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Pune 52 (Marathi Movie) Review

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By: Keyur Seta

Director: Nikhil Mahajan

Producers: IME Motion Pictures and Arbhaat Nirmitee

Writer: Nikhil Mahajan

Cast: Girish Kulkarni, Sonali Kulkarni, Sai Tamhankar

Music: Atif Afzal

Genre: Dramatic Thriller

Rating: * * ½

Story Outline: Working as a private detective in the early 90s, Amar Apte (Girish Kulkarni) struggles to make a living which becomes a reason for his wife Prachi’s (Sonali Kulkarni) constant nagging. Like most of the private detectives, Amar often gets into trouble due to his profession. His life takes an unexpected turn when the beautiful Neha (Sai Tamhankar) offers him the task of unraveling her husband’s extra-marital affair. Unknowingly, Amar gets into the nasty world of seduction and deceit.

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Review: Unconventional cinema can be a welcome break from the usual run-of-the-mill or tried and tested formulas. But there is also a danger of getting carried away by the genre. This is exactly the issue with Nikhil Mahajan’s Pune 52. The film surely has a number of praiseworthy moments to its credit but in trying to be too unconventional, the end result turns out to be not what we expected from it. One should also note that the film suits more to those interested in the film noir genre than the usual masses.

During the initial moments, the unhurried narration (Mahajan) works as it helps the audience get involved in the interesting yet unusual world of Amar, his working style and the issues in his life including his ever-taunting wife. What strikes you instantly is the characterization of Amar which is just like any other common, middle class man rather than a conventional or heroic detective. There is a high degree of smartness shown in the linking of few scenes and some witty dialogues.

Pune-52-Marathi-movieDespite his first movie, Mahajan matches international standards in filming some extraordinary scenes. He should also be lauded for daring to try such a bold subject in Marathi cinema. However, the reason for setting the story in the early 90s is not clearly known.

Later on in the first half, the pace drops down after creating interest. Fortunately, there is an interesting turn in the pre-interval portion and some engaging and humorous moments in the second half. A shocking twist, the most defining moment in this half, raises your expectations for a thrilling culmination but this is where the film starts going downhill. Not only do the events from here on appear unconvincing and confusing, but also the slow pace starts testing your patience. Lastly, the sudden climax doesn’t satisfy you and leaves some important questions unanswered.

The film receives tremendous support from the technical department. Jeremy Reagan, cinematographer from New Zealand, has brilliantly captured the film according to its subject. He even shows his class in his first feature film in the scenes where a hand held camera was required. The same brilliance is acquired by Hyun-jung Shim’s impactful background score. Although the editing (Abhijeet Deshpande) is sleek and sharp, it should have shortened the length of the film. The song ‘Jag Sare Badle’ suits the subject.

The performance of the lead trio is a big plus point. Girish Kulkarni once again proves his versatility by playing a difficult character exceedingly well. He not only succeeds in speaking through his expressions but also impresses in the scenes where he has to shout out of anger. Sonali Kulkarni shows her class as a nagging, middle class housewife.

Sai Tamhankar is remarkable. She produces the subtle sensuality and mystery needed by her character with ease. Bharti Achrekar, Kiran Karmarkar, Shrikant Yadav, Swanand Kirkire and G P Deshpande play their supporting parts well.

Overall, Pune 52 is a bold attempt which could have been much better but for the writing. As the film suits more for the festival audience, its chances at the box-office rely only in the first week due to the hype.

Ajinkya (Marathi Movie) Review

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Director: Tejas Vijay Deoskar

Producers: S K Production Films and Sandesh Films International

Writers: Tejas Vijay Deoskar

Cast: Sandeep Kulkarni, Kadambari Kadam, Sarika Nilatkar

Music: Susmit Limaye

Genre: Drama

Rating: * * *

Story Outline: For Basketball coach Anant Dharmadhikar (Sandeep Kulkarni), winning is everything. But his intense passion for Basketball and a sharp ego separate him not only from his wife Sai (Kadambari Kadam), who is highly successful in the corporate world, but also from the game itself. Amidst such dire consequences, will Anant find a ray of hope?

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Review: Winning is the ultimate motto for any team playing whichever sport. But in the midst of winning all the time and maintaining the number one spot, we often forget to enjoy the game both on and off the field. With the use of a story of an egoistic coach, Tejas Vijay Deoskar succeeds in giving this message in Ajinkya in a heartwarming manner. Although the film doesn’t provide as much impact in few portions as needed, the realistic portrayal of the life of a coach and the simplicity make sure it’s worth watching.

The narration is intelligent in the first half. The main point of the story and the character definition of Anant is established right at the start. The way the background is narrated by using flashback in between deserves applause. There is realism induced in every situation which makes the audience feel for the characters. Anant’s interaction with his wife’s friend and his wife after separation deserve special mention. Even his struggle to keep himself away from Basketball is smartly shown without using dialogues, especially in the cupboard shifting scene.

It is the second half which stops the film from becoming superlative. From the start of this part till the climax, there isn’t any real conflict and unpredictability. The story and the message should have been exploited more to create a much bigger impact. It is also in this period that the pace drops a bit. But due to Anant’s subtle return to the game, his change in outlook and a moving climax, you leave the cinema hall with a smile.

In a film where a sport plays an important part, there is a danger of the makers getting carried away by it. Thankfully, that doesn’t happen here. The game of Basketball is used only as per the need. It is also shot in a manner which makes it appealing even to those who aren’t interested in the sport.

The film has received apt support from the cinematography and editing. Although the background music suits the need, there are a lot of portions where they have simply not used it at all! Music wise, ‘Theme of Ajinkya’ and ‘Jari Maza Tuza’ are the tracks that go well with the situations.

Performances are a big plus point. Sandeep Kulkarni perfectly gets into the skin of a tough coach and delivers a top notch performance. He shows his talent in the emotional scenes too. His act is largely responsible for making you feel for his character and the story. Kadambari Kadam is also thoroughly mature as his wife. Sarika Nilatkar provides perfect support while the rest of the actors play their part well.

Overall, Ajinkya doesn’t win by 25 points (as said in the film) but it wins nevertheless. Due to the average hype, it needs some terrific word-of-mouth to succeed at the box-office.

(Personal Note: Recently, me and my friend had the privilege of having a long conversation with a tennis coach. He revealed about his coaching techniques and how his profession has badly affected his personal life. Whatever he told us, matched exactly with Sandeep Kulkarni’s character and his situation in the movie.)

BP (Balak Palak) Review

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Direction: Ravi Jadhav

Producers: Ravi Jadhav Films, Viva In-En and Mumbai Film Company

Writers: Ravi Jadhav, Ambar Hadap, Ganesh Pandit and Guru Jadhav

Cast: Rohit Phalke, Bhagyashree Sankpal, Shahwati Pimplikar, Madan Deodhar, Kishore Kadam, Prathamesh Parab, Sai Tamhankar, Anand Ingle

Music: Vishal-Shekhar

Genre: Drama

Rating: * * * *

Story Outline: The story takes place in the 1980s when Avya (Rohit Phalke), Bhagya (Madan Deodhar), Dolly (Shahwati Pimplikar) and Chiu (Bhagyashree Sankpal) are close teenage friends living in the same chawl. Circumstances and their school friend Vishu (Prathamesh Parab) introduce them to the world of sex through porn books and blue films (BP). But is this the right method of getting enlightened about sex? What would happen if the elders of their chawl find out about their secret activity?

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Review: In most Indian families, it is almost impossible for children to talk about sex openly with their parents since the topic is considered a taboo. Due to this, naturally, they receive half or false knowledge about it from their friends. Ravi Jadhav’s BP (BALAK PALAK) gives a bold message that instead of children or teenagers getting a wrong notion about sex from unreliable or harmful sources, it is better that the parents themselves enlighten them about the curious phenomenon. Jadhav comes out as a winner by putting forth the point without being vulgar or cheap. But what makes the film further special is the fact that he has narrated the tale like a laugh riot throughout!

Picture Courtesy - BP Twitter page

Picture Courtesy – BP Twitter page

While dealing with such a sensitive subject, it is extremely vital for the writers to achieve utmost perfection. This is exactly what Jadhav, Ambar Hadap and Ganesh Pandit have done. They have encountered the very difficult task of narrating a curious tale about sex without making it look offensive whatsoever. Even the jokes or one-liners about sex are innocent than anything else. Since they are aplenty, there is nonstop entertainment!

The narration is smooth flowing yet very fast with a smart use of flashback. The introduction of the topic of sex through the proverb Shen Khane (eating cow dung) is an intelligent idea. Talking about intelligence, it is also seen in abundance in the dialogues, both funny and serious ones. Jadhav has also highly succeeded in getting top notch performances from his young cast. This greatly helps in generating great chemistry between the four friends.

Coming to the negative points, there is a moment in the pre-climax portion where the story appears stretched, especially due to the inclusion of a song. But this doesn’t cause any problems as such due to a greatly moving climax. Apart from this, the nature of the subject doesn’t ensure much of a repeat value.

Perfection is also seen in Mahesh Limaye’s cinematography and Dilip More and Santosh Phutane’s art direction. The editing is perfect while the background music (Chinar-Mahesh) is effective. From Vishal-Shekhar’s music, ‘Karuya Danga’ is a well composed, peppy number that stays with you.

The film is blessed with excellent performances. Rohit Phalke, Madan Deodhar, Shahwati Pimplikar, Bhagyashree Sankpal and Prathamesh Parab are flawless and mature in their respective acts. It’s a pleasure to see them perform! Kishore Kadam is wonderful in a difficult role. Sai Tamhankar provides perfect support while Anand Ingle, Avinash Narkar, Vishaka Subedar and Supriya Pathare play their parts well. Subodh Bhave and Amruta Subhash shine in their cameos.

Overall, BP (Balak Palak) succeeds in dealing with a sensitive issue in a non-offensive and entertaining manner. The film is sure to earn accolades at the box office due to a positive response. It has a good two week period to earn before Pune 52 and Hou De Jarasa Ushir release on January 18.

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.

Masala (Marathi Movie) Review

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Direction: Sandesh Kulkarni

Production: Umesh Kulkarni and Girish Kulkarni for Aarbhat Nirmiti, Pravin Masale

Story: Girish Kulkarni

Screenplay: Girish Kulkarni

Cast: Girish Kulkarni, Amruta Subhash, Mohan Agashe, Hrishikesh Joshi, Sneha Majgaonkar, Dilip Prabhavalkar

Music: Anand Modak

Rating: * * * ½

Plot: Revan (Girish Kulkarni) tries out a number of businesses but fails to find success in any. Due to this, he is forced to live a nomadic life in order to escape his creditors. Being an obedient wife, Sarika (Amruta Subhash) agrees with whatever her husband decides. Circumstances land the couple in Solapur, which is the hometown of Sarika’s cousin Kalyan (Hrishikesh Joshi).

Revan and Kalyan decide to join hands and start a business of selling groundnuts. Will Revan finally achieve success?

Review: Starting a business and running it successfully are two different things altogether. But if you keep your passion alive and learn from your mistakes, even fate will be forced to come by your side. This phenomenon is presented in Sandesh Kulkarni’s Masala in a light hearted manner that produces plenty of smiles.

As a writer, Girish Kulkarni continues from where he left in Deool (2011). He presents another subtle rural script that doesn’t go overboard and involves the audience right from the onset. Although there is not much romance shown between the lead couple, the interactions and actions between them clearly indicate the deep love they share hence making the audience feel for them.

Apart from this what keeps you entertained and provides humour is the inclusion of some interesting characters and incidents. The writer and director’s (Sandesh Kulkarni) efforts are seen in the realism that is oozed from the proceedings in terms of the conversations and truly realistic performances. Things do become a bit slow in the latter part of the second half. However, the climax makes up for it as the conclusion of the tale will move as well as delight you.

Top-notch effort is shown by M H Ramachandran as a cinematographer. A single take scene where Revan and Kalyan ride a bicycle together deserves special mention. Narendra Bhide’s background score is apt. Although there is not much scope for music, songs ‘Yan Madti’ and the title track go well with the film.

Girish Kulkarni gets into the skin of his character wonderfully. His portrayal of Revan is sure to fetch him lots of appreciation. Amruta Subhash deserves similar applause for playing Revan’s wife with realism. Mohan Agashe (as businessman Mehta) and Dilip Prabhavalkar (as a scientist) once again prove why they are respected names in Marathi cinema.

Hrishikesh Joshi and Sneha Majgaonkar play their part well while Dr Shreeram Lagoo excels in a cameo. Jyoti Subhash offers good support.

In a nutshell, Masala acts as a breath of fresh air that will be appreciated by the lovers of meaningful cinema. The movie has a chance of clicking at the box-office.

Baboo Band Baja (Marathi Movie) Review

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Direction: Rajesh Pinjani

Production: Neeta Jadhav, Rajesh Pinjani

Cast: Mitalee Jagtap Varadkar, Vivek Chabukswar, Milind Shinde

Music: Rohit Nagbhide

Rating: * * *

Plot: Jaggu (Milind Shinde) is a member of a local band in a remote village in Maharashtra. He wants his son Baboo aka Babya (Vivek Chabukswar) to join the same profession. However, Baboo’s mother and Jaggu’s wife Shirmi (Mitali Jagtap Vardkar) is determined to educate her child so that he can enter a more respectable profession. Will Shirmi succeed in her noble task or will Baboo too end up being a band baja wala?

Review: Not-so-long-ago, Amit Abhyankar’s Jana Gana Mana (2012) gave an important message that every child has a right to education irrespective of his social class. The same message is put forth in Rajesh Pinjani’s debut flick Baboo Band Baja, although in a different way. Like Abhyankar, Pinjani too succeeds in spreading the message with honesty. But one has to add that the product is more feasible for the classes, especially due of the climax.

The story hardly moves forward in the first half but the interesting sequences, conversations and confrontations and most importantly, the direction makes sure your interest is very much alive. In fact, it works well here as you become absorbed in the rural mood of the flick and even start feeling for the characters. The same absorption is continued even in the post-interval sequences, although things continue to go at the same pace.

(Review continued after picture.)

Some appealing events nicely lead up to the pre-climax portion. However, it would have been much better and pleasant if the pre-climax had been the climax. A twist after the pre-climax which is followed by a startling incident could have been avoided. This would have also made sure the film gets mass acceptance. But having said this, the makers surely deserve applause for the message given.

Rohit Nagbhide’s songs are apt for the subject and so is the background score. The cinematography is applause-worthy as it beautifully captures the remote village. The editing should have been tighter, especially in the funeral scenes.

Mitalee Jagtap Varadkar gets into the skin of her character with such mastery that it is difficult to believe that she is putting on an act for a movie. It isn’t surprising that she won a National Award for the performance. Milind Shinde moulds himself perfectly to play Jaggu. He gives a terrific act too.

A difficult character is played by ease by child actor Vivek Chabukswar. The actor deserves a lot of applause as it could have been a daunting task for any kid. He too rightfully deserves a National Award for the act. The surprise package is the actress who played the mad woman. She is outstanding!

Overall, Baboo Band Baja will please those who prefer off-beat cinema. The film is in desperate need of positive word-of-mouth. The fact that it is released with four other Marathi movies will surely affect its chances at the box-office.

Mee Sindhutai Sapkal Review

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When Tears Stop, A Revolution Begins…

Ratings: * * * ½

Director: Anant Narayan Mahadevan

Production: Siddhivinayak Cine Vision

Story: Sindhutai Sapkal

Screenplay: Anant Narayan Mahadevan and Sanjay Pawar

Cast: Tejaswani Pandit, Jyoti Chandekar, Upendra Limaye, Suhas Palshikar

 

Women empowerment or women triumph isn’t a new topic for Indian cinema. The theme is explored in almost all Indian languages ever since the inception of cinema in the country. Despite this, Anant Narayan Mahadevan’s Mee Sindhutai Sapkal stands apart from all other pro-women films because of the heart-warming story of Sindhutai Sapkal and the interesting way in which the tale is narrated.

Based on Sapkal’s book Mee Vanvasi, the film tells the story of 12-year old Chindi who is married to a middle aged man (Upendra Limaye) and is later (when she reaches 26) abandoned by her husband and family as she is wrongly accused of infidelity. Things get worse for Chindi as even her own mother refuses to give her shelter fearing the society. It is from here on that Chindi’s real journey begins. She abandons her image of Chindi and becomes Sindhutai, a social reformer and a shelter for all homeless children.

Mahadevan and Sanjay Pawar’s screenplay is the biggest winner. Adapting a biography on celluloid can be a daunting task which the duo completes with maturity. Especially the mixture of flashback with the present scenario makes the goings special. Special mention should be made of those pre-interval sections where Sindhutai’s mind shifts to the past because of the small incidents that take place during her plane journey. Very creative indeed! And the way the importance of a mother is highlighted is highly touching. Cinematography and background score are apt for the subject.

As a director, Mahadevan continues from where he left in his last brilliantly conceived Red Alert-The War Within.  He achieves utmost perfection in narrating the tale, capturing the location and bringing the best from his cast hence providing a number of brilliantly executed scenes. His first foray into Marathi cinema will be remembered for a long time.

Having said that, the film might not be admired by the commercial cine-goers who are looking for non-stop entertainment.

The efforts of the script writers, dialogue writer (Sanjay Pawar) the director wouldn’t have looked so impressive if Tejaswini Pandit hadn’t played the central character so wonderfully. Her performance is sure to touch you from start till the end as she gets into the skin of the character. In fact, she will be a contender for a National Award. Jyoti Chandekar’s portrayal of the older Sindhutai is equally lovable as one is forced to respect and admire her. The rest of the cast, especially Upendra Limaye leave an impact too. Neena Kulkarni is impressive in a cameo.

In a nutshell, Mee Sindhutai Sapkal is a must watch saga, which will move, inspire and motivate every human being irrespective of his/her gender who is eager to achieve something against all odds. The film should enjoy good collections at the box-office because of the strong word-of-mouth it’s receiving.

Haapus (Marathi Movie) Review

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True To Its Name

Ratings: * * * ½

In a particular scene of the movie, a group of soft drink company officials taste Ajit Gurav’s (Subodh Bhave) haapus (a breed of mango). The expressions on their faces after tasting the mango sum up the quality of the film. Abhijit Satam’s directorial debut Haapus offers an experience which is as delicious and refreshing as the fruit itself.

In the Vanarwadi village of Konkan, Anna Gurav (Shivaji Satam), the patriarch of the Gurav family is such a staunch believer in astrology that he doesn’t step out of the house without considering the day’s horoscope. He is always at loggerheads with his son Ajit whose opinion on astrology is contradictory to his father. Ajit grows haapus and is passionate about it. He also wishes to sell the fruit to the other areas of Maharashtra.

Ajit’s tussle with his father increases when Anna doesn’t allow him to trade in haapus because of astrological reasons. Things become tougher for Ajit as he has to face a hooligan trader called Chajed (Vidyadhar Joshi), who will go any heights to stop Ajit from entering the market.

There are also present a bunch of unusual characters like Anna’s twin daughters Amruta and Ankita (Madhura Velenkar Satam), both as different as chalk and cheese, Anna’s mother played by Sulabha Deshpande, Digambar Kale (Makarand Anaspure), son of Anna’s friend and rickshaw driver Subhya (Pushkar Shrotri).

The film works largely because the serious issue of Ajit’s struggle is peppered with large doses of humor. Writers Saurabh Bhave and Subodh Khanolkar and dialogue writer Sanjay Pawar deserve large applause for skillfully creating some rib-tickling moments throughout the film in the simplest of the situations. Having said that, they also make sure that the main issue is not left behind.

It can be a daunting task for a first time director to control such an ensemble cast and manage to get top performances from them and Abhiji Satam does the task with maturity. The way he has shot the film while portraying beautiful locales of the village is sure to keep one glued to the screen.

The only weak link is the length and the climax that should have focused more on the achievement of the characters.

As expected from a veteran like Shivaji Satam, the actor portrays the character with utmost ease. He commands respect as the head of the family and makes the role look tailor-made for him. Subodh Bhave stands apart from the crowd and plays a serious character with honesty and maturity. Madhura Velankar Satam deserves special mention as it’s utterly difficult to play two contrasting characters in the same film. Pushkar Shrotri and Vidyadhar Joshi are perfect.

Sulabha Deshpande, another veteran, proves why she is a respected figure in the Marathi film arena. Over here, she very well speaks with gestures and expressions as she plays a mute character. But it is Makarand Anaspure who takes the cake with a performance that gets you in splits whenever he speaks and appears. He is lovable throughout the film with his brilliant comic timing.

A large number of plus points make Haapus an entertainer with good values that will appeal to people of all ages. Because of the positive opening and mass value, the film is sure shot success at the box-office.

Lalbaug Parel (City Of Gold) Movie Review

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Almost There!

Ratings – * * ½

Today’s generation is absolutely unaware about the era of mill workers in the city of Mumbai during the 1980s. Director Mahesh Manjrekar’s Lalbaug Parel (City Of Gold in Hindi) brings to light the history of these workers and the pain they went through. For this, he surely deserves praise. However, the nature of presentation is too much to handle.

The film follows the story of the workers’ struggle against the insensitive mill owners (Sameer Dharmadhikari mostly). Anna (Shashank Shende) hasn’t got his due amount from the mill owners since six months. He lives in abject poverty with his wife (Seema Biswas) and four children, Baba (Ankush Chaudhary), a struggling writer, Mohan (Vinit Kumar), a bank employee, Naru (Karan Patel), a local thug and Manju (Veena Jamkar), who has is head-over-heels for a shopkeeper Jignesh.

Also woven in the story are union heads Rane (Sachin Khedekar), his partner played by Vinay Apte, Speedbreaker (Siddharth Jadhav) and a list other characters including the ones of Satish Kaushik and Kashmera Shah.

Manjrekar has succeeded in portraying the helplessness, tragedy and the everyday life of the workers in a manner which cannot be more realistic. Every minute detail is taken care of brilliantly. In addition, he manages to bring out some realistic and brilliant performances from each and every actor with Biswas, Jadhav, Khedekar, Chaudhary and Patel standing out.

Having said that, the negative points are too much to ignore. Although the film promises to deal with the battle of mill workers versus mill owners, the first half is loaded with too many daily events and encounters of the main characters leaving the main issue behind. The second half does touch the issues but the script suffers for being too lengthy and too emotional. Even after the culmination of the story, the film is still dragged unnecessarily. Most of the times, the film appears to be an underworld saga with shades of Manjrekar’s Vaastav appearing regularly.

However, the major drawback, as stated earlier, is the nature of presentation. The 2 hour 20 odd minutes are loaded with too much of violence. In fact, such high dose of bloodshed and hostility is hardly ever witnessed in any Indian movie. The sub-stories of the characters get a bit too emotional, wild and loud. After witnessing such disturbance, one hardly cares for the characters and the issues.

Despite many plus points, Lalbaug Parel falters for being too brutal, loud and distressing for an average viewer. Watch it only if you are ready to excuse these factors. Because of the sensitive local issue, the film is sure to enjoy very good returns. However, its Hindi version, City Of Gold, (slated to release on April 23) won’t stand a chance at the box-office.

Zenda (Marathi Movie) Review

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An Eye-Opener for the Young Karyakartas

 

Ratings: – * * * *

Perhaps for the first time in the history of Indian cinema, lookalikes of real life politicians with their real story and real self are shown in an amazingly appealing and enlightening manner. For this reason alone, Avdhut Gupte’s Zenda deserves a huge thumbs-up for the fearlessness he has shown.

Kakasaheb (aging leader of the political party Jan Sena) prefers his son Prashant Sarpotdar (Pushkar Shrotri) over his nephew Rajesh Sarpotdar (Rajesh Shringarpure) to lead the party. This was enough for Rajesh to separate from Jan Sena and start his own political party called Maharashtra Samrajya Sena. The film also follows the story of two young Jan Sena activists Umesh (Siddharth Chandekar) and his friend (played by Santosh Juvekar), who are as close as brothers.

Apart from doing the daring act of showing the characters of Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray on screen, Gupte has produced a script which doesn’t go off-track even for a minute. Plus, as a director, he creates some extraordinarily realistic and artistic scenes which keeps the vision appealing throughout. Gupte’s triumph doesn’t end here; he even excels as a music director. The tracks Konacha Zenda Gheu Haati and Saavdhan suit the mood of the film perfectly. The impressive cinematography and background make the tale more appealing.

Rajesh Shringarpure (of Sarkaar Raj fame) is an actor to watch. His expressions, dialogue delivery and gestures force you not to remove your eyes from him. Siddharth Chandekar, who plays an educated party worker, does the difficult task of speaking through his expressions. A really promising find. Santosh Juvekar in a role of a fanatic party worker suits perfectly as he moulds himself into the role and how!

Despite such excelling performers, Chinmay Mandlekar manages to get noticed because of his mature performance. His acts in the pre-climax sessions are too good. Rest of the supporting cast – Pushkar Shrotri, Sachit Patil, Tejashree Pradhan, Neha Joshi and Shubhangi Gokhale add the perfect icing in the cake.

Zenda is truly one of the most realistic and interesting political dramas to have hit the Indian screen. It’s an eye-opener for the young kaaryakartas. It takes more than just courage to make something like Zenda. Take a bow Gupte!