Many years back I had seen the English movie Blackbeard’s Ghost (1968). The movie was about a pirate “ghost” whose spirit is invoked by the hero and how they team up to take upon the opposition. I realised Chamatkaar (1992) starring Naseeruddin Shah and Shah Rukh Khan was inspired from the same film. And it was the inspiration for the Marathi film Ek Daav Bhutacha (One turn/game of a ghost) too. While the setting and characters are different it succeeds in entertaining the viewers. The movie is produced and directed by Ravi Namade.

The Plot

Dilip Prabhavalkar plays a school teacher Sadashiv Tukaram Deshmukh. It’s his farewell function as he has been transferred to another village called Tagewadi. He is warned by the principal that the village is full of crooked characters and difficult for a new teacher to survive. Several teachers have run away from their jobs.

Sadashiv is a simple and meek man. He does not have a family or relatives. Next day, he starts for Tagewadi.

Sadashiv enters Tagewadi and immediately gets a feel of the things to come. 3 men rough him up when he alights from the bus as part of a prank or “timepass.” He is insulted when he goes to a restaurant for a cup of tea. Even the women don’t behave normally. Left to himself, he finally locates the village school.

The school principal (D M Mirasdar) welcomes him. He is asked to settle down in the old school gymnasium. These will be his living quarters. The principal is overjoyed when he hears Sadashiv is a bachelor and invites him for dinner. There is a reason. The principal has a dim witted daughter Shanta who is trying to clear her matriculation exam. The plan is to introduce Shanta to Sadashiv, and slowly plan their marriage.

The next day Sadashiv visits the house of Radha mausi (Sulochana). Radha along with her daughter Durga (Ranjana) run a small mess. Durga is a fiery character and makes clear the terms and conditions. Sadashiv accepts and hands over the advance payment. His food problem is solved.

It’s Sadashiv’s first day in school. On the way, he sees a temple and participates in a devotional song. This is a random song (Tuch maay baap bandhu), apparently to show that he he sings well and plays the harmonium too.

He enters the class room to meet his students. The students are bratty like the other villagers, all ready to play pranks and trouble him. Predictably, there is a cartoon of the new teacher drawn on the blackboard. Paper missiles are aimed at him as a welcome gesture. But Sadashiv is a shrewd teacher. He is able to get the class under control by finding the pranksters and warning them.

A few weeks pass. Sadashiv gets closer to Radha and Durga. They treat him as a family member after he helps them during Radha’s illness, and when a shady character tries to molest Durga and Sadashiv saves her. Sadashiv and Durga have started taking an interest in each other but both are yet to admit it openly.

Sadashiv settles down in his teacher’s role successfully. The students are under his control and the other teachers wonder how he has managed to do this.

But the crooks in the village will not leave him alone. The village chief (sarpanch) played by Mohan Kothiwan is a dominating character. One day, his son (or nephew) beats a fellow student Shankar and talks rudely to Sadashiv. Sadashiv slaps him and the boy leaves after warning him. Later, the sarpanch’s brother (a wrestler) bursts in Sadashiv’s classroom and threatens him of dire consequences. The sarpanch ensures the other boy Shankar is expelled. Sadashiv is hepless when Shankar’s mother pleads to take him back.

Things take a turn for the worse when the sarpanch invites a dancer Shevanta to perform in the village. When she complains about the accommodation provided, he forcibly evicts Sadashiv from his quarters and assigns them to Shevanta and her troupe. A powerless Sadashiv heads towards an old and abandoned building. He reluctantly settles down for the night.

Sadashiv’s life is about to change. He hears a disturbance and goes to investigate inside the building. He meets a man who introduces himself as Khandoji Farzand (Ashok Saraf). Khandoji was a soldier in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj’s army some 300 years back. In other words, he is a ghost (or spirit). Sadashiv has had enough of the villagers’ pranks. He tells Khandoji that he seems to be an actor from a drama company and leaves the building.

But Khandoji pursues him. He demonstrates a few tricks to prove he is a ghost. Only Sadashiv can see him and he is not going to leave him alone. Sadashiv asks him why he is wandering as a ghost all these years. Khandoji informs him that he had killed the husband of the girl whom he was in love with. She was the daughter of a sardar (commander) whereas he was a common soldier, a servant. The girl went mad after her husband died. Khandoji was repentant about his actions and his spirit has been seeking redemption ever since. He believes he will achieve it if he is able to conduct a good deed by helping someone. Of course, he cannot do this alone and needs someone in this task. Sadashiv accepts his explanation and from thereon they are inseparable and thick as friends.

Khandoji helps Sadashiv to tackle his detractors one by one. And you see some special effects on screen accompanied by some amusing scenes. The ghostly actions scare away the dancer and Sadashiv moves back to his residence. Shankar, the expelled student is reinstated. The sarpanch and his cronies are also dealt with and so on.

Most importantly, Khandoji plays a role in bringing together Sadashiv and Durga. But the sarpanch plans to disrupt their marriage and teach them a lesson.

Will he be successful? Will the lovers unite and what is Khandoji’s future? Will he ever be free?

The Music

The songs are not that well known. Sudhir Moghe is the lyricist, with music by Bhaskar Chandawarkar. Shrikant Pargaonkar sings the devotional song Tuch maay baap bandhu, and the duet with Anuradha Paudwal, Vishawalli asuni bhavti. Anuradha Paudwal renders the romantic solo Mee fasle, whereas Usha Mangeshkar sings the lavani Aho raya mala rang mahalaat thewa.

My Thoughts

The story, screenplay and dialogues are by well known writer D M Mirasdar. He also acts in the movie. The story is good and the dialogues are crispy and witty. Considering other films of the times, the subject is different. Wish there were more entertaining special effects but I think that depends on the movie’s budget. The weak production values are evident. However, the effort is worth a watch.

Dilip Prabhavalkar, Ranjana, Ashok Saraf and Sulochana share the acting honours. Their acting is natural and effective. The chemistry between the leads is convincing though Dilip and Ranjana would be considered an odd lead pair. Dilip and Ashok’s give and take are hilarious, both being such splendid actors. The supporting cast consisting of known names like Mohan Kothiwan, Mohan Joshi, Ram Nagarkar, Shriram Ranade and Raghvendra Kadakol are convincing.