"A journey to the other side...."

A movie so unique that it defines a genre of its own! Thats my take on the widely acclaimed marathi movie "Uttarayan". The tale of "Durgi" adapted by director Bipin Nadkarni is about a man who meets his childhood love in his twilight years. It is a poignant story of love and affection revolving around the two protagonists- one a widower and the other a woman "Durgi" with a broken marriage. Adding to Durgi's woes are the constant taunts from the society about her character and place in society. The movie begins circa 1960 in Pune where she gets married to a rich barrister who turns out to be a drunkard. Her father-in-law tries to make advances towards her. Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, she braves her way through life.
Enter "Raghu" the widower who now has the sole purpose ensuring that his son's life in firmly ensconced in comfort and happiness. Blessed with a picture perfect happy family, Raghu meets his old friend and that's when the topic of "Durgi" comes up. "Raghu" vividly remembers his fond memories from teenage years, his doting love for the girl and the pain of seeing her married to some one else but himself. He returns to meet her , only to find her in a state of apathy.
Contemporary marathi movies are pioneering a new trend- adapting a story to fit the settings of the bourgeois who are hard working people with a set of values in life. A touch of realism makes these movies more appealing to the average cinema goer. It makes "Uttarayan" easy to identify with, as it is with other marathi movies. This journey to the other side hits a road block once word gets out about a sexagenarian's "Raghu" wanting to marry "Durgi" a woman with a questionable past.
It is the ease with which the narrative takes its course,which captivates the audience. "Dhund Hote.." in both male and female versions, has been a rendition with a lot of poise. The other songs too are good and allows the user to sink in the emotions experienced by the two protagonists in the movie.
Personally, I hope the Marathi movie makers invest more time and energy to come up with such great storylines to take Marathi cinema to new pedestal,of glory and fame.
:)