Jogwa (2009)

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Marathi cinema is coming of age and Jogwa is a shining example.

Jogwa is a story based on the superstitious principle of enslaving men and (mostly) women to the service of God or a Goddess. This unfortunate practice continues to this date. In fact, I was at the temple of Yellamma (the Goddess) this March. It didn’t strike me then, about this practice, though I saw these people in the temple vicinity.

Jogwa can be a very disturbing movie. If you are like me, the kind who is city-bred and most of our knowledge is theoretical, it can be an almost shocking experience. For one, it is about a disturbing practice in our society, secondly, it is a very intense narrative. Importantly though, it has extraordinarily powerful performances. Needless to say, the most powerful performance is by Upendra Limaye. Mukta Barve’s performance is also impressive. Vinay Apte delivers very well, unlike his presentation in Raajneeti (Review).

One happy surprise of the movie is Kishore Kadam. He is proving to be the perfect part in stories like these (he has delivered very well in Natarang (Review Pending) to the same effect) where he provides just the right amount of tension that certain characters in a story create. The character that is both black and white but neither, yet not grey. A character that humanises the story. Very few are able to play this part – I think Kishore Kadam does this with ease. It will be interesting to see if there are any more flowers in his bouquet.

The execution and production values are very good. Though I’ll admit there is a Santosh-Sivan-like ghost that haunts the cinematography and most of the movie uses high-contrast and high-saturation. Why do most Marathi movies occur in the Sahyadris in the Monsoon or just after it? I’d like to believe that a high-level of de-saturation would have intensified the performances. The bright and rich colours seem to betray a need to soften the impact that this film can have on you.

Even the bright colours however, could do little to hit you in the head with a hammer, the way the movie does. To call this a serious film would be an understatement. If you get affected by a raw presentation of social issues, you may want to opt-out. I’d however recommend it for Limaye’s performance. He is well supported by a some very smart performances by the rest of the cast.

Gabhricha Paus (2009)

Movies based on social issues walk a very thin line. On either side of that line is a chasm of becoming a documentary or being preachy. Very few films are able to balance and keep to the line. Gabhricha Paus (2009) is one such film and very gracefully walked that line.

When you consider that this is the director’s debut, it makes it that much more impressive. Satish Manwar does not patronise the audience at any time, stays true to the subject and the story and guides you all along the narrative. There is a general awareness about farmer suicides and this film ran a good risk of being a documentary. However, the story makes smooth movements inside the heart of the farming family and the issue at large, with great ease. The presentation does due justice to the story. There are no jerks in the presentation and the performances support these very well.

The movie is not a documentary of the prevalence of farmer-suicides in Maharashtra, nor a backlash at the politics of the problem; neither does it offer a solution to the problem.

Girish Kulkarni is a treat to watch; he is in the league of those that are able to act without the need for dialogues or the need to make contorted faces every time an emotion passes them by. There is significant burden on the character, because the story relies heavily on him to manage the multiple transitions of the issue from the individual angst to the social problem. Sonali Kulkarni has done a good job, personally however, I cannot help but thinking that any role she does, there is a tad bit of over-acting and she is scared of completely becoming the character. There is an urban air to her which always hovers in her presence. The realistic of all performances however came from Jyoti Subhash and Madhukar Dhore. Jyoti merges into the role and the character as if you have mixed distilled water with distilled water. Madhukar Dhore (I haven’t been able to find much info about him) was my real hero, in the few minutes of screen presence he had in the movie.

Sudhir Palsane has done a good job with the camera, without any distracting gimmicks. The light play is wonderful; interestingly for such a serious subject, a significant part of the movie is shot in bright natural light.

After a long time, a movie that made its way straight in.

Me Shivajiraje Bhosale Boltoy (2009)

After Valu (2008), this is the first (new) Marathi movie that I have enjoyed watching. The cinematography and the pace made it for me. The camera-work is practical and well-employed and the story progresses along a fine pace. However…

Warning: Potential Spoilers Ahead

… I did feel at times that the premise of the story was quite a bit contrived. Sachin Khedekar (playing Dinkar Bhosale) though doing pretty well in the role, is a character that you (or, at least I) cannot relate with. Attributing the weakness of the character to people belonging to a region seemed a bit far fetched to me. In telling the story (of how a community must rise to the apparent subjugation by extra-regional infiltration), the entire community gets defined by the lack of a particular person’s self-respect. To me, that is unacceptable. All through the earlier part of the movie the protagonist undergoes severe humiliation, which is fairly exaggerated. How the above-mentioned subjugation has occurred is pretty vague and (deliberately?) left to the imagination of the audience. Irrespective of the region you belong to — what kind of a person would accept the humiliation from a shop assistant and a fish-seller, as has been depicted in the movie?

I do not imply that such events never occur at all, however, they can never be the basis of defining a community’s ethos. The character suffers from a severe victim complex which is highlighted by his relatively difficult economic state. It is fine as a specific case.

When I think back on the purpose of presenting the character the way it was portrayed in Me Shivajiraje Bhosale Boltoy (2009), I am forced to think that it addresses the ever-growing folks who do actually feel like the character in the movie. It is not addressed to the region at large. I take solace in that.

As the story progresses, the protagonist meets with the king and complains of how he has been continuously robbed of opportunities by people coming in from the rest of the world. The dialogue by Mahesh Manjrekar (playing Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj) about how the protagonist wears his deficiencies as a garland of pride, really was the key to the entire movie, for me. (“What you should be ashamed of, you sound out as your pride.”). Chatrapati reminds Dinkar Bhosle of his lineage and kindles his pride. This part of the movie was most interesting, for me. I have always wondered, when someone evokes a sense of pride in us what do they truly intend? For us to make a show of slogans? Or to own the sense of pride itself? Pride is a characteristic, not an ornament. Most people, don’t understand that. As an ornament, it is something outside of you — doesn’t “belong” to you. As a characteristic, it is a part of you and you never have to try and express it. Your existence is a factor of that pride.

Towards the second half and nearing the end of the film, all interactions that the protagonist commits — with the film producer, with the police man, the BMC officials or the builder — are very fungible. They could be true of any community in any region. All communities carry their share of good and bad and mad. The terrace speech, in fact, has national appeal.

Technically, I wish the movie was slightly better edited. I think I remember seeing a TV tower as Chatrapati races down to Mumbai on a horse. It could have been avoided, but I guess there is an element of cross-over of time-spaces, so that could be forgiven. The repeated low-angle hooves are a bit overdone. Mahesh Manjrekar could do well with some make-up for the black circles, but he played the character well. Siddharth Jadhav (as Usman Parkar) is a treat to watch (you half-expect him to do something funny!)

All in all, an enjoyable movie (Marathi humour’s sensibility seems to have found it’s way back, a bit) with a message — but you will have to see the movie to decide what it means for you and what your take-away will be.

Vasudev Balwant Phadke (2008)

Vasudev Balwant Phadke (2008) was a much awaited movie given my love for historical movies. I have now accepted that most historical portrayals have a bit of a drama added to it; I have made my peace with that. I have learnt to ignore that from the story.

VBP however, had me falling off my seat. An item song? Lesser said the better. One day I decide that Marathi movies have come of age — the next day I see this. I reset my expectations. Save one, all performances were below average. Sharad Ponkshe helped me stay at my seat. The dialogues were over-simplified, and delivered without passion. Notice how they say, “Har Har Mahadev!”

Ajinkya Deo looks very good in the part, all phases of it. The moment he opens his mouth, however, all is lost. I have seen some of his performances earlier, and when I think back, this was never a role for him.

Sonali Kulkarni overacts, as usual. Interestingly, I think she does it only in Marathi movies. Ramesh Deo comes in a for a few minutes in the film and is a saving grace, even if miniscule.

Much, much could have done in this smart production and well thought of film.