Movies depicting marital discord are not new to cinema. We have many of them where one of the partners is forced into the marriage for whatever reason. Mumbaicha Faujdar (meaning Police Officer from Mumbai) is a Marathi movie which deals with this topic on a lighter note. Impressive acting, dialogues, music and direction make this a delightful watch.
The Plot
So who are the lucky couple? We have Shakuntala “Shaku” (Ranjana) a village girl from a well to do family. Shaku is interested in reading mystery stories. Her father is on the lookout for a suitable husband for her with one important condition. The groom has to be a police officer from Mumbai, considering the power and authority it brings with that position. Her uncle (Jairam Kulkarni) brings many proposals from eligible police officers for her consideration. She is enthralled and sings a song Kasa navasan mala milala.
On the other side is Sub Inspector Jaisingh Rao Mohite (Ravindra Mahajani), a capable officer from Mumbai. Jaisingh meets a journalist Madhuri Yadav (Priya Tendulkar) at his lawyer friend Suryakant’s house. She interviews him for her magazine’s article. Jaisingh realises Madhuri is the perfect life partner he is looking for. A modern, fashionable and sophisticated woman who can be his equal. He imagines their happily married life through the song “Sahajeevanat aali hi swapna sundari.”
He requests his friend Suryakant’s wife (Roohi Berde) to take Madhuri to his father’s place and help in arranging the match. She does so.
But duty first. The police commisioner sends Jaisingh and Havaldar Gondhale (Sharad Talwalkar) to Shaku’s village. Apparently a pair of fraud men are active in that area. Coincidentally, the fraud duo meet Shaku’s family posing as an eligible police officer “groom” and his father (oh yes, supposedly from Mumbai). Their plan is to rob Shaku’s jewellery in the pretext of arranging the marriage. But Jaisingh and Gondhale arrive in time to unmask the frauds. Things move fast and Shaku’s father contacts Jaisingh’s father and the marriage gets fixed. Havaldar Gondhale is instrumental in the match making.
All this is unknown to Jaisingh. Due to a miscommunication, Jaisingh assumes his marriage has been fixed with Madhuri. He gets a shock when he sees the wedding invite with Shaku’s name. His father argues Shaku is the perfect daughter in law for their family and a reluctant Jaisingh has no option but to agree with the mismatched union.
Shaku arrives in Mumbai but is an embarrassment for Jaisingh on a daily basis. She doesn’t have the experience of living in a big city and behaves like an uneducated manner-less village girl. Shaku tries to adjust to the police quarters’ routine but often leading to funny consequences. Her intentions are good but not acceptable to her neighbors, particularly the wives of the other police officers. They consider themselves far advanced in comparison to the down to earth Shaku. Jaisingh has to face some well intended taunts in this regard.
Shaku tries to learn the ways of the modern city life, but remains at heart the simple and innocent village girl. She is a good cook and aims to fulfill her duties as a caring wife. She enjoys support from Havaldar Gondhale who is also a father figure for her.
There are a few touching moments in their relationship but Jaisingh is aware his future with Shaku is not the one he had imagined with Madhuri. He is tolerant and tries to “educate” Shaku to the ways of the city but it is not as easy at it seems. The final straw comes in the police officers party. On request, Shaku sings “Marathmola gaana, shambhar numbari sona” describing Maharashtra’s musical traditions. The guests are impressed and join in the song and dance. But at the end of the song, she slaps a senior police officer who tries to get close to her while dancing, leaving everyone shocked.
Jaisingh has had enough. His wife will never be able to leave her rural mindset and adapt to the urban lifestyle. The only solution left is for Shaku to go back to her father’s house. Shaku has no choice but to leave.
Will Shaku be able return to Mumbai and live with her husband happily ever after? The final part of the movie answers the question to a satisfying and entertaining outcome.
The Music
Jagdish Khebudkar has written the lyrics while Vishwanath More is the music director. In addition to the 3 songs mentioned in the review, the song that stands out is the melodious duet “Ha Sagari Kinara.” Set in Shivaranjani and sung by Suresh Wadkar and Anuradha Paudwal, it brings out the emotions of the estranged couple at a key point in the movie.
My Thoughts
Rajdutt (director) and Vasant Sabnis (screenplay and dialogues) need to be mentioned for their contribution. Vasant Sabnis is also the writer of another classic Ashi Hi Banwa Banwi (1988). But the star of the show is Ranjana. Its fun to watch the outspoken rustic character and she looks comfortable without going over the top. She shares great chemistry with Ravindra Mahajani, being his co-star in many movies. Of special mention is the scene where the newly married couple visit the friend Suryakant’s house and Ranjana is at her best to embarrass Ravindra with her antics! Priya Tendulkar, Roohi Berde and Sharad Talwalkar are good in their supporting roles.
Overall Mumbaicha Faujdar is a light hearted entertainer and manages to retain its charm.
Cine Gaurav 