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Alibaba Aani Chalishitale Chor review: Vivek Bele’s dialogues deserve special mention  

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Subjects about friendship never get old. Most of the times, these are emotional films about a group of friends who face an internal adversity only to reconcile in the end. Aditya Ingale’s Alibaba Aani Chalishitale Chor is also a story about a group of friends and what happens amongst them, but there is a twist. It’s a comic drama with a dash of adultery.

The movie is based on the play of the same name (which this writer hasn’t seen). It tells the story of three couples, played by Subodh Bhave-Shruti Marathe, Anand Ingale-Madhura Welankar, Atul Parchure-Mukta Barve and a single guy (Umesh Kamat), who are a part of a group of friends in their 40s.

The seven of them decide to venture out of the city on a farmhouse for a weekend of relaxation and partying. At night, when all of them are merrily dancing, the lights suddenly go off. During that brief moment, one can hear a loud kiss, followed by the sound of a hard slap. Nobody knows who kissed whom and who slapped whom and whether the kiss and slap are related. This single incident is enough for everyone to doubt their respected spouses.

On top of that, each one of them get an e-mail from a stranger who has started a blog that publishes secrets among the people of their group and after eight days, he or she will reveal what exactly happened that night.

Alibaba Aani Chalishitale Chor is a rare movie where the dialogues score the highest. Vivek Bele, who also wrote the play, has come up with hilarious lines that get you in splits regularly, especially the theories about what happened that night. A lot of the conversations happen over the phone and these are also filled with humour. You are reminded of his previous work on a film on similar lines in the form of Badam Rani Gulam Chor (2012).

The dialogues have been rightly complemented by the actors. After Vaalvi, one again gets to see the funny side of Subodh Bhave and he proves his versatility yet again. Mukta Barve is seen in a different role for the first time and she too scores high. Umesh Kamat, as the only single person in the group, gets good scope and he latches onto it. Anand Ingale, Atul Parchure and Madhura Welankar provide funny and mature acts too. Shruti Marathe is decent.

The movie has a funny and enjoyable first half which also establishes the tale well, makes you laugh and curious about what happened during that fateful moment. But for a good amount of time in the second half, the story doesn’t move much, except creating more curiosity. You still don’t lose interest because of the funny lines.

Also read: Kennedy review: Anurag Kashyap’s political cum crime drama is impressive

But what really hurts the film is the finale, for which you have been waiting eagerly. The major reveal in the end takes you by surprise but it isn’t exciting or interesting enough. The same goes for the message given. The film would have been a much better entertainer if it had scored well in the climax.

Overall: Alibaba Aani Chalishitale Chor is a one-time watch because of the humorous lines.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Director: Aditya Ingale

Producers: Nitin Prakash Vaidya, Nikhil Vadarkar, Viraj Londhe and Sandeep Deshpande

Writer: Vivek Bele

Cast: Subodh Bhave, Mukta Barve, Shruti Marathe, Anand Ingale, Madhura Welankar, Atul Parchure and Umesh Kamat

Panchak (Marathi movie) Review

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Beliefs in different superstitions is a part and parcel of live all over India, including among the educated class. Superstitions often make way for comedy if looked at them from a distance. This tussle between superstitions and science is tackled by directors Rahul Awate and Jayant Jathar’s Marathi movie Panchak in a humorous way. The film is produced by Madhuri Dixit Nene and her husband Dr Shriram Nene.

Panckak is a belief where if a person from a family dies during a certain astrological time, it is followed by five more deaths within a year either from the same family or from people close to that family. The story takes place in the interiors of Konkan. Ananta Khot (Dilip Prabhavalkar) dies in his old age. The family’s priest Joshi (Vidyadhar Joshi) realizes that the man passed away during Panchak. Hence, the entire Khot family and their near and dear ones get scared as they feel five more deaths will follow in a year’s time.

However, Ananta’s son Madhav (Aditnath Kothare) finds this laughable since he is an atheist and a believer in science and rationality. He also works in the field of science. He faces the wrath from Joshi and the entire family (played by Satish Alekar, Bharti Achrekar, Anand Ingle, Nandita Patkar, Deepti Devi and Ganesh Mayekar) for his outlook but he is unperturbed. What actually happens till a year from that period forms the rest of the story. Madhav also shares a complicated romantic relationship with Revati (Tejashri Pradhan), who stays in the same village.

Panchak had the difficult task of creating a dark comedy out of someone’s death. The narrative and dialogues maintains the balance and ensure that nowhere does the proceedings become insensitive. The film also goes onto the extent of providing some rib-tickling and crazy humour all within the parameters of the subject. The confrontations between Madhav and his family members is funny in a natural away, even though it becomes slapstick at times.

Pankchak doesn’t have much of a story development. This isn’t felt much in the first half where the unfolding events keep you glued. But the same doesn’t happen in the second half where you start feeling that limited story material. Hence, more onus is given to gags and some incidents are stretched. The whole idea of hiding something from one character in the second half appears more like a ploy to keep the runtime over two hours, whereas it would have been fine if the film would have gotten over before that. The humour also appears a bit repetitive in the second half.

The finale, thankfully, is a nice and simple end to the debate and the story.

The performances fall in the positive. Adinath Kothare is thoroughly impressive as a firm but affectionate Madhav. He scores while portraying different moods of his character. Nandita Patkar gets more than noticed while playing an interesting character with perfection. Anand Ingle, Deepti Devi and the rest are also without fault. Veterans like Dilip Prabhavalkar and Bharti Achrekar leave an impact despite limited presence. Tejashri Pradhan is likeable in an extended cameo.

Like a number of previous Marathi films, the picturesque Konkan is explored richly here. Pooja S Gupte’s camerawork is impressive but at the same time quite simple and apt for the subject.

Overall: Panchak is worth watching for the humour and the ensemble cast.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Also read: Ole Aale (Marathi movie) Review: Nana Patekar starrer is a moving family drama

Sari (Marathi movie) review: This love story is more like a mystery drama

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Over the last seven years, one has seen several love stories in Marathi. However, almost all of them were based on the same theme as Sairat after the Nagaraj Manjule’s movie became a huge runaway success in 2016. But with directors KS Ashoka and Vishal Asha Patil’s Sari, one can say that this is a rare love story in this language that’s fresh and miles away from the Sairat hangover.

Sari is the official Marathi remake of the Kannada movie Dia. KS Ashoka, the director of the original film, has also helmed the remake along with Vishal Asha Patil. The trailer of Dia and its synopsis indicate that Sari is a faithful remake, which can’t be ignored.  

The movie tells the story of the introvert college student Dia (Ritika Shrotri). She sets her eyes on a fellow student Rohit (Ajinkya Raut) but is unable to even approach him, leave alone confess her love. When Dia finally gets an excuse to talk to Rohit, she realizes that the latter has left the college and the city.

Despite being heartbroken, she moves on. A year later, Rohit suddenly enters her life again. Much to Dia’s delight, she realizes that all this while, Rohit too was secretly in love with her. The two start their own journey of love, which, unfortunately is short lived. Later on, fate brings the happy-go-lucky Adi (Pruthvi Ambaar, who played the same role in the original) in her life and he gradually becomes as good as her family.

Sari Marathi movie

The major positive aspect about Sari is that despite the subject of a girl and boy falling for each other and then fate separating them is done-to-death, there is a high degree of freshness in the narrative and presentation. The directors’ manner of portraying even the simplest of situation is filled with out-of-the-box creativity. This also ensures that the love triangle part also doesn’t appear outdated, although it is on paper.

Sari also scores high when it comes to bringing back the lost innocence in love stories in films of today’s times. The romantic moments are full of old-world charm and at the same time they appear modern. Along with the direction and dialogues, the soft-hearted music too plays an important role in this aspect.

With Sari, Ritika Shrotri has come out of her image as a teenage actress by giving a mature act as Dia. Ajinkya Raut and Pruthvi Ambaar are perfect fit for their characters of Rohit and Adi. Raut succeeds in showing some degree of shyness that was needed by the character. Pruthvee, on the other hand, is the opposite of him and he displays his versatility. Mrinal Kulkarni is once again reliable and likeable.

Spoilers ahead

I always avoid giving away spoilers in any review. But with Sari, I have no other choice since its biggest negative point lies in the pre-climax and climax. Still, without giving away anything about the story, it can be said that these portions are not just tragic but also mentally brutal after 80% of the film being light-hearted and non-heavy even in sad situations.

Also read: Maharashtra Shaheer review

There is no harm in showing tragedy but it needs to fit the story and the narrative. In the case of Sari, it appears needless and just for the heck of it. Another reason why this part doesn’t suit the film is because the dialogue, “Life is full of surprises and miracles” is uttered repeatedly along with some positive preaching. The trailer also asks us to “believe” in the good. The only good one can see in these moments is that the film becomes like a mystery drama.

Overall: Despite the issues in the pre-climax and the climax, Sari scores enough to see it once.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Directors: KS Ashoka and Vishal Asha Patil

Producers: Dr Suresh Nagpal and Akash Nagpal

Cast: Ritika Shrotri, Ajinkya Raut, Pruthvi Ambaar, Mrinal Kulkarni

Maharashtra Shaheer (Marathi movie) review

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Biopics are in vogue not just in Hindi but also in various regional cinema of the country. Marathi cinema too has seen its share of biopics in recent years on revered personalities from Maharashtra in films like Lokmanya: Ek Yugpurush, Ani… Dr Kashinath Ghanekar, Bhaai: Vyakti Kee Valli? Thackeray, etc. So, it doesn’t come as a surprise to see a biopic on Krushnarao Sable aka Shaheer Sable in the film Maharashtra Shaheer.

Krushnarao Sable (Ankush Chaudhari after growing up) was a folk singer, playwright, folk theatre artiste and actor born in a small village named Pasarni in 1923. He was obsessed with singing right from his childhood. But his mother never approved of his passion as she wanted him to concentrate on academics. She took steps to ensure that he is away from singing.

However, Krushna’s calling was too deep and hence he succeeded in pursuing his art. He was greatly encouraged by the legendary teacher, social activist and freedom fighter Sane Guruji (Amit Dolawat) to use his vocal skills in spreading revolutionary messages to ensure India gets independence from the British. Hence, Krushna’s life gets meaning.

Once when Krushna is on a tour, he comes across a young girl Bhanumati (Sana Kedar Shinde), who is a buddying poet. She falls in love with Krushna and vice versa and they get married. The rest of the film focusses on Krushna’s life and events after he migrates to Mumbai.

The life of Krushnarao Sable is interesting and motivating. But at the same time, it’s not easy to narrate it in a cinematic form since it has too many aspects. Maharashtra Shaheer does a good job of bringing the iconic personality’s life story on screen, especially for those who are unaware of his contribution to the land.

Maharashtra Shaheer

The biggest plus point here are a number of moving moments that overtake the minuses. The initial portions finely prove Krushna’s immense love for singing when he was a child. His scenes with Sane Guruji, the love angle with Bhanumati and his role as a folk theatre person are examples of the same. Shinde has even kept whitewashing at bay by openly showcasing an important character’s jealousy and insecurity of Krushnarao’s success.

As far as the minuses are concerned, the starting moments are bereft of a smooth narrative. For example, the film starts with Krushnarao representing India in a foreign country in an arts festival. We are then shown an incident in the All India Radio studio. The narrative again shifts to the foreign land where the protagonist narrates his life story and then enters the child actor playing Krushna. The sequence of events appears haphazard. Thankfully, the aforementioned sequences of Krushna when he was a child turn out to be a rescue.

Once Krushnarao becomes an established name, his life is filled with a number of interesting moments. But some important events are presented in a hurried way. The biggest example is Krushnarao’s encounter with Balasaheb Thackeray, which triggers a serious incident but we don’t see much of this episode. Thackeray’s vital speech during Dasra Melava at Shivaji Park is a major reason for the incident. He is shown all set to give a speech with some fine color grading used. However, the audience is not even shown a short glimpse of his talk.

The subject is such that music had to play an important role. Composer duo Ajay-Atul score brownie points in every song. The total number of songs could have been reduced though. Production designer Eknath Kadam has succeeded in recreating the bygone era. Vasudeo Arun Rane’s camerawork is also one of the plusses.  

Ankush Chaudhari doesn’t look similar to Shaheer Sable at all but we somehow ignore this bit while being in the flow of the film. But there are moments where he is likable but not natural. He still manages to carry the film on his shoulders and scores in some important sequences. Sana Kedar Shinde is natural and does a fine job as Bhanumati.

Also read: Ved (Marathi movie) review – Riteish Deshmukh’s film is a family masala entertainer

Amit Dolawat has the kind of peaceful expression that would instantly remind one of Sane Guruji. The same is achieved through his manner of speaking. Shubhangi Sadavarte and Ashwini Mahangade are effective as Krushnarao’s mother and Malati respectively. Dushyant Wagh has performed decently as Thackeray.

Overall: As stated earlier, the plusses score over the minuses which ensures that Maharashtra Shaheer turns out to be a nice watch. The ending song ‘Jay Jay Maharashtra Majha’ followed by the end credits also play a major part.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Director: Kedar Shinde

Producers: Everest Entertainment and Kedaar Shinde Productions

Writers: Vasundhara Sable and Pratima Kulkarni

Cast: Ankush Chaudhari, Sana Kedar Shinde, Shubhangi Sadavarte, Ashwini Mahangade

Music: Ajay-Atul  

Half Ticket (Marathi movie) Review

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The last decade has seen a number of Marathi films that can be relished by a PAN India audience. But there have also been some with international appeal. Director Samit Kakkad’s Half Ticket clearly belongs to the latter category. It has the potential of bringing a smile to anyone who has a heart.

Half Ticket is the official remake of the Tamil film, Kakka Muttai. It follows the story of two kids (Shubham More and Vinayak Potdar) from Dharavi, Mumbai’s slum hub. With their father languishing in jail and mother (Priyanka Bose) earning a paltry sum from her sewing job, they literally live from hand-to-mouth.

As the kids get their nourishment from eating crow eggs, they are nicknamed, Motha Kawlyacha Anda and Chhota Kawlyacha Anda. They try to make ends meet by selling coal from railway tracks. An incident introduces them with pizza, a variety they were unaware of before. Besotted by its look and smell, relishing pizza becomes the sole aim of their life. But how will they afford a dish which is luxurious by their standards?

Half-Ticket-Marathi-movieA large number of Mumbai population lives in slums. The living condition over their will give a sad shock to people from the outside world. The film provides this feeling by bringing a truly realistic depiction of the life in slum. This is an enormous achievement for the director since shooting a feature film in such conditions can be a nightmare for those not accustomed to it.

But for a film to work it is mandatory for it to be high on storytelling and this is exactly what Half Ticket achieves. As the kids go about their daily activities and chasing their desires, you can’t help but root for them. This was also possible since the screenplay doesn’t go off-track whatsoever. This ensures that the film says a lot without saying much, more so during the heart-warming climax.

Half Ticket does come with a few issues. A couple of incidents don’t seem completely convincing and the length could have been a bit shorter. On few occasions in the first half, the roadside noise in the background overpowers the dialogues. Thankfully, these points are overshadowed by the plusses.

The technical has department played a large role in making the final product of international caliber. It is difficult to ignore Sanjay Memame’s (DoP) creative shots. The songs, used in the background, go well with the theme. But it is the pleasurable background score that stays with you for long.

The film rides high on performances, which is vital for such subjects. Shubham More and Vinayak Potdar have surrendered to their characters with utmost dedication. Lest not forget the conditions in which they shot.

Priyanka Bose, who makes her Marathi film debut, also gets into the skin of her character. Despite being a non-Marathi, she shows conviction while speaking the language. Usha Naik, as the grandmother, Bhalchandra Kadam, as the kids’ friend, also chip in with earnest performances.

Overall:Half Ticket is an honestly made film about kids, which will appeal to grown-ups as well. It has a chance of doing well at the box-office provided it receives word-of-mouth. The only danger it faces is Rajinikanth’s Kabali.

Director: Samit Kakkad

Producers: Video Palace

Writers: M Manikandan (original story), Dnyanesh Zoting,

Cast: Shubham More, Vinayak Potdar, Priyanka Bose, Usha Naik, Bhalchandra Kadam

Music: G V Prakash Kumar

Genre: Drama

Release date: July 22, 2016

Runtime: 114 minutes

Rating: * * * ½

By: Keyur Seta

Laal Ishq (Marathi Movie) Review

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Director: Swapna Waghmare Joshi

Producer: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Writers: Shirish Latkar

Cast: Swapnil Joshi, Anjana Sukhani, Sneha Chavan, Jayant Wadkar

Music: Amitraaj and Nilesh Moharir

Genre: Murder mystery

Release date: May 27, 2016

Rating: * *

Review by: Keyur Seta

Director Swapna Waghmare Joshi’s Laal Ishq is a murder mystery. But the biggest mystery lies in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s decision of venturing into Marathi cinema with this film, which is more like a stretched episode of the serial CID with a dash of lust sugarcoated as romance.

The film revolves around a theatre group. Yash Patwardhan (Swapnil Joshi), film and theatre superstar, and the rest of the crew arrives at a resort to rehearse for their upcoming play. The lead actress (Sneha Chavan) is obsessed and possessive with Yash. But Yash instantly falls for Janhavi (Anjana Sukhani), who works at the resort. She too develops the same feelings for him. But amid their romance, a murder takes place. Senior cop Randive (Kamlesh Sawant) arrives to investigate the case.

Laal Ishq is quite fast paced on most occasions. It was a good idea to keep the length restricted to less than two hours. But what makes the film watchable is Kamlesh Sawant’s witty and sarcastic act as a cunning investigating officer. His confrontational scenes with Swapnil Joshi keep the film watchable. But apart from these points, the film has nothing working for itself.

Laal-Ishq-Marathi-movieSo, let’s have a look at the fallacies, which are aplenty:-

–The film is well shot. But that doesn’t help much as it is basically remains a murder mystery in an age old setting – group of people assembling at a venue and one of the gets killed. Doesn’t this instantly remind you of CID? Unfortunately, the film is handled in the same way as the Hindi serial.

— The entire investigation is quite unintentionally hilarious. The two investigating officers aren’t even aware that the prime evidence material from the murder site isn’t to be picked up with bare hands. Never heard of gloves?

— The absurdity of the investigation isn’t limited to this. It is seen the most with the way the mystery is solved. To say that it is unconvincing will be an understatement.

— Yash looks at the girl and instantly falls for her without knowing her. That’s not love. That’s lust or infatuation at the most. The entire romance angle, if it can be called one, doesn’t gel with the film.

— The guy doesn’t love his irritating co-star. But never tells her clearly. Why oh why?

— Which sane theatre group would continue with the rehearsals even after their director is brutally murdered? In fact, they don’t even take a day to mourn his death. To add to this, the deceased was a mentor for Yash. Well, they just redefined professionalism!

— The title is half justified. There is no ishq but there is a lot of laal, constantly reminding us about Bhansali’s association with the film.

— A supporting character is constantly audio searching something on Google in almost each and every frame, even while having meals. Even primary school kids don’t behave this way.

— The final mystery in the end, which is the most crucial part in a whodunit, completely lacks conviction. I can’t reveal more to avoid spoilers.

Swapnil Joshi’s performance is somewhat of a saving grace, although he is far from his best. Anjana Sukhani’s act just rises to an average level. Sneha Chavan is irritating to the core. Her poor characterization is to be blamed for this. The rest of the actors just fit the bill. The music is quite decent but the songs appear forced.

Overall: Laal Ishq is an immature murder mystery. Despite Swapnil Joshi’s presence, the film stands no chance at the box-office. The amazing run of Sairaat too will affect its collections.

Baji (Marathi Movie) Review – Worth your time & money

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Rating: * * *

By: Keyur Seta

Nikhil Mahajan’s Baji achieves a rare feat of being a powerful action saga narrated and crafted in an artistic way. It is a benchmark of sorts for Marathi cinema when it comes to presenting a story. However, the film doesn’t rise as much as you expect after a brilliant first half due to various reasons. But there is enough in Baji for the masses to savor it.

Baji is based in the village of Shrigangpur, where Chidu (Shreyas Talpade) lives a simple life with his mother. Chidu is honest but lags behind in intelligence and bravery. This is the reason why he doesn’t find acceptance from the girl he is madly in love with – his childhood friend Gauri (Amruta Khanvilkar). The village is also known because of the savior Baji, who is believed to exist decades ago.

But there are some like Chidu who don’t believe such tales. But Gauri is a firm believer in Baji as the hero had saved her life during her childhood. She has been in love with Baji ever since and is still waiting for him. Chidu is eager to be her Baji but will he succeed? Meanwhile, Martand (Jitendra Joshi), a harmless villager, turns into a greedy devil when he comes to know that tons of gold lies underneath the land of Shrirangpur.

Picture: Marathistars.com

Picture: Marathistars.com

Baji is a rare example of a close to three hour movie that doesn’t force you to look at the clock even once. As far as the first half is concerned, the fascinating and intriguing storyline, creative narration and Mahajan’s mature handling of the subject leave you super-impressed! The shadow fighting sequence is a sheer pleasure and it deserves special mention. At this point itself you realize the film is an achievement for Marathi cinema.

But alas, things aren’t so similar in the second half. Although it continues to be a well-shot entertaining affair till the end, it is the twist that plays spoilsport. After such an out-of-the-box first half, you really don’t expect the story to tread on the age old, tried-and-tested formula lines, but this is exactly what happens. In fact, the basic plot is almost the same as that of a Marathi film released not-so-long-ago, which itself was a mish-mash of a number of Hindi films.

Vasu Rane’s camerawork plays a large role in making Baji look like an international product. Be in the picturesque locales of Konkan or the high octane action sequences, he excels throughout. The background score and editing also make sure the final product turns out to be technically impressive. Atif Afzal joins the party too with well composed tracks, from which the title song is the best of all.

The film will also be remembered for its action and stunts, especially the train sequence. However, the use of a huge hammer to beat up could have been avoided. Such visuals can’t be digested by a large section of the audience since the film is aimed at people of all age groups.

Coming to the performances, this film required Shreyas Talpade to give his best performance till date and he does that. This act also adds on to his versatility since he manages to excel even in this genre. Jitendra Joshi matches up to him with an excellent, powerful villainous act. This will surely be one of his most talked about act always.

Amruta Khanvilkar too displays her talent playing a tough village belle. Actors playing Chidu’s friend and mother too play their parts well. Nagraj Manjule (director of Fandry) scores in a cameo.

Overall: Baji is an entertainer worth your time and money. It also ensures Nikhil Mahajan to be a lookout for the future. With the tremendous hype and its commercial nature, it is most likely to be a box office success.

Director: Nikhil Mahajan

Producers: IME Motion Pictures & Dar Motion Pictures

Writers: Nikhil Mahajan & Suhrud Godbole

Cast: Shreyas Talpade, Jitendra Joshi, Amruta Khanvilkar

Music: Atif Afzal

Genre: Action/ Drama

Pyaar Vali Love Story Review – Absurdity kills the message

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By: Keyur Seta

Rating: * *

Romeo and Juliet stories are done to death. But this is not exactly the reason why Sanjay Jadhav’s Pyaar Vali Love Story doesn’t work. The film gets the viewer interested for some time but suddenly falls down the graph of sensibility and continues to do so till its hilariously silly climax. This is enough to ensure that the important message that it tries to give is lost.

The story is set in 1992 in Mumbai. Pashya (Sameer Dharmadhikari) and Kadar (Upendra Limaye) are the best of friends living in adjacent colonies occupied by Hindus and Muslims respectively. Pashya is in love with the hot-tempered but kind Nandini (Urmila Kanitkar Kothare), from his locality.

Amar (Swapnil Joshi), Pashya’s brother who stays in a hostel in Pune, returns to Mumbai to arrange his brother’s marriage with Nandini. As soon as he arrives in the city, he falls for Aliya (Sai Tamhankar), who is Kadar’s sister. But they soon realize that their path of love is filled with obstacles.

Pyar-Wali-Love-Story-Marathi-MoviePyaar Vali Love Story works decently in the first 50-55 minutes. Simple characters, their strong bonds and small joys gain your sympathy. Although the spoon-feeding narration and the forceful bonding between both communities could have been avoided, you at least feel interested due to some appealing moments. For example, the manner in which Kadar gets people of the locality to take part in Pashya’s wedding. Despite the tried-and-tested method, the romance angle also somewhat works.

But like an accident, the film abruptly loses sense just before interval through an unconvincing twist. What follows is one silly scene following another initiated by a poor misunderstanding. It amazes you how some characters, who till now showed a lot of maturity, suddenly start behaving like immature kids. But just when you think you have seen enough absurdity, you realize that the writers have saved the best one for the climax. On a less serious note, it at least succeeds in making you laugh.

Another questionable aspect is such high usage of Hindi in the dialogues and songs. The obvious reason for this is that few characters are Muslim. But that doesn’t mean you convert the film into bilingual whenever they are speak.

The songs (Pankaj Padghan, Amitraj and Samir Saptiska), both peppy and romantic numbers, provide some satisfaction. Prasad Bhende’s camerawork is decent. The violin tunes in the background score work very well.

The performances are hampered by the content. Swapnil Joshi and Sai Tamhankar manage to impress as the lead pair. Upendra Limaye and Sameer Dharmadhikari are decent as hot-headed individuals. Urmila Kanetkar Kothare provides a believable and dedicated act by smartly getting into the skin of her character. Nagesh Bhosale and Chinmay Mandlekar, in a cameo, are alright.

Overall: Pyaar Vali Love Story fails in giving an important message due to some unforgivable absurdities. The presence of well-known names and the fact that it is the next film by the team of Duniyadari will ensure a good run for it at the box office in the first week.

Director: Sanjay Jadhav

Producers: Inder Raj Kapoor, Rekha Joshi and Deepak Pandurang Rane

Writers: Arvind Jagtap, Tapan Bhatt and Ashish Patre

Cast: Swapnil Joshi, Sai Tamhankar, Upendra Limaye, Sameer Dharmadhikari, Urmila Kanetkar Kothare

Music: Pankaj Padghan, Amitraj and Samir Saptiska

Genre: Romance/ Drama

Astu – So Be It (Marathi Movie) Review

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By: Keyur Seta

Directors: Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukhtankar

Producers: Mohan Agashe and Sheelaa Rao

Writer: Sumitra Bhave

Cast: Mohan Agashe, Iravati Harshe, Milind Soman, Nachiket Purnapatre, Amruta Subhash, Devika Daftardar

Music: Saket Kanetkar and Dhananjay Kharwandikar

Genre: Drama

Rating: * * * *

Story Outline: The film revolves around a retired college principal and widower Dr. Shastri aka Appa (Mohan Agashe). He is highly respected for his wisdom and deep knowledge about the Vedas. But lately he has also become known for being handicapped with Alzheimer’s disease, which makes him forget anything, including the names of his own family members.

Appa’s daughter (Iravati Harshe) is married to Dr. Madhav (Milind Soman). Once she takes Appa to his old house. On the way, she leaves him in a car for few minutes as she needs to visit a shop. But in that short duration, Appa goes missing.

Review: There are innumerable films that speak a lot. But there are very few that say a lot of things without saying anything. Directors Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukhtankar’s Astu – So Be It is one of those rare films. On the surface, it appears as a lost-and-found saga but deep inside it brings to forth many layers that force you to think about it long after you leave the cinema hall.

astu-marathi-movieAstu has Bhave and Sukhtankar’s stamp of uncompromising attitude all over when it comes to the utterly realistic manner in which the film is shot. This helps a lot in creating an intense atmosphere that helps the audience get involved in the proceedings. But of course, it is the watertight script, for most of the duration, which also largely helps its cause. The intelligent manner in which flashback is used deserves special mention.

But the bigger achievement is the message given with regards to the attitude of people from starkly opposite strata of society towards people with a condition like Alzheimer’s. One of the rich layers is also the equation of relationships.  The film also manages to say a lot more through some sub-plots, moving images, conversations and conflict between characters. It will account to spoilers if they are listed here.

The only problem with Astu is its duration. The film should have ended much before and shouldn’t have been dragged during the ending moments. Thankfully though, the overwhelming climax won’t let these points bother you much.

There is no scope for songs as such. But a couple of tracks used in the background gel very well with the situations, especially the one in a South Indian language. Milind Jog’s camerawork creatively captures even the simplest of scenes. The idea of using a hand-held camera on a number of occasions adds to the intensity. The editing is fine but there could have been more use of scissors.

It is Mohan Agashe’s act that helps the film to rise at such a level. The veteran actor is simply outstanding in a role that can be hugely challenging for any actor. You just can’t help but applaud when he shows signs of Alzheimer’s and speaks with his expressions. But despite such a towering performance by the main lead, Iravati Harshe manages to super impress with a dedicated act.

Milind Soman plays his part well. There is some issue with his Marathi pronunciation though. Nachiket Purnapatre too is wonderful in a difficult role. Despite arriving in the latter part, Amruta Subhash leaves behind a tremendous impact through her brilliant portrayal of a tribal woman. Ila Bhate and Devika Daftardar too shine in extended cameos.

Overall: Astu –So Be It is a must watch for the lovers of sensible cinema. It is sad that such a film is unable to get a proper release. Needless to say, it needs some tremendous word-of-mouth from all those who have been fortunate enough to have seen it.

Rege (Marathi Movie) Review

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By: Keyur Seta

Director: Abhijit Panse

Producers: The Art Beat Productions

Writer: Abhijit Panse

Cast: Mahesh Manjrekar, Aroh Welankar, Pushkar Shrotri, Santosh Juvekar

Music: Avadhoot Gupte

Genre: Underworld Drama

Rating: * * * ½

Story Outline: Rege is inspired from the real-life story of the encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma. The film revolves around the final year M.B.B.S student Aniruddha Rege (Aroh Welankar). By being in the company of the ruffian Pakya, he gets introduced to the gangster Manohar Bhai (Santosh Juvekar). Impressed by the style and aura of Manohar, Rege starts idolizing him. But being in the bad company proves costly for Rege as he, along with other gangsters, gets involved in a murder. This brings Pradeep Sharma and his men on Rege’s trail.

Review: When we think about films on the underworld, we instantly visualize bullets flying and dead bodies collapsing either through gang wars or battles between gangsters and police. This is exactly what we are fed by films of this genre, mostly by Bollywood. But in his very first film Rege, director Abhijit Panse brings in a completely fresh approach while narrating a tale about the underworld resulting in a compelling, intense drama that is thoroughly impressive.

The entire is film is filled with realistic situations that are narrated with some brilliant creativity leaving you completely gripped. You just can’t help but applaud the intelligent use of non-linear screenplay and the manner in which some vital events are revealed indirectly just through the visual medium. This is also seen in the manner in which Panse has used such minimal use of violence despite the film being about ruthless gangsters and encounter specialists.

Through the events of the film, the audience is also given a message without anyone uttering it. However, the very last scene is a bit questionable. There is also some issue in the placing of events in the latter part of the second half.

Nevertheless, these are minor issues that don’t kill your satisfaction. All in all, Panse becomes yet another debutant to excel in his very first film after Mahesh Limaye did in the brilliant Yellow. Co-incidentally, Limaye has handled the film’s cinematography by displaying his artistic skills.

From Avadhoot Gupte’s music, ‘Aswasth Sare’ leaves a big impact. It not only goes well with the theme but is also rich in lyrics. The lavani song is average. Due to some reason, the ‘Dishkyaoon’ track isn’t used.

Every actor has given quality performances, which was the need of the subject. Debutant Aroh Welankar is outstanding! To play such a difficult and emotionally draining character so convincingly and that too in your first film is a huge achievement. Mahesh Manjrekar gives a mature act as Pradeep Sharma. But on few occasions, he is unable to hide his Marathi accent.

Santosh Juvekar is simply amusing as he gets into the skin of Manohar Bhai with ease. Pushkar Shrotri is perfect as Sharma’s subordinate. The actor playing the character of Pakya and the rest of the actors offer good support.

Overall: Rege is a creatively mature take on the underworld. The film is receiving positive word of mouth which could help its box office prospects. But it will be affected by the super success of the Hindi film Singham Returns.

 

Picture Source: marathistars.com

Picture Source: marathistars.com