The Common Man Speaks

Traffic cops say, Hou De Jarasa Ushir

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Picture Courtesy - HDJU Facebook page

Picture Courtesy – HDJU Facebook page

If you are in Pune, don’t be surprised if you witness traffic cops instructing – Hou De Jarasa Ushir. Confused? Well, the city’s traffic police department has started an awareness program from January 1 to 15 to highlight the importance of traffic safety. And to do this, they are using the title of Biroba Films’Hou De Jarasa Ushir as they feel it suits the campaign.

“I had approached DCP (Traffic) Vishwas Pandhare and he liked the title Hou De Jarasa Ushir and the tagline Thamba Paha Jha. He said he will adopt our concept and title graphics for the traffic awareness campaign which will encourage motorists for ensuring safety and following traffic rules. We are very happy that our title is being put to good use and will help towards making the roads of the city a little bit safer,” said Tahir Maner, producer of the movie.

As per the campaign activity, various hoardings are put up across Pune displaying the message of traffic safety along with the film’s title. The same was visible in the New Year greeting cards which were distributed to the public not just by the traffic police but also the producer, director Wasim Maner and important members from the film’s crew. In order to show their concern, they also distributed flowers.

With Marathi films in dire need for promotions, we might well see makers of a number of upcoming films adopting such creative measures to achieve visibility.

Hou-De-Jarasa-Ushir           Hou-De-Jarasa-Ushir-traffic-campaign

Hou-De-Jarasa-Ushir-Pune-traffic                         Vahatuk-Suraksha-Abhiyan-Pune

Vijay Aso (Marathi Movie) Review

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Direction: Rahul Jadhav

Production: Artha Motion Pictures and Nirmit Nirmitee

Writer: Chinmay Mandlekar

Cast: Chinmay Mandlekar, Murli Sharma, Namarata Gaikwad, Ganesh Yadav, Kedar Shinde

Music: Amit Raj Sawant

Genre: Political Drama

Rating: * * *

Story Outline: Shankar Gawde (Chinmay Mandlekar) is not just a karyakarta (party worker) for Forest Minister Prakash Jadhav (Murli Sharma). He considers the politician as his demigod. He helps fulfill Jadhav’s political motives by staging fake protests, gatherings, etc.

All hell breaks loose for Jadhav when television journalist Shrikant Pathak (Ganesh Yadav) exposes him for corruption in the land sector. Hence, the party chief demands Jadhav’s resignation. In order to show his power and hit back at the party chief, Jadhav orders Gawde to organize a violent protest outside the party chief’s office. An emotionally charged Gawde obeys the orders only to realize that he has been taken for a ride. Angry and heartbroken, Gawde sets out to take revenge from Jadhav for the betrayal!

Review: There have been a number of political dramas in recent years. But despite that, debutant filmmaker Rahul Jadhav’s Vijay Aso stands out for portraying the real picture on the working of a karyakarta (party worker). Although there is an absence of flawlessness, the above mentioned point, a fast narration and above all, Chinmay Mandlekar’s bravura act make sure that Vijay Aso is surely worth watching.

What works most for the movie is a fast paced narration with hardly a dull moment. After an average beginning, the writers have nicely presented a number of interesting events one after the other. But the biggest plus point has to be the inside story behind political events like rallies, gatherings, protests, etc.

This surely brings back memories of Avdhoot Gupte’s Zenda. But Vijay Aso treads on a different path by focusing more on their working style with respect to the manner in which they organize staged political events. Later on, the most defining moment and Mandlekar’s transformation take the movie to a new level.

Picture Courtesy - Vijay Aso Facebook page

Picture Courtesy – Vijay Aso Facebook page

The film, however, would have been superlative but for some negative points. The evil motto of one of the main characters is not clearly explained. The writers should have exploited Mandlekar’s transformation by including more clap-worthy moments. An important incident in the pre-climax portion and the events in the climax needed to be presented in a more impactful manner.

Jadhav shows his class in his cinematography, which is a big plus point of movie. The background score succeeds in creating the desired effect. The tune after Mandlekar’s transformation is very impactful! Music (Amit Raj Sawant) doesn’t have much scope in such films but the title rock track manages to impress and suits the subject. ‘Holicha Danka’ too is memorable but the item song ‘Ishqachi Boat’ is just average.

Chinmay Mandlekar is brilliant as the central character Santosh Gawde. He shows his acting prowess by playing two different characters with perfection. This is the first time that Murli Sharma is playing one of the main characters in a Marathi movie. He gives a terrific act as a cunning, manipulative politician. His Marathi pronunciation should be applauded except on a couple of occasions which is surely forgivable considering his background.

Ganesh Yadav is mostly famous for playing the role of a cop in Marath films. For the first time, he plays a television journalist and he is just outstanding! Namrata Gaikwad fits the bill as Gawde’s love interest, although she is more of a supporting character. Kedar Shinde, Janardan Parab, Amita Khopkar and the rest of supporting cast play their parts well.

Overall, if you enjoy realistic political dramas, Vijay Aso won’t disappoint you. The film desperately needs a strong word-of-mouth due to the average hype and the fact that it is clashing with a number of other Marathi movies.

Hou De Jarasa Ushir is about lemon and spoon race: Producer (Exclusive)

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Producer Tahir Maner of Biroba Films was once leading a stable career as a mechanical engineer. But a successful professional life and inner satisfaction don’t always go hand in hand. In such a situation, a person is inclined to follow his heart. That is exactly what Tahir did and entered the film production arena with the Marathi film Hou De Jarasa Ushir. The movie has already made heads turn after being selected in the top 282 films for the race towards the most prestigious Oscar Award.

Apart from getting candid about the movie, the producer shares his thoughts on the survival of new production houses in an exclusive chat with Halti Chitre.

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What is your movie Hou De Jarasa Ushir about?

You might remember the lemon and spoon race which we used to play during our childhood. In that race, one needs to come first but at the same time make sure the lemon doesn’t fall. What we are saying through the movie is that if the lemon falls from your spoon, there is no point in coming first. This is the theme of Hou De Jarasa Ushir. The lemon indicates your family life, as in how much time you are giving to your close ones, and your health. So we have tried to describe this in our title which says that it is okay if there is a delay but you shouldn’t lose the lemon.

How did you decide the cast? Did you deliberately didn’t pick big stars?

We had auditions for the cast. Of course, for the role of Fakir we had few people in mind. When we narrated the role to Sadashiv (Amrapurkar) sir, he was very much interested. To have such a senior artist in our film is an honor for newcomers like us. For the rest of the cast, it wasn’t pre-decided to have newcomers. Things just happened eventually.

Your film is selected in the top 282 films in the Oscars.

It is still like a dream for us. This is our first feature film. I joined the industry just in early 2010. So when your first project is selected in the top 282 films in Oscars, you can imagine what I must be feeling considering there are people who spend a lot of time of their live to achieve this.

Picture courtesy – HDJU Facebook page

You are a mechanical engineer. How did you land up in filmmaking?

This question is very common for me (laughs). When I was in Mumbai earlier, I used to work in the field of mechanical engineering. I was happy with the job but not with the lifestyle. I had to work for ten hours and spend almost four hours travelling. Obviously, it wasn’t satisfying for me. I thought there are various other things I could do. I was always interested in writing but I wasn’t able to do that because of my job. Hence, I thought I should take out some time for myself.

At the same time, Wasim (Maner, director) had started his production house in 2005. I was also working with him side by side. So I left my job and moved to my hometown in Phaltan, where one could get lots of time to write. In this way, I became involved with the production house. Later on, we started building our team for Hou De Jarasa Ushir. I started writing screenplay with Wasim and we started shooting in late 2010.

Tell us about your association with Devisha Films, who is distributing the movie.

I personally feel such associations should happen in Marathi film industry frequently. Devisha Films is a big name while we are newcomers. If we have someone like them as our associates, their experience and expertise will help our movie gain better collections. I personally feel it is about co-operation and not competition. Such associations will help Marathi film industry survive. This would ensure that we would go on making more films.

You are aware that only three to five films attain success every year. Due to this, a lot of first timers are not seen again because of the losses incurred! Recently, I read that 95% of Marathi industry is surviving because of first time producers, which means they are nowhere to be seen after their first film. In Bollywood, there are hardly ten big production houses but they have a large share in the profits of the industry. Such a thing should happen in Marathi industry as well but right now we don’t have more than three big production houses.

Do you agree that internet is becoming an important tool in promoting Marathi films?

It is becoming. Internet has entered our society very deeply! These days, everybody is on Facebook. If a person is interested in Marathi films, he will check about the upcoming movies. Even we are getting a very good response from our Facebook page.

You are releasing your film alongside the much awaited Pune 52. Don’t you think this can be a disadvantage for both films?

Yes, it can be. Right now, talks are going on between both the films to see if there can be a way out. We had decided to release our film on January 18, 2013 at the start of November while the makers of Pune 52 had scheduled their films release on December 12, 2012. Even we don’t want to divert Marathi audience as that will affect both the films. Let’s see what happens. Hope for the best.

What are your forthcoming projects?

We are planning two-three films including an action comedy and a thriller. We are also planning a Hindi movie but first of all we are looking for a good cast and a tie-up with a good production house. Just like the title of our film Hou De Jarasa Ushir, we are not in a hurry. It is not that we would make only Marathi or Hindi movies. It will depend according to the demands of a particular story.

Was apprehensive to sing: Amrapurkar, at HDJU music launch

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By Sushant Kalaskar

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New challenges can be in store even for veterans who have been there and seen it all. The same would have been the case with acting pro Sadashiv Amrapurkar when he was required to sing for his Marathi movie Hou De Jarasa Ushir, for the first time in his career spanning more than 30 years. The song in question is a fun number called ‘Dhampak Dhampak’.

“Initially, I was apprehensive to sing but Nakul Jogdeo (music director) worked very hard and made things easy for me,” said Amrapurkar during the music launch of Hou De Jarasa Ushir. Surprisingly, the veteran artist is not the only actor who has rendered a number. Actors Vishwas Sakat and Raj Ranaware have also displayed their vocal chords in the song ‘Lagnala Jayacha’.

(Click to enlarge)

The event, which took place in Pune, was started off by felicitating all actors, people from the crew, singers as well as technicians. Since it was the music launch, every song from the movie was played on the screen with each actor, from every particular song, narrating the experience during the shoot of the song. Film’s lead actor Abhyang Kuvlekar hosted the event.

Produced under the banner of Biroba Films and distributed by Devisha Films, the movie is directed by Wasim Maner. Apart from Amrapurkar and Kuvalekar, the film also stars Aishwarya Narkar, Sharvari Jamenis, Raj Ranaware, Chinmay Mandlekar, Aditi Sarangdhar and others. It is slated to release next year.

(Click to enlarge)

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.