Category Archives: Marathi movies

Jana Gana Mana (Marathi Movie) Review

Direction: Amit Abhyankar

Production: Golden Dreams Production House

Cast: Nandu Madhav, Chinmay Sant, Santosh Juvekar, Madhura Velankar Satam, Asmita Joglekar

Music: Dr Saleel Kulkarni

Rating: * * * ½

Plot: School teacher Ramchandra Sontakke (Nandu Madhav) is fed-up of teaching in a school in a tribal area of Maharashtra called Mhalunge. He longs to get a transfer to a school with more civilized students. In order to impress his senior, who will be visiting the school on Independence Day, he organizes a flag hoisting ceremony and a patriotic play to prove his mettle.

His student Katu (Chinmay Sant) is eager to sing the National Anthem on Independence Day. For this, he needs to be dressed up in new white clothes. However, his parents Dagadu (Santosh Juvekar) and his wife (Madhura Velankar Satam) can never afford it as they are struggling for even the basic necessities of life (food, clothing and shelter). Will Katu be heartbroken?

Review: Tribals are looked so down upon in our society that they are almost considered from different species. Naturally, their children are regarded the same. However, given a chance, these children can match up to their civilized counterparts and develop love for the nation if they are given proper education. This bold message is sensibly delivered in Amit Abhyankar’s Jana Gana Mana, a film which will change many a perception towards the so-called backward classes.

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Sameer Joshi’s impressive writing is seen right in the initial moments as the tribal life is presented realistically with the inclusion of simple but rib-tickling humour. The fact that these children are not aware even of the name of our country will come as a shocker for most of us. A well-performed humorous scene follows when Madhav’s character struggles to explain the name of our country and its history to the students.

But what takes the cake is the actor’s one-act play performance at the interval portion where he narrates a historic incident in one take. Talking of one-take scenes, there’s another one where Madhav, on a bicycle, tries to dodge bullock carts coming from opposite direction, which could have been dangerous. Looking at Madhav’s overall performance, you can’t help but applaud the actor’s talent and dedication.

Apart from few dragging moments in the later part of second half, there isn’t any flipside. Lastly, Chinmay Sant’s act in the climax touches your heart. This also gives rise to a twist (not possible to reveal) which sends a positive message that every child has a right to education irrespective of his or her social status.

Rajesh Khale’s camerawork and Dr Saleel Kulkarni’s music suit the mood of the flick. Editing department should be praised too for the tight length (less than two hours).

Child actor Chinmay Sant adapts a tribal lifestyle with ease and delivers a top-notch performance. Santosh Juvekar and Madhura Velankar Satam are remarkable in challenging roles. Asmita Joglekar as Chinmay’s sister does well too.

Overall, Jana Gana Mana deserves applause for presenting a serious issue in a light-hearted manner while retaining the sensibility of the subject. However, it won’t have an easy run at the box-office since it is released with the Bollywood biggie Agneepath. Hence, it is highly in need of positive word-of-mouth.

Marathi films shouldn’t compete with each other: Santosh Juvekar (Exclusive Interview)

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After playing a wide range of characters in last three years or so, Santosh Juvekar has become one of the most sought after names in Marathi cinema currently. It is his quest of exploring different shades of his talent that has helped him reach this level.

The actor has continued this exploration in his upcoming flick Jana Gana Mana. In an exclusive chat, the Morya lads speaks about his movie and shares his views on Marathi cinema.

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What is your movie Jana Gana Mana about? What is the context of the title with the movie?

As we all know, Jana Gana Mana is our national anthem which is sung proudly on Independence and Republic Days. In the film, my son wants to sing the national anthem in his school on Independence Day. However, only those with clean and white clothes get a chance to sing it. And we being tribals can’t afford such clothes. So, my character vows to get such clothes for his son so that he can sing the National Anthem in his school.

Tell us about your character in the movie.

I play a carefree and lazy character who doesn’t even shy away from stealing. But he goes through a transformation and sets a goal to fulfill his son’s dream.

It is visible from the promos and posters that the actors were made to wear a very dark make-up. Was this really necessary?

Yes it was. We play tribals in the movie who live in dirty and unclean surroundings. So, one can’t expect us to be clean and tidy. And my character in the movie is such that he doesn’t take a bath for even 2-3 days (smiles).

What are your expectations from the movie?

We are surely expecting the film to succeed. It’s a movie for the whole family and we all have worked hard for it. The story is moving. So, we want people to go to the theatres to watch it.

Nowadays, there are too many Marathi films releasing simultaneously. We can even see three films clashing on the same day. Don’t you think this is a disadvantage?

This is definitely a disadvantage. This shouldn’t happen. It is up to the producers to sit and decide and make sure there is a gap between each release. Till now, Marathi films were competing only against Bollywood. There shouldn’t be a time when Marathi films start competing against each other.

Jana Gana Mana is directed by debutant Amit Abhyankar and produced by Sandeep Kadam and Sachin KAdam. Apart from Juvekar, it also stars Madhura Velankar Satam, Nandu Madhav, Chinmay Sant and Asmita Joglekar. The film is slated to release this Republic Day i.e January 26.

– Keyur Seta

Shala (Marathi Movie) Review

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Direction: Sujay Dahake

Production: The Great Maratha Entertainment, Nishad Audio Visuals, Naulakha Arts

Cast: Anshuman Joshi, Ketaki Mategaonkar, Dilip Prabhavalkar, Nandu Madhav, Santosh Juvekar, Jitendra Joshi, Devki Daftardar, Ashwini Giri, Amruta Khanvilkar

Music: Aloknanda Dasgupta

Rating: * * * ½

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Plot: Based on the novel of the same name by Milind Bokil, the film is set in the 1970s in the interiors of Maharashtra. Ninth standard student Mukund Manohar Joshi (Anshuman Joshi) has a crush on his beautiful classmate Shirodkar (Ketaki Mategaonkar). There are also a bunch of interesting characters in the form of teachers, a principal and Joshi’s parents.

One day, Joshi garners courage and proposes to Shirodkar. Will she accept his proposal? Is there a future for their love story? Backdrop of the Emergency period is also used in the narrative.

Review: No matter how big you grow, school memories will always be etched in your memory forever. Time and again, you feel like revisiting your old school days. Sujay Dahake’s Shala (School) will help you revisit those days for almost two hours by experiencing the joys and sorrows of a bunch of kids studying in the ninth standard.

Avinash Deshpande (screenplay) deliberately uses not-so-fast narration due to the nature of the subject. This was necessary so as to involve the audience into the proceedings as the kids go about their daily routine in the school. But despite the kind of pace used, proper care is been taken to keep boredom at bay with the help of some humorous incidents and conversations.

Apart from Dahake’s handling of the classroom scenes, it is Diego Romero’s artistic camerawork and Divya Mehta’s realistic sets (of the 70s) that make you feel as if you have enrolled once again in a school. This is more evident when you feel for the students in the climax. The above trio’s contribution in the village (non-classroom) scenes makes sure you also experience a visual treat. Aloknanda Dasgupta’s background music provides further soothe to the proceedings.

But the events in a few portions of the second half might test the patience of those who are looking for commercial entertainment.

Despite the presence of some experienced actors, it was necessary for Anshuman Joshi and Ketaki Mategaonkar to give top-notch performances as they are the central characters. Both kids do exactly that while making us feel as if they are seasoned actors. The rest of the kids, especially the one who plays Mhatre, are lovable too.

Experienced actors like Dilip Prabhavalkar, Nandu Madhav, Santosh Juvekar, Jitendra Joshi, Devki Daftardar and Ashwini Giri give mature acts in supporting roles. Although Amruta Khanvilkar does well, she should have been given more lines.

Overall, Shala is as gentle as a smooth flowing river. Those interested in meaningful, off-beat genre should attend this class. At the box-office, the word-of-mouth will help the movie enjoy good collections.

Shala (Marathi Movie) Box-Office Prediction

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Star Value: Child artists Anshuman Joshi and Ketaki Mategaonkar are slowly gaining popularity after the promos and the publicity. The film also has well known Marathi actors like Dilip Prabhvalkar, Santosh Juvekar, Nandu Madhav, Jitendra Joshi and Amruta Khanvilkar. However, for Marathi films, presence of big stars doesn’t matter since it is the story or the plot that attracts the audience.

Hype: The promos of the movie instantly impressed the audience when they were released last year. The excitement for the movie rose after it was appreciated the world over at various film festivals. Later on, the fact that the movie was postponed a number of times further increased its popularity.

Music: There isn’t much scope for music in Shala but that shouldn’t be a worry.

Prediction: Judging by the fact that the film is eagerly awaited, it will surely gain a very positive opening. And if the initial reports are positive, the word-of-mouth will help the film continue its reign in the forthcoming weeks.

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Sharyat (Marathi Movie) Review

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Direction: Viju Mane

Production: Ashwamegh Productions

Cast: Sachin Pilgaonkar, Vidyadhar Joshi, Neena Kulkarni, Santosh Juvekar, Sampada Joglekar

Music: Chinar-Mahesh

Rating: * * *

Plot: A traditional bullock-cart race takes place every year in one of the rural areas of Maharashtra. The family that wins the race gets a chance to perform the very important Shiv Puja that year. For years Dhananjay Rao (Sachin Pilgaonkar) is winning the race for Gayatri’s (Neena Kulkarni) family. But once, Dhananjay loses the race due to the crooked method employed by Pratapsingh (Vidyadhar Joshi).

This ensures Dhananjay’s bullock cart meets with an accident which kills few people and injures the bullocks. Devastated by the incident, Dhananjay migrates to the city. He returns after five years and refuses to take part in the race. However, circumstances force him to take part in the last bullock-cart race. This race will decide which family will perform the auspicious puja each and every year. But Dhananjay has to face the mighty Pratapsingh.

Apart from story and direction, Marathi movies have come a long way even in the technical departments like cinematography, sleek editing and background music. These factors are visible in Viju Mane’s Sharyat, which, minus few hiccups, is surely a one-time watch.

Writers (Mane and Hemant Edlabadkar) bring the first plot point (main point) much sooner in the script. Due to this, there is not much to tell before the interval. Fortunately, the events and the cat and mouse game between the protagonist and the villain keep you interested if not fully gripped. The major twist at the interval point appears promising.

But a lengthy item number at the start of the second half acts as a dampener. Even the romantic song between Santosh Juvekar and Sampada Joglekar halts the proceedings. An unusual fact here is that Juvekar’s character has hardly anything to do with the main plot. Plus, Neena Kulkarni’s cruel act in the penultimate moments doesn’t go well with her character.

Fortunately, the events that follow later in the second half and the climax are laudable. In fact, the bullock-cart race in the climax is wonderfully shot which keeps you at the edge of your seat.

Shabbir Naik’s impressive cinematography and Satish Patil’s sharp editing deserve special mention. There is not much scope for music. ‘Sheela Chya Aaicha Gho’ is the track you take home from Chinar-Mahesh’s compositions.

Sachin Pilgaonkar perfectly gets into the skin of his character. This can be rated as one of his mature serious acts. Vidyadhar Joshi has enacted a similar character few times before but he deserves applause for playing a negative act with perfection. As expected from a respected name like Neena Kulkarni, she gives a mature and sensible act.

Although Santosh Juvekar’s character isn’t related to the story much, it’s a pleasure to see him perform. Sampada Joglekar, who looks naturally beautiful, isn’t bad as his love interest. The actor playing Kulkarni’s husband does well to portray a paralytic patient. The rest of the cast provides good support.

Overall, Sharyat tilts more towards the positive side. At the box-office, the film should garner decent collections before the big Bollywood release Don 2 hits the theatres.

Swarajya (Marathi Movie) Review

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Direction: Vishal-Vihar

Production: Raees Lashkariya

Cast: Rajesh Shrungarpure, Darshan Jariwala, Arun Nalawade, Ila Bhate, Hemangi Kavi, Sushrut Mankani, Anshuman Vichare, Namrata Gaikwad

Music: Nitin Hivarkar

Rating: * * *

Plot: Ram Pathare (Rajesh Shrungarpure) struggles to get capital to start business due of the general belief that Marathis aren’t good at it. Apart from this, his heart bleeds due to the hardships and problems faced by Marathis. Not ready to accept defeat, Rajesh fights all odds and excels in the field of business.

But he doesn’t stop at this. With his Guruji’s advice, he starts Yuva Sanghatana Sena, an organization for the welfare of Marathis and later a political party called Swarajya Sena. But Ram has an obstacle in his path in the form of MLA Kapadia (Darshan Jariwala).

Recently, F M Ilyas’ Arjun tried to rejuvenate the image of the Marathi manoos by keeping business as the core issue. Vishal-Vihar’s Swarajya – Marathi Paul Padte Pudhe also has the same aim. However, the latter proves the point in a much better way than Arjun and is also much smarter in execution. The end product might not appear superlative but it certainly deserves a watch.

Vihar Ghag has intelligently woven the numerous incidents into the script in order the highlight the issue Marathis are facing. Thankfully, he doesn’t go overboard to prove the point as there is always a danger of getting carried away while handling such social issues.

The film goes into top gear once Ram starts his Yuva Sanghatana Sena. The formation of the group and the way Ram builds his team is appealing. As expected, there are a good number of seeti bajao sequences and dialogues. A scene which deserves special mention is the one where Ram gives a formidable reply to South Indian and Gujarati businessmen. The second half too starts on a promising note with the incident of Ram entering politics being the highlight.

How we wish the goodness continued till the end! Unfortunately, the penultimate moments and the climax are too stretched. Ram’s encounter with Kapadia’s relative Shah is harsh and uncalled for. This also makes sure the second half becomes 1 hour 30 minutes long whereas the first half was just about an hour. Plus, typical filmi sequences in the finale prove disappointing.

(Review continued after photo.)

Debutant director duo of Vishal-Vihar does a decent job. The film can also boast of its high production value. Umesh Pophale’s artistic and intelligent cinematography is visible in almost every scene.

Musical score by Nitin Hivarkar is a plus point with songs ‘Mard Maratha’ and ‘Rama Rama’ deserving mention. However, the music played in the song ‘Na Nazar Konachi Lage’ is very similar to the tune of the Hindi song ‘Tera Saath Hai Kitna Pyara’ (Janbaaz, 1986).

Fiery dialogues, by Vishal Ghag and Mandar Gaydhani, play an important role in having an effect on the audience although they tend to go overboard in few places.

Rajesh Shringarpure rises to the occasion and gives a power-packed performance. He manages to appeal both as a struggling Marathi youth and a leader of masses with ease. His character is surely inspired from Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray. Although Rajesh played a similar character in Avdhoot Gupte’s Zenda, he presents an altogether different act in Swarajya.

Darshan Jariwala gives a mature act as the antagonist. He proves why he is a respected name when it comes to playing character roles. Anshuman Vichare, Sushrut Mankani, Arun Nalawade, Ila Bhate, Hemangi Kavi, Namrate Gaikwad and the rest of the cast offer perfect support. But what’s difficult to forget is a side character who is an exact lookalike of superstar Rajnikanth. (Wonder from where they found him!)

Overall, Swarajya – Marathi Paul Padte Pudhe falls in the could-have-been-great category due to the above mentioned negative points. What works against it is that the audience has quite recently seen a brilliant effort on the same issue in the form of Mahesh Manjrekar’s Mee Shivajiraje Bhosle Boltoy.

Nevertheless, some praiseworthy incidents and Shrungarpure’s performance make it a one-time watch affair. It has a good chance at the box-office since it plays the Marathi Manoos card which has proved successful in the past.

P.S : – I heartily appreciate the fact that the makers honoured Dadasaheb Phalke, the Father of Indian Cinema, before the opening credits. I am surprised why this isn’t done often since without Phalke’s efforts, we wouldn’t have been enjoying movies in India.

Deool (Marathi Movie) Review

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Direction: Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni

Production: Devisha Films

Cast: Girish Kulkarni, Nana Patekar, Dilip Prabhavalkar, Sonali Kulkarni, Mohan Agashe, Usha Nadkarni, Kishor Kadam, Jyoti Subhash, Atisha Naik, Naseeruddin Shah (special appearance)

Music: Mangesh Dhakade

Rating: * * * ½

Plot: In the rural areas of Maharashtra lies a peaceful village called Mangrul. One day Keshav (Girish Kulkarni), a village youth, sees lord Dattatrey (Datta) in his dreams while taking a nap under a tree. He makes a hue and cry in the village saying God made an appearance for him. Anna (Dilip Prabhavalkar), most respected figure of Mangrul, advises him against announcing such personal matter as it’s a question of faith.

However, it is too late as a journalist (Kishor Kadam) sensationalizes the news about Lord Dattatrey making an appearance in Mangrul. Hence, there is a demand for a Dattatrey temple. Bhau (Nana Patekar), a political activist, doesn’t approve it as he wants the funds to be used for better purposes but he seems helpless. The temple is built and the village becomes a holy place. Mangrul goes through a 360 degree change due to commercialization but nobody is complaining except Anna. Soon, due to the blindness of commercial progress, God is forgotten.

Every village has a right to progress commercially but how ethical it is to use a temple and its God to achieve it? The question is raised in director Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni’s latest offering Deool. While it does this, the audience is treated to some quality cinematic experience that deserves applause.

Your heart is won right at the very start due to the brilliantly conceived artistic opening credits. For the first time I witnessed applause for opening credits. Girish Kulkarni’s screenplay is deliberately not pacy because it was necessary to set the mood for a soothing rural flick. It largely succeeds in keeping the audience interested due to the unfolding of interesting events and realistic humour, which regularly gets you in splits.

Having said that, several serious moments, after the story is developed, are well appealing and moving. Special care is also taken to give good amount of screen time to the mammoth star cast. Girish also excels as a dialogue writer. All in all, intelligent writing is the backbone of Deool.

After Valu and Vihir, Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni once again proves his mettle as a talented filmmaker. He deserves strong applause as directing a tale with a number of sub-plots and characters can be chaotic.

(Review continued after picture.)

What surprisingly amazes you is the splendid cinematography. The village landscapes are an absolute delight to watch. It won’t be an understatement to say the camerawork over here is of international standards. The background score too doesn’t lag far behind.

The only flipside is the slow pace after the start of the second half and few other portions. There are chances that the climax might not be appreciated by the commercial cinema admirers for being open-ended.

Music composer Mangesh Dhakade has complimented the film smartly. Songs ‘Deva Tula Shodhu Kutha’, ‘Datta Datta’ and ‘Welcome’ are hummable and emerge at the right situations.

In a performance oriented film it is vital that all actors are at their best and that’s exactly the case with Deool. Girish Kulkarni stuns with a brilliant act while showcasing amazement, anger and misery with utmost perfection. His act is worthy of all awards. Returning to Marathi films after long, Nana Patekar is lovable. His sense of humour is up to the mark.

Dilip Prabhavalkar once again shows why he is one of the most respected names in the industry. His act is moving as well as enlightening, although his character is similar to the one he played in Morya. Sonali Kulkarni displays another praiseworthy act and so does Mohan Agashe.

The film is well supported by the rest of the cast including Kishor Kadam, Usha Nadkarni, Jyoti Subhash, Atisha Naik, Hrishikesh Joshi and others. Naseeruddin Shah (making his Marathi film debut) leaves an impact in a cameo.

Overall, Deool proves to be a well-crafted piece of art which is enlightening. It is sure to enjoy good collections at the box-office. However, the collections might be affected from second week onwards once Swarajya and Dubhang release on November 11.

Arjun (Marathi Movie) Review

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Director : F M Illyas

Producers: Majit Burondkar, F M Illyas

Cast: Sachit Patil, Vidyadhar Joshi, Arun Tikekar, Amruta Khanvilkar, Varsha Usgaonkar, Vinay Apte

Music: Lalit Sen

Rating: * ½

Unlike the one in Mahabharat, this Arjun lacks focus!

Plot: Arjun Pawar (Sachit Patil), fresh after completing MBA, is eager to be a businessman unlike other Maharashtrian youngsters who opt for a job. His girlfriend Anushka (Amruta Khanvilkar) urges her father Mahajan (Arun Tikekar) to help him produce capital. Mahajan takes Arjun to the multi-millionaire businessman Ratan Shah (Vidyadhar Joshi) to gain finance. However, Mahajan and Shah use Arjun as a pawn to settle scores with their rival Jay Thackeray (Vinay Apte).

F M Illyas’ Arjun was supposed to be an encouragement tool for the Marathi manoos to excel in the field of business. But what we get is an over-desperate attempt to prove the point courtesy an immature script and over-the-top direction. Plus, the attitude shown by the protagonist can pose a threat to the unity of Mumbai.

The proceedings suffer right from the start as two songs are thrown in just when you feel the film is trying to gain momentum. What follows later is a series of tragedies thrown on Arjun. It is just not explained why he is the prime suspect in the murder of a businessman. It is mentioned twice or thrice that there are proofs against him but no attempt is made to enlighten the audience on the so-called proofs.

Later on, Arjun’s sudden emergence and success in the field of business due to a favor by Thackeray’s wife (Varsha Usgaonkar) is laughable. Once Arjun starts shining he starts hurling a chain of pro-Marathi lines which have no effect and fall flat!

If this wasn’t enough, the climax turns out to be the poorest and the most unintentionally hilarious scene of the film! The second most hilarious point is when Arjun builds a huge public toilet at the entrance of Shah’s business site in order to decrease its popularity! Phew!

Composer Lalit Sen doesn’t do a bad job but the songs only act as obstacles in the narration. The dialogues are too over-ambitious, amateur and loud although few are meaningful.

Thankfully, the performance area is respectable. Sachit Patil plays his part perfectly and displays helplessness and cruelty needed by his character with ease. Arun Tikekar, Vinay Apte and Amruta Khanvilkar too chip in with decent acts. The rest of the cast is nothing much to speak about.

Overall, Arjun fails miserably in its effort to be an eye-opener for the Marathi people which will affect its box-office collections.

Morya (Marathi Movie) Review

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Direction: Avdhoot Gupte

Story: Sachin Darekar

Production: Atul Kamble, Avdhoot Gupte

Music: Avdhoot Gupte

Cast: Santosh Juvekar, Chinmay Mandlekar, Dilip Prabhavalkar, Ganesh Yadav, Janardan Parab, Vijay Nikam, Spruha Joshi

Rating: * * * *

Story: There is a history of enmity between the youngsters of Ganesh Chawl, led by Manya (Santosh Juvekar) and Khatav Chawl, led by Sameer (Chinmay Mandlekar). Their rivalry intensifies during festivals like Gokulashtami and Ganeshotsav when both camps try to out-do each other.

They get the news that from next year, they will have to organize a combined Ganesh festival as both chawls will be redeveloped into a tower. Since there is ugly hatred between both gangs, they write-off the idea of a combined celebration. Hence, this year’s Ganeshotsav will decide which party will continue its Ganesh celebrations from next year onwards. This starts a warring competition between both parties. They try everything to cut-throat each other by also including politicians in the fight. Their battle gives rise to such dangerous consequences which they hadn’t imagined even in their wildest of dreams!

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Review: Since recent times, the festival of Ganeshotsav has become more of a rivalry between localities. While doing this, although some of the pandals might become victorious but its Lord Ganesha who always has to be on the losing side. Avdhoot Gupte’s Morya throws light on the issue and emerges an eye-opener. Gupte continues his legacy that he started with the daring Zenda.

Don’t get confused with the title which might indicate that it’s a religious film. Actually, it’s an aptly made thrilling drama about two warring camps with the festival of Ganeshotsav being the seed of the story. It wonderfully highlights the fact that the Ganpati Festival is becoming a medium of fight where even corrupt politicians are jumping in to gain personal benefits.

Sachin Darekar’s story and screenplay might make you recall Mansoor Khan’s Josh but the proceedings in no way look inspired from it. The strong points are the fast narration, intelligent scenes especially the confrontational ones and some creative direction. Special care is taken to show both gangs equal in the fight. It would have been difficult not to keep one gang ahead of the other but the writer manages perfectly.

However, the story is not just about a fight between two rival groups. It is the consequences and the political twists in the second half that keep you grabbed. The writer and director also manage to pull off the most important part – the conclusion, which is meaningful as well as touching.

Gupte has imbibed lots of reality in the proceedings. The conversations and happenings in the chawl are straight from real life, whether it’s a heated argument or a moving incident. The scenes showing the idols of Lord Ganesha fill you with joy. Fortunately, it doesn’t become redundant at all.

It is crystal clear that Gupte is here to stay. He started his career as a music director so one also expects a rich dose of music from his films. That is exactly what you get here as the songs will guarantee that the music album too will attain success. Religious mantra song Gananayakaya Ganadhishaya even makes a number of scenes more interesting while other songs too deserve credit especially the Lavani number Internet Var Gela.

It was highly vital that both Juvekar and Mandlekar provide top-notch performances that match each other. They manage to do it so well that it is difficult to judge who the better of the two is. The former is emotional and expressive while the latter is more cool-headed but equally aggressive.

Veteran actor Dilip Prabhavalkar once again shows why he is one of the most respected artists of Marathi cinema. Needless to say, he is exceptional. But what comes as a surprise is Ganesh Yadav in the role of the inspector. Despite the presence of number flawless performers, he manages to impress very well. Plus, there is a large number of supporting cast which excels too especially the two politicians, Diwakar Pundir and Spruha Joshi.

Overall, Morya is a delightful eye-opener which is a must watch in today’s times. It will surely prove to be a winner at the box-office mostly because of the upcoming Ganeshotsav festival.

Balgandharva (Marathi Movie) Review

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Director: Ravi Jadhav

Producer: Nitin Chandrakant Desai

Music: Kaushal Inamdar

Cast: Subodh Bhave, Abhijit Kelkar, Siddharth Chandekar, Vibhavari Deshpande, Kishore Kadam, Prachiti Mhatre

Rating: * * *

Musical plays with men impersonating women might sound unusual in today’s times but this was common in the pre and post 1900 era as women weren’t allowed to act or perform back then. This phenomenon is brilliantly presented in Ravi Jadhav’s Marathi movie Balgandharva, a biopic on the life of Narayan Shripad Rajhans aka Narayanrao aka Balgandharva, produced and designed by Nitin Chandrakant Desai. However, apart from a superlative presentation, the film lacks a powerful script.

The film follows the story of Narayanrao, a gifted singer with impeccable acting skills who won many a hearts with his performances as a woman (most of them) in Marathi natya-sangeet and how tragedy struck him.

Jadhav’s presentation and Desai’s realistic and stunning sets submerge the viewer into an extravagant yesteryear world. For this very experience, the duo deserves a huge thumbs-up. The film is loaded with a number of scenes which can move anyone. The one where Narayanrao performs even on the day of his daughter’s death takes the cake. Add to this, Kaushal Inamdar’s music, Mahesh Limaye’s cinematography, some heartfelt choreography and what you get is a treat for your senses.

Unfortunately there are flaws or setbacks in the script mostly in the form of too many songs. Although songs are an important part when a film is based on musical plays, it tests the patience of the viewer as they pop up after almost every five minutes throughout the film. Hence, viewing will be very difficult for those who aren’t interested in natya-sangeet. Apart from that, the writing slows down on numerous occasions.

As he had a mammoth task of playing a central character in such a movie, it was vital for Subodh Bhave to give a mind-blowing performance and this is exactly what he does. His acts as women appear so real that it is difficult to believe that it is a male portraying a woman. In short, he forces the viewer to stand up and applaud his act.

Vibhavari Deshpande also makes her presence felt with a mature act. Narayanrao’s comrades – Abhijit Kelkar, Siddharth Chandekar – are also lovable especially in their women acts while Kishore Kadam and Vidyadhar Joshi are perfect. Manoj Joshi does well in a cameo and Prachiti Mhatre impresses in a small role and looks naturally beautiful. Other supporting actors also deserve praise.

Overall, it takes a big heart to make something like Balgandharva. Despite shortcomings, the film is worth a watch because of the performances, music, sets and direction. At the box-office, it will surely be one of the highest grossing Marathi films of the year.