By : Keyur Seta
With out-of-the-box content and an uncompromising manner of story telling, Marathi cinema has been gaining a lot of appreciation over the last 5-6 years or so. So, obviously, it becomes difficult to choose Top 5 half-yearly and Top 10 yearly films every year.
But 2015 was threatening to be a dry year for Marathi films with a series of patchy films during a period. Thankfully though, it only remained a threat as the films released during the end of the first half of the year made up for the bad period in between.
Here is the list of the Top 5 Marathi films of the first half of 2015:-
5Welcome Zindagi
Director:Umesh Ghadge
Cast: Swapnil Joshi, Amruta Khanvilkar
When your concept is not only interesting but also heart-touching, more than half of the battle is won as far as audience’s satisfaction is concerned. But this is not the only goodness on offer in debutant Umesh Ghadge’s Welcome Zindagi. The film is thought-provoking, entertaining and something that will nudge you to start loving your life.
Welcome Zindagi revolves around Meera (Amruta Khanvilkar), who is doing well in her professional life as a journalist in Pune. However, her personal life is in complete disarray. Her mother, whom she dearly loved, passed away five years ago. Following this, Meera’s father got married to the woman the former hates (Rajeshwari Sachdev). If this wasn’t enough, Meera’s fiancé cheats her, which forces her to break her marriage.
Now, Meera struggles to find a single reason to stay alive. Hence, she decides to commit suicide. Just then, she meets the happy-go-lucky and bindaas Anand Prabhu (Swapnil Joshi). He runs an organization that trains people on how to perfectly commit suicide with the name of ‘Happy Ending Society’. He urges Meera to enroll for the course to be well prepared to end her life. After some hesitation, she agrees.
As aforementioned, the biggest strong point of Welcome Zindagi is its basic plot. It is something that a lot of city-dwellers, who are victims of materially easy but practically empty lives, would relate with. The film has a timely and heart-warming message for them. But this is achieved without being preachy and while providing some light-hearted entertainment.
The idea of providing training to potential suiciders is funnily shocking. This point threatens to take the proceedings on the redundant path but, thankfully, it only remains a threat as the grip is hardly lost ever.
But it is the major twist during the ending moments of the second halfthat takes the satisfaction to a higher level. It gives a strong message without saying anything and provides an overwhelming feeling as you leave the cinema hall.
But while you leave, you can’t help but think of a couple ofquestionable incidents in the first halfand the sequence of an event in the second half that forms a major story development. These points, however, won’t trouble you much.
The songs go well with the theme and are used wisely, without providing any scope for a loo break. DoP Prasad Bhende has captured simple scenes artistically, especially the sequence where Anand and Meera are traveling in an open jeep. The background score generates the right effect, although it’s loud at times.
Swapnil Joshi is once again lovable in a tailor-made role. He has performed a well-sketched character with his trademark charm. Amruta Khanvilkar gets plenty of scope to showcase her acting prowess and she does that very well. Rajeshwari Sachdev and the actor playing Meera’s father are decent.The actor in the role of Meera’s fiancé does an average job.
Urmila Kothare scores high in a difficult cameo.There are also some very good cameos from Prashant Damle, Mohan Agashe, Bharti Achrekar, Mahesh Manjrekar, Pushkar Shrotri, Murli Sharma, Vivek Lagoo and Jaywant Wadkar.
Overall:
Welcome Zindagi is a heartwarming affair that also entertains. However, it is truly sad to see such low-key promotions for the film. This might stop the film from a wider impact, which it deserves.
4Nagrik
Director: Jaypraad Desai
Cast: Sachin Khedekar, Milind Soman, Devika Daftardar, Dilip Prabhavalkar, Rajesh Sharma, Dr Shriram Lagoo
An honest and fearless protagonist stranded in a grossly corrupt system is not a novel subject. But a tried and tested subject ceases to be one if treated completely in an out-of-the-box or unconventional manner. It is this treatment that makes Nagrikan impressive, hard-hitting and intense socio-political saga.
The film revolves around the idealistic, fearless and honest-to-the-core newspaper journalist Shyam Jagdale (Sachin Khedekar). He is known for his column Nagrik, where he exposes corrupt practices. His recent column exposes the utterly corrupt and ruthless politician Vikas Patil’s (Milind Soman) idea of orchestrating communal riots. However, this doesn’t go well with his new editor with lose morals.
As the editor is more interested in generating revenue, Jagdale isn’t allowed to publish any more of such stories. Hence, Patil continues his shoddy practices for political gains as a helpless Jagdale looks on. He soon realizes that Patil is just a cog in the entire corrupt machinery.What’s worse is that Jagdale’s personal life is also far from perfect. Will things ever change within his house and outside?
Nagrik doesn’t follow a conventional storyline. It is more of an attempt of providing a glimpse into the filthy world of corrupt politics and the murky underbelly of Mumbai in a completely no-holds-barred manner. Due to some skillful efforts of the writer and director, the film succeeds in its attempt. The viewer is sucked into a truly intense world, which stays on with him/ her long after the completion of the film.
The practice of generating a hard-hitting effect through visuals, expressions and silences isn’t explored much in Indian films. Off late though, the trend if catching up where a particular scene says a lot without saying much. Nagrik continues the trend very successfully. This results in a number of sequences and incidents that hit you hard without the use of clichéd lines. There is a long non-verbal sequence in the second half portraying the irony of the life in Mumbai, which is the highlight of the film.
However, Nagrik, has its share of downfalls. After a point of time in the second half, the proceedings tend to lose grip when nothing much is happening in terms of story development. Few incidents, in this half, are questionable. Also, the climax isn’t as hard-hitting or something that provides a kick. Thankfully, these issues don’t do much in overriding the plusses.
Sambhaji Bhagat’s folk songs played in the background go well with the situation and add up to the effect. From the rest of the tracks, ‘Bola Vithal’ is impressive. The camerawork goes with the intense theme. The background score also adds to the intensity. But majority of the times, they have decided against using any background music and it works that way.
Some dedicated performances also play a major role. Sachin Khedekar brilliantly brings out the right frustration and vulnerability. Having said this, he scores well during witty confrontational scenes with Soman. But Milind Soman too makes a solid impact. He is outstanding as a ruthless, corrupt but at the same time, calm-headed politician. Dilip Prabhavalkar isn’t behind, as is expected from a quality veteran, as another corrupt politician.
Dr. Shriram Lagoo, another thespian, displays his talent in a difficult role of an ex-politician agonized by the sorry state of affairs. The film can also boast of some high quality performances from Devika Daftardar, Rajesh Sharma (Bollywood actor making his Marathi film debut), Neena Kulkarni, Sulabha Deshpande, Madhav Abhyankar and Rajkumar Tangade.
Overall:
Nagrik is a hard-hitting realistic socio-political saga that is recommended for the lovers of sensible cinema. It is expected to do fairly well at the box office provided it receives positive word-of-mouth.
3Lokmanya – Ek Yugpurush
Director: Om Raut
Cast: Subodh Bhave, Chinmay Mandlekar, Sameer Sanjay Vidwans, Priya Bapat
The basic motto of a biopic is to do complete justice to the person on whom it is based. The next challenge for such genre of films is to leave behind a solid impact on the heart and mind of the viewer through his message or teachings. Om Raut’sLokmanya – Ek Yug Purush succeeds in both areas while also making sure it is not just any other freedom fighter biopic.
Lokmanya – Ek Yug Purush focuses on the life of India’s freedom fighter, journalist, teacher and social reformer, Bal Gangadhar Tilak aka Lokmanya Tilak from the time he was a college student till the end of his life. The film highlights his fight against the British rule through various means and its consequences.
The story of a newspaper journalist (Chinmay Mandlekar), based in today’s times, is also narrated simultaneously. Hailing from Mumbai’s middle-class, he is about to marry his rich fiancée (Priya Bapat). But a chance incident ignites some serious inner conflict within him.
Biopics face a danger of becoming a bit boring or a drag, making it unacceptable for the youth. But Lokmanya steers clear from it. Through a riveting screenplay, powerful dialogues and appealing presentation, you are kept engrossed. It also makes sure that the protagonist’s inspiring lines don’t turn out to be fake or corny. Although the film is filled with soul-stirring events, the sequence about the explanation of the Bhagvad Gita and the sad truth during opening credits deserve mention.
But as mentioned before, the film stands apart from the usual biopics. This is due to the story of the journalist, based in today’s era, which is connected to the life story of Tilak. This aspect will break your heart about the kind of lives people are living today. It will force you to question not only others but also yourself.
Lokmanya has few issues though. The commercial element in some sequences should have been toned down. But the biggest question mark is the change of heart of a supporting character, which is unconvincing.
Ajit-Sameer’s music enhances the proceedings to a greater level, especially the theme song. The same can be said for the technicalities (camerawork, background score and editing), production values and costume designing.
Lokmanya wouldn’t have been reached this level without Subodh Bhave’s brilliant enactment of the protagonist. With a powerful and heartwarming act, he shows why he is one of the finest artists around.Sameer Sanjay Vidwans too shines in the role of Gopal Ganesh Agarkar.
Chinmay Mandlekar succeeds in displaying frustration and helplessness, mostly through his expressions. Priya Bapat too plays her part perfectly. Angad Mhaskar, as Daiji Khare, Prashant Uthale, as Chapekar, and the rest of the actors play their parts well. However, the actor in the role of Swami Vivekananda is a miscast.
Overall:
Lokmanya – Ek Yug Purush is an ideal film for today’s youth to know this important personality from India’s freedom struggle. It is expected to do well at the box office.
2Killa
Director: Avinash Arun
Cast: Archit Deodhar, Amruta Subhash, Parth Bhalerao
Over the last few years, Marathi cinema has seen some truly well-made rural films revolving around a child or children. Some of the noteworthy examples are Vihir, Shala, Fandry, Elizabeth Ekadashi, Salaam, Dhag, Jana Gana Mana, etc.
But it would be unfair to say that Avinash Arun’s Killa is yet another well-made film of this genre. That won’t do justice to its achievement. To put it simply, the film is a heartwarming coming-of-age saga that achieves excellence in every department. It is yet another Marathi film of international caliber.
Killa revolves around Chinmay Kale (Archit Deodhar), a student in the seventh standard. He is forced to migrate to a village in the Konkan area from his hometown Pune after his mother (Amruta Subhash), an uprightly honest government employee, is transferred there. He stays alone with his mother ever since his father passed away few years back.
Chinmay is depressed as he dearly misses Pune and his cousin cum best friend. He finds it difficult to fit into his new school because of the mischievous group of students, led by the notorious Bandya (Parth Bhalerao). But slowly Chinmay starts getting acceptance among the kids. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Like various films of this genre, Killa doesn’t follow a conventional storyline. It is more of a peak into the life of Chinmay. So, instead of story development, the intention is to put forth Chinmay’s experiences, joys, inner-turmoil, and confusion. Arun fulfills this aim in a masterly manner, which ensures that anybody with a heart will be moved by the characters and their situations.
Needless to say, you get involved into the everyday life of Chinmay and others in a way that you tend to forget the outside world and you don’t feel like believing that they aren’t real life characters. Incidents like masti in school, funny incidents between friends, exam scenes and the small outings are sure to make you nostalgic. This is another triumph of the filmmaker and that too in his very first film. He has provided a perfect example of narrating through visuals, especially during the climax.
Of course, the narration has its share of sad moments but it steers clear from treading on the depressing path. In the midst of such positives, the only negative aspect is that the pace drops slightly on few occasions. But this is not a big issue here.
The skillful camerawork, also by Avinash Arun, is a major reason for the final product turning out to be of international standards. He has shown his skills even in the most mundane situations. Plus, the beauty of the interiors of Konkan region just doesn’t cease to amaze you. Naren Chandavarkar and Benedict Taylor’s tunes add to the emotions.
Archit Deodhar is simply outstanding as Chinmay. He switches over to different emotions with remarkable ease and also manages to speak through expressions on many occasions. Amruta Subhash once again proves she is one of the finest actors around through a mature act.
But Parth Bhalerao is simply the scene-stealer with his brilliant comic timing, cuteness and acting skills. He was well-appreciated last year in Bhoothnath Returns. The film also has some earnest performances from the rest of the kids, the actor playing Maths teacher and other actors.
Overall:
Killa is an excellent effort! It’s a triumph of mature storytelling. The film has received National Awards for the Best Feature Film in Marathi and Special Mention (Parth Bhalerao) Award along with other international awards. The strong word-of-mouth will ensure good returns for it.
1Court
Director: Chaitanya Tamhane
Cast: Vira Sathidar, Vivek Gomber, Pradeep Joshi, Geetanjali Kulkarni
Courts have had a long relationship with Indian films. But mostly the court proceedings shown in our movie are no way near to reality. It is only since recent times that films like No One Killed Jessica (2011) and Jolly LLB (2013) have depicted court scenes as close to reality as possible.
But director Chaitanya Tamhane’s Marathi movie Court depicts the judicial process with never-seen-before reality. However, at the same time, the film stays far away from being a documentary or docu-drama. It focuses more on the dark humorous side while raising several serious questions about our judiciary procedure and law and order system.
The film revolves around Narayan Kamble (Vira Sathidar), a senior citizen from Mumbai working as a tution teacher. As a passion, he also writes and performs folk songs that depict the sorry tale of laborers and menial workers. Once, while performing, he is arrested for allegedly writing and performing a song that instigated a menial worker to commit suicide. Lawyer Vinay Vora (Vivek Gomber) fights Kamble’s case. Is Kamble Guilty?
Court is not a film in conventional sense. It is an honest presentation of a court case in an actual form. The arguments inside the courtroom, the casual conversations and the everyday, routine scenes appear right out of reality. There is also no background music whatsoever while the camerawork goes with the realistic genre.
However, this doesn’t make for a tedious watch as there is continuous dark humor. In fact, the film proves that you don’t need any melodrama to make court proceedings interesting. As I have witnessed court proceedings, I too agree that the real courtroom scenes have plenty of potential for entertainment, especially if it is Sessions Court, which is the case in the film.
But amidst the humor, the film completely succeeds in its motto of presenting the sorry and, at times, disturbing realities of our judiciary system. It also hints at the removal of Victorian laws that are completely irrelevant in today’s era.
Court has a questionable aspect though. There is too much footage given to the personal lives of both lawyers and the judge. Although these parts are also entertaining and meaningful in a way, few moments appear unnecessary, especially the way the film is dragged in the last few minutes. Thankfully, this point doesn’t lower your satisfaction much.
The performances fully complement the subject. It is difficult to believe that Narayam Kamble is not a real person and is just a fictional character. This is simply because of Vira Sathidar’s excellently realistic performance. Vivek Gomber isn’t behind though. He too perfectly gets into the skin of a Gujarati defense lawyer. Pradeep Joshi, as the judge, and Geetanjali Kulkarni, as the Public Prosecutor, render brilliant acts too. Shirish Pawar shines in a supporting role.
Overall:
Court is a daringly realistic saga that is also high on entertainment. The film has received the National Award for Best Feature Film and a number of other international awards and rightly so. It deserves positive word-of-mouth to make a good impact at the box office.