Harishchandrachi Factory : The Nostalgic Experience

Cast: Nandu Madhav, Vibhawari Deshpande

Art Director: Nitin Chandrakant Desai

Director: Paresh Mokashi

"Harishchandrachi Factory" takes you through the nostalgic experience of being in 1913. It also caters to the making of Indian cinema by Dadasaheb Phalke addressed as Dhundiraj Phalke in the movie. It’s truly amazing to know how his obsession gets recognition when the family proudly stands beside him. Genuinely, it was more of teamwork than he alone struggling to prove that motion pictures can be a part of Indian world.

The story is set at the background of the British rule in India and during Bal Gangadhar Tilak’s struggle for Swaraj in Maharashtra. The wonderful use of sets by Nitin Chandrakant Desai brings out that nostalgic feel of moving around in Maharashtra in 1913. The shots of his London visit are simply awesome right from the camera work to the perfect locations depicted in the movie. Great script, excellent dialogue, correct comic timings of the characters is relished very well. The actors Nandu Madhav and Vibhavari Deshpande have done an excellent job. Even the little ones have played their role to the fullest. Director Paresh Mokashi had always been at his best when it comes to historic characters involving comedy like in his play “Mukkam Post Bombilwadi”. The title truly suits the movie in every possible way comparing Mr. Dadasaheb Phalke to Raja Harishchandra and his wife ‘Saraswati’ being compared to ‘Taramati’.

The First part of the movie predicts when and how his curiosity about the moving pictures starts, and how it turns to obsession even after his neighbors criticizing him to be a maniac. They even try to admit him to the mental hospital but then he escapes. Gradually, the obsession becomes more evident when he starts selling the furniture from his home and decides to go London fooling his family that he knows someone in London but actually it’s just a cinema magazine that he has with him. In the scenes in London he directly enters the office and asks the head of the magazine “I want to make a motion picture …Can you help?”. His frankness says all about his passion for making motion pictures. One more amazing thing about the movie is that, the movie grips you to the seat even during the interval and doesn’t let you move off your seat even a bit. You literally wait for the second part to begin soon.

In the latter part of the movie, he is in search of a good team with expressive actors and other side artists like makeup man, carpenter etc. The comical part begins when he searches for the lady characters to work in his movies. At last, the lack of female characters is filled up by the males who are trained to behave like females in their daily routines also. Every character played in the picture behaves manner similar to their role in the picture, May it be female and male, God and demon, or king and queen. He not only hunts actors to work with him but he creates good actors.

"Harishchandrachi Factory" proves you that it can work wonders when your talent and hobby becomes your profession. When I think of this movie, all I could see is a wonderfully supportive wife and two loving sons who had helped a great man to fight against all odds to fulfill his aspirations.

3 idiots: The Idiotic Brilliance

Actors: R. Mahadevan, Aamir Khan, Sharman Joshi, Omi Vaidya, Kareena Kapoor, Mona Singh, Parikshit Sahani and Boman Irani .
Music by: Shantanu Moitra

Director: Rajkumar Hirani

Embellished with brilliant camera work and witty ideas the title 3 Idiots contradicts itself in all sense. The story revolves around the three main characters Farhan (R Mahadevan), Raju (Sharman Joshi) and Ranchoo ( Aamir Khan ) as it appears at the beginning of the movie.

Brilliantly portrayed characters with witty dialogues and rebellious ideas put forth by Ranchoo are those that appeals to the audience; not to ignore the brilliant screenplay the camera panning through the valleys of Shimla. The story moves back and forth with the memories of Ranchoo.

The sad part of the movie is that, being so witty in its nature, it sidelines the plain love stories or friendship tales. The movie takes you towards the serious side of life in very comic manner. The serious details of Raju’s life, although being gruesome are relished gladly because of the light- heartedness of the movie. And yes, the story line includes some real tragic moments but again the wit and comic timings makes them nullified. The Love story of Kareena and Aamir is barely visible. The tricky materialist nature of the so called intelligent boy Chatur (Omi) is ridiculed but it definitely helps to enhance the story. Then, Virus (Boman Irani) adds comedy and practicality to the movie. The first part ends creating a mystery about Aamir’s character. Then, some events and incidents bring them together and the end again adds on to a good laughter. The music is good but the lyrics are awesome.

The story mainly stresses on the individuality and uniqueness of thought. It gives an overall view about education being enthusiasm towards learning rather than running after success. 3 idiots is all about, three brilliant students and their journey towards excellence.

3 idiots is an excellent movie and a must watch for all.

Natarang: Tragedy of an Artist

Cast: Atul Kulkarni, Sonali Kulkarni, Vibhavari Deshpande, and Kishor Kadam

Director: Ravi Jadhav

Dialogues and Lyrics: Guru Thakur

Music: Ajay and Atul

Derived from Anand Yadav’s Marathi novel Natarang, the movie is about a common labourer falling prey to the glory of the Marathi folk art called Tamasha. The film majorly focuses on the tragedy of an artist who stands upright in spite of losing his own identity and family. Someone has rightly said, “The Show must go on.” The saying suits the film in every way. And Apart from that, the film also brings out the brutal realities and the gender politics in an ambitious artist’s life. He who dreams of playing the role of a king falls to the state of being a eunuch but returns back to the world of Art and theatre that never leaves him.

The story starts when Gunavantrao, watching a Laavni (Folk dance form of Maharashtra) and aspires to start his own theatre group. For starting the theatre group, he need a good dancer and then for a Mavshi or Nachya (male performing the female character). The scene in which dresses like a King in the rain leaves an immense tragic impact. Later, He willingly learns the feminine ways of walking and speaking with grace and those expressive ways typically followed by a woman. He is greatly admired as the feminine Guna (Nachya) by the audience but his family including his in laws rejects him saying this brings insult and shame for the family.

Nevertheless, Guna works as Nachya until one fine day he finds out that he has lost his male dignity. He tries to regain it by playing the role of a man but the society does not accept him as a man again. His theatre group also gets some good offers because of him being a feminine Guna. In the process dirty politics, are being played behind him and himself being abused by the some village authorities. He is also kept unaware of his father’s demise because of the sudden offer for the next show. The audience grieves with the character and sympathizes with him. Although, is criticized for his infidelity which cannot be justified.

The movie is blessed with good script, great actors, and simple but straightforward dialogues. The lead actor Atul Kulkarni is at his best and there are no words to describe him in that feminine look. Great Make Up! There is no single scene in the movie, which gives you a larger than life picture; may it be events, incidents or the characters. This provides the movie with a complete human touch. Though the movie is quite tragic, there is never a moment of boredom. The fabulous music of Ajay -Atul and the dazzling Laavnis shown in the movie balances it all. The well-written script, dialogues and fabulous music, and the brilliant actors together with a debut director Ravi Jadhav has been an excellent team.

Overall, the story revolves around Guna who is a simple labourer enamoured by the glory of folk art questioning the norms of society. He can be blamed for being an irresponsible father and a bad husband who is unable to meet the needs of his family. However, the bottom line is that he is admired for being a good actor and for possessing that undefeated spirit to start all over again in the same field with the same enthusiasm.