Storyline: Sohla, revolves around a school going kid Prasad aka Pashya (Devdatta Ghone). He stays in a small village in Maharashtra named Sudkoli with his father Ramdas (Pravin Dalimbkar), a farmer, mother Nirmala (Varsha Malwadkar) and elder sister Gauri (Vaishnavi Ghodke). Ramdas is having a tough time financially since his produce isn’t fetching him much money.  

Pashya is all set to turn 13 in two months. As per the tradition in the village, the 13^th birthday of boys is celebrated through a ceremony called ‘Sohla’. It is a symbolic ritual indicating that the boy is now ready to take on the responsibility of the family. Pashya can’t wait for his sohla. As he is a die-hard Salman Khan fan, he wants to buy the expensive kurta endorsed by him for the event. Ramdas agrees to Pashya’s demand despite his financial condition. However, soon, a major incident occurs in Pashya’s life out of nowhere, which brings a major change in him.

Review: Marathi cinema has been coming up with quality heartwarming films based in the interiors of Maharashtra since a decade and a half. Most of these films instantly transport you to the village in question. Director Saaikat Bagbaan’s Sohla also does that. You expect the film to travel on the lines of Taryanche Bait (2011) and Kutumb (2012), but, thankfully, that doesn’t turn out to be.

This is simply because of the aforementioned major incident in Pashya’s life that comes all of a sudden. This event complete changes the course of the film and makes it an emotional affair. This period tests the acting skills of Devdatta Ghone and he comes out with flying colours. Such an emotional character can be a daunting task for any kid but he doesn’t disappoint one bit. He is especially good in the climax.  

However, the twist also ensures that you can easily predict the entire film, including the end. But the bigger issue here is that the film, on some occasions, tries too hard to make you feel sad for the characters.

It is also not clear in which year the film is based. No character is shown using even a non-smart mobile phone. Ramdas uses an old-fashioned radio while Pashya is shown crazy for Tere Naam (2004). This makes you feel that the film might be based in the mid-2000s. But much later, there are references of Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Tubelight, which released in 2015 and 2017 respectively. Also, the price of a kurta for a 13-year-old in a not-so-grand village shop is very expensive at Rs. 6000 even for a city like Mumbai in the current era.

The rest of the performances also fall in the positives. Pravin Dalimbkar and Varsha Malwadkar come up with mature and moving acts as the parents of Pashya and Gauri. Vaishnavi Ghodke is appealing as the elder sister of Pashya. The child actors playing his friends do well too. Spanish actress Alessandra Whelan Merediz is likeable as a Russian woman but she overdoes when it comes to smiling.

Overall: Sohla is an emotional coming-of-age saga of a village kid.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Director: Saaikat Bagbaan

Producers: Rose Audiovisuals and Carryon Films

Cast: Devdatta Ghone, Pravin Dalimbkar, Varsha Malwadkar and Vaishnavi Ghodke

Also read: Khalid Ka Shivaji review: Worth watching for its portrayal of current social reality

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