema halls and getting amazed, inspired and influenced by movies and its actors has become very common. Therefore, it won’t be an overstatement to say that cinema has become a part of Indian culture.

For making this possible, we all movie buffs should be thankful or even indebted to the Father of Indian Cinema Dhundiraj Govind Phalke aka Dadasaheb Phalke. It was his strong dedication and belief that made cinema possible in India. But when Phalke decided to make India’s first film Raja Harishchandra in 1912, there were many who tried to discourage him. There were some who even considered him a mad man.

Dadasaheb Phalke (Picture courtesy - Wikipedia)

But his dedication and passion was so strong that it had no effect on him. This was also because his wife Saraswati and his two kids too joined him in the mission. So, it won’t be wrong to say that the first Indian movie was made by the whole Phalke family.

After that, he could have easily settled in England and made films for the English. Financiers from London were ready to shell out huge amounts of money to produce his films. But he chose to stay in India so that the film industry develops and flourishes in our country.

It was filmmaker Paresh Mokashi and his team that enlightened the cinegoers about Phalke through his first film Harishchandrachi Factory (2009). Personally speaking, I will always be thankful to Mokashi for giving this hugely needed tribute to the great man. Without going overboard, the filmmaker presented Phalke’s struggle and the subsequent achievement by just using the visual medium.

However, from the huge number of movie buffs, how many are truly aware about Phalke? And from those who know about him, how many are there who truly think about him? I am sure a lot of people from the Indian film industry might not know about him.

I think even the mass media hasn’t given much importance to Phalke in all these 99 years. It wouldn’t cost much to our filmmakers to give tribute to Phalke at the start of their movie. After all, they are able to make movies only because he brought the medium to India. Apart from Harishchandrachi Factory, the only movie I remember doing this was Swarajya (2011).

I would like to give special mention to Fame Nakshatra (Dadar) for honoring Phalke by putting his picture with a garland inside their theatre (See below picture). I haven’t seen any other theatre doing this.

Monday April 30, 2012 marks the 142nd birth anniversary of Phalke. As expected, there is just no excitement or even awareness about it. But that is not going to stop me from rejoicing for the Father of Indian Cinema since it’s a day every cinema lover should be proud of! 

Watch the 11 minute footage from Raja Harishchandra (1913), the very first film of India!

Nandu Madhav and Vibhawari Deshpande in a still from Harishchandrachi Factory

Picture of Dadasaheb Phalke inside Fame Nakshatra theatre, Dadar.