Showing posts with label Subodh Bhave. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Subodh Bhave. Show all posts
5 Reasons We Loved Katyar Kaljat Ghusli | Film Review
Music has no boundaries, be it religion or nation. Katyar Kaljat Ghusli puts this message across in a wonderful way. The film, based on a very popular 1960's musical by the same name and written by Purushottam Darvhekar, hit the screens last week. While the main plot of the film revolves around the rise and a fall of an artist due to ego, it also hints that art is immortal and cannot be controlled or ruled by anyone. Every artist has the freedom to express himself, and Katyar... conveys this message, thus making it an important film of our times! After earning accolades from the audience, the film has now been nominated for the prestigious UNESCO's Fellini award, and we wish the team all the luck for their journey ahead. We saw the film last week (wish we could also witness the original play live, as well) and have got 5 reasons that make Katyar Kaljat Ghusli a must watch for one and all.
☻ What do we say about the extremely talented veteran actor, Sachin? As Khan Saaheb, he delivers an award worthy performance! He perfects the roller coaster ride of emotions that Khan Saaheb goes through, rather effortlessly. And, it's a treat to watch him mouth those Urdu lines and get into the skin of his character with ease. Don't think any other actor could have done justice to this important character, as brilliantly as Sachin did. Hats off!
☻ Personally, I have always been appreciative of Subodh Bhave's work (his portrayal of Balgandharva being my one of my most favourites till date). His dedication in presenting the perfect film adaptation of Katyar... is no different. Bhave has done perfect justice to the two roles, that of an actor and director of this film. With a flawless treatment, Katyar... looks nothing like Bhave's directorial debut. In fact, it almost makes him look like a seasoned director. Also, it's a delight to watch him act. There are moments in the film (especially the jugalbandi) where you end up believing that it is Bhave and not a singer, who is crooning behind the mic. Truly, an actor class apart.
☻ Great to see one of the most soulful singers, Shankar Mahadevan, make his acting debut with a subtle yet impressive performance. As Panditji, Mahadevan emotes beautifully. While he puts up a perfect act, he does an equally great job (or perhaps) of singing some really fine songs. Sur Niragas Ho being a favourite, which sounds heavenly enough for the gods to come down and bless the singer.
☻ The ensemble cast, mainly comprising of Amruta Khanvilkar, Pushkar Shotri, Mrunmayee, Sakshi Tanwar among others also do a good job. The casting of this film was perfect. Brownie points to Subodh Bhave for being firm on his choices and extracting the best of each actor's potential for their respective characters. From the technical team, a special word for designer Nachiket Barve's research on the bygone era, as his outfits create magic on the big screen. The sets are enough to transport an audience member back to the golden era of music. The screenplay, dialogues and editing were all bang on. Despite 2 hour+ length of the film, not a single audience member was seen getting up from their seats or checking their mobile phones.
☻ Apart from the cast, another hero of this film is the music. The album has 17 tracks, composed by Pt. Jitendra Abhisheki and Shankar - Ehsaan - Loy. Since the film is a musical, songs play a crucial and each of them do perfect justice to the setting and flow of the film. Rahul Deshpande as the voice of Khan Saheb is splendid (incidentally, he also essayed the role of Khan Saheb in a newer version of the play) and creates magic with his phenomenal voice. Mahadevan sings his own tracks. Bhave's Sadashiv is voiced by multiple singers, ranging from Arijit Singh, Divya Kumar to Rahul Deshpande. You may end up falling in love with the music all the more, especially after watching the film. Our favourites? Tough to choose, but Dil ki Tapish and Ghei Chhand are absolutely divine.
Final Verdict: Very few films have the power to leave you speechless! Katyar Kaljat Ghusli will do that to you and more. If you are looking for a visual definition of a cinematic treat, this is it. The film creates a strong impact with its impressive cast, performances, delightful music and an incredible presentation. 100-200 crore club films may come and go, but films like Katyar Kaljat Ghusli stay in your heart forever! Do yourself a favour & watch it.
Have you watched Katyar Kaljat Ghusli? If yes, tweet your feedback to us at @priyaadivarekar on Twitter!
Balgandharva | Film Review
Some movies make you cry, Some make you laugh, Some ask you to leave your brains at home. But, very few movies leave you speechless! Balgandharva did that to me & my dad. I was glued onto my seat, not moving an inch (And mind you, I was damn hungry).
This is Narayanrao Shripad Rajhans' story - one of the greatest singers and stage actors. He was famous for his roles of female characters in Marathi plays, since women were not allowed to act on stage during his time. He got the name “Balgandharva” from the famous freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak who patted his back & gave him title while praising him for his performance.
The film begins with Balgandharva (Subodh bhave) performing for a “natak”. He is part of the Kirloskar Sangeet Mandali.The company was run by Mujumdar and Nanasaheb Joglekar. After Joglekar’s death in 1911, there was discontent about Mujumdar’s dictatorial and manipulative style. Bal Gandharva, Gangesh Govind (‘Ganpatrao’) Bodas (kishore kadam) and Govindrao Tembe (avinash narkar) left the company in 1913 to form Gandharva Sangeet Mandali. The lavish sets, sarees, perfumes & other expenses leads their company into debt.Narayanrao Bal Gandharva became the sole owner of the debt ridden company in 1921. The debt was paid off in 7 years’ time, but the company accumulated debt again over next 6–7 years. Enter the legendary V.Shantaram, who offered Bal Gandharva a six film deal with Prabhat Film Company but the partnership was dissolved after just one film (Dharmatma, Classic film) in which Bal Gandharva was portrayed the role of Sant Eknath. Narayanrao revived his drama company in 1937, and soon formed an infamous association with Gohar Karnataki (also known as Gauhar Jan) who joined the company in April 1938. With Narayanrao increasingly ill at ease in female roles owing to his advancing years, the company was looking for an actress to play female roles.
The story of his rise to fame and his relationship with his mother, his wife, his co-actors and other women are all part of his celebrated life. But what adds to this amazing journey are the performances. Each & every actor has added life to their characters. Kishore kadam, Avinash Narkar, Vibhavri Deshpande & the others have done total justice. The cast is perfect. Now coming to the crew, Music by Kaushal Inamdar is just what a movie like this needed. Though marathi film lovers would have liked ajay-atul, Inamdar has done a good job. My personal favs are ”Chinmaya Sakal Hridaya” & “Parvardigar”. DOP by Mahesh Limaye is outstanding… Take a bow! Costumes by Neeta Lulla are beautiful & each saree makes you go “OOooh, I want this”. The use of colour is perfect. Make up artist (Vikram Gaikwad) is a magician, brilliant work! The producer & art director Nitin Chandrakant Desai (remember his brilliants sets in devdas,black) gets all the brownie points… A. For the lavish expenditure & amazing sets B. For getting a good team together.
Director Ravi Jadhav makes a comeback after Natrang with this movie. Natrang was also about a man donning the role of a woman (nachya). Comparisons were obvious, Natrang was a mega-hit & people were expecting an extravagant treat. The movie is a real treat for good cinema lovers and full marks to Ravi Jadhav for his work as the director. He has done a fab job.
Yes, I have reserved the best for the last! I never followed Subodh Bhave's body of work as a film actor, but he made me sit up & notice him in 'Haapus', where he did a fairly good job. However, Bhave has hit it out of the park with Balgandharva. He literally makes you cry, smile and clap for his classic performance. He had the grace, the “ada”, the charm & everything that an actor needs to portray the role of Balgandharva. Be it the scene where he cries looking at himself in the mirror when realizes he is mourning the loss of his only child on stage or the scene where he gets back home & breaks down… Subodh has proved that he is definitely of the finest actors in the Marathi as well as the Indian film industry today. One of my personal fav from now on… Kudos Subodh!
Overall, This movie has definitely made it to my ALL TIME FAV MOVIES list. Dont ask WHY, Go WATCH!!!!! “Balgandharva”… Thumbs up!
