AT LEAST SOMEONE IS THINKING!!!

Feels like heaven!!! I am at home, of course. There’s no place like it!

My mom and I have decided to catch up on the latest in the Marathi film and theatre world. The first step towards this goal was watching ‘Sarivar sari’. One of its slogans in the newspaper read ‘Vayaat aalelyaa mulilaa saambhaala’. I was obviously turned off by it, as it sounded preachy- right from the mouth of the moral police. It asked people to be careful once their daughters had grown up…. what about their sons??? Aren’t young men just as vulnerable to getting spoilt?

After I saw the movie, I realised the slogan had been purposely and intelligently given. The story revolves around a lower middle-class family living in a chawl in Mumbai [I think it was Mumbai but for those who are going to watch the movie…all college scenes have been shot in Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce, Pune…my alma mater. Yippppeeee…!] The elder daughter is a medical student, studious and reserved. The younger one couldn’t care less about studying, is bold and a talented dancer. Of course, the father hates it when she dances in public because of all the unwarranted attention she attracts. But the girl feels suffocated in her middle class mundane existence. She leaves home to become a model.

The movie is a must watch for all parents and daughters. The film shows how important it is to understand the new generation and to have faith in them. I am sure all young women will identify with at least one of the questions raised in the movie.

The movie does suffer a little because of its snappy storyline and editing. The whole thing ends up looking a wee bit amateurish. But the actors, with their super performances, rescue the film from falling flat. And it’s such a relief to see that Marathi cinema has the nerve to make films on current issues…issues that concern us all.

Another movie that will make Marathi cinema proud for years to come is Nishikant Kamat’s ‘Dombivli Fast’. Repeating the middle class factor, the film is about a bank employee who commutes to work in the Dombivli Fast local train everyday. He lives with his wife and children in a cramped accommodation like any other in Mumbai. He is tired of his routine life. The stress plays on his ‘I-will-not-compromise-with-my-principles’ attitude and finally drives him insane. What follows is shocking. In fact, as the audience slowly made their way through the exit doors after the film got over, no one spoke. Our minds were numbed by the story of this common man that could easily be anyone’s story.

Sandeep Kulkarni as the average Joe, Shilpa Tulaskar as his wife and Sandesh Jadhav as the aamchi Mumbai cop steal your hearts with their excellent performances. The viewer starts with clear-cut views on life and its tribulations but soon, the boundaries between right and wrong, good and bad diminish.

I applaud this effort of the filmmaker. It’s such a relief to see that at least someone is thinking. These days, even the trailers of Hindi movies turn me off. There is absolutely no substance in them. I am not against entertainment…entertainers are needed to make money. But recent films are concentrating too much on presentation and down the line, they lose sight of the plot. There have been some good movies like Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara, Iqbal, Viruddh etc. [I haven’t seen Iqbal and Viruddh yet but I have heard good reviews.] But today, I’d rather watch a Marathi movie than waste my time on some senseless Hindi masala flick.

Here’s one for those Marathi filmmakers who are at least trying to make a difference…Jai Maharashtra!