Director: Kiran Yadnyopavit

Cast: Sachin Khedekar, Ashwini Giri, Ishaan Tambe, Asmita Joglekar, Shubhangi Joshi

Music: Nandu Ghanekar

Producers: Friday Filmworks, Ekta Kapoor and Neeraj Pandey

Ratings: * * * ½

By: Keyur Seta

Ever seen a father urging God to make sure his son doesn’t come first in the class? Such is the novelty in the tale of director Kiran Yadnyopavit’s Taryanche Bait that it bewilders you but at the same time also moves you because of its hardcore simplicity.

This simple tale is about a simple man called Shreedhar Surve, working as a clerk in the gram panchayat unit of a village. Although he is not rich, he leads a satisfying life with wife Indira (Ashwini Giri), two kids – Omkar (Ishaan Tambe) and Meera (Asmita Joglekar) and his mother played by Shubhangi Joshi. Shreedhar’s office duties compel him to visit Mumbai frequently.

For one such prolonged trip, he takes his wife and kids to the city. Over there, Omkar becomes adamant in staying in a five star hotel but, naturally, Shreedhar can’t afford. After returning to their village, Omkar asks Shreedhar whether he will take him to the five star hotel if he tops the examination. As Shreedhar is sure Omkar can never top the exams, he agrees for it. This motivates Omkar to study hard to such an extent that he actually tops in the class, leaving Shreedhar in a pickle.

A well made simple film is always rich in story (Saurabh Bhave) and Taryanche Bait is no exception. Plus, the screenplay by Bhave, Kiran and Shailesh Dupare hooks you to the story right from the very first scene. All the small nuances of village life are taken care of beautifully. There are a number of sequences that will stay etched in your memory for years to come. Some of these include:

• Shreedhar’s interaction with the idol of Lord Ganesh.
• Shreedhar promising Omkar to take him to a five star hotel in Mumbai.
• An over-excited Omkar revealing to Shreedhar about him topping in the exams.
• Shreedhar’s struggle in fulfilling his promise.
• Pre-climax and the climax.

Although the climax appears perfect and touching, it could have been framed in a different way. Nevertheless, it works well and is appealing.

The writing coupled with Kiran’s direction makes the movie a well furnished product. He also makes the whole cast deliver top-notch performances.  In fact, looking at the mature way in which Kiran has handled the subject, it is very difficult to believe that this is his debut film. After earning a name in the Marathi drama arena and as a film writer, he is sure to excel as a director as well.

The editing also deserves special mention for the tight length of the film (less than two hours).

Sudhir Palsane’s artistic cinematography captures the village with perfection while Nandu Ghanekar’s tuneful music and some simple yet powerful dialogues also add to the plus points.

Sachin Khedekar is one of the respected names in the Marathi film industry and he lives up to his image in this movie. After Mee Shivajiraje Bhosle Boltoy, he once again delivers a performance which deserves a standing ovation. The way he shows helplessness and tries everything possible to fulfill his promise shows the class of a genius. In my personal opinion, he is one of the finest actors India has ever produced.

Ishaan Tambe is wonderful in the role of an adamant kid while Ashwini Giri, Asmita Joglekar do well too. Other supporting actors Kishor Kadam, Jaywant Wadkar, Vinay Apte and Shashank Shende offer good support.

Overall, Taryanche Bait is one of the most touching and simplest films to have come in a long time. At the box-office, the film will surely earn good collections.