Tag Archives: Marathi Movie Review

Gammat Jammat (1987)

My Reviews,

The Marathi movie Gammat Jammat (Fun and Frolic) as the name implies is a fun film. Directed by Sachin with a good combination of actors and memorable songs, it leaves its impact on the viewer.

The Plot

There are three main characters who are bound by a common thread = money. Gautam (Sachin) works as a waiter in a permit room. He has a younger brother Suhas (Dhruv Ghanekar) who is physically handicapped. The doctor has assured Gautam that Suhas can be cured completely but the operation will cost Rs 25,000. But money is a problem as Gautam is seeking a higher paying job, so he can get better accommodation and get Suhas operated at the earliest.

One day by coincidence, Gautam meets an old school friend Shrikant Dalvi (Chetan Dalvi). Shrikant is a builder based in Delhi. Shrikant’s bungalow in Mumbai is vacant and he requests Gautam to stay there and take care of the house. Either he or his Dubai based uncle (Sudhir Joshi) will visit him occasionally. Things work out and Gautam’s accommodation problem is solved. Gautam requests Shrikant to help him and his friend Phalgun find good jobs with his contacts and Shrikant promises to do so.

Phalgun Vadke (Ashok Saraf) is Gautam’s friend who hass a nagging wife Ashwini (Charusheela Sabale). He is struggling with his low paying clerical job and constantly chased by debtors. Phalgun is looking for a better job to clear all the debts and live happily with his wife.

Phalgun has to deal with some interesting characters like his boss (Ravindra Berde) and neighbours (played by Manorama Wagle and Suhas Bhalekar). And he has entertaining interactions with them. Gautam informs Phalgun of Shrikant’s assurance regarding the jobs and he is relieved to hear this.

The third character is Kalpana Korde (Varsha Usgaonkar), a rich and apparently spoilt girl, whose only pastime is spending her industrialist father’s money. Kalpana has a couple of standoffs with Gautam when he almost gets hit by her car. Both throw insults at each other.

Its been 6 months without Shrikant’s response. His letter finally arrives but brings bad news. The factories are not operational due to labour problems and the promised jobs could not be arranged. But he will keep trying.

Gautam and Phalgun are desperate. After much deliberation, both arrive at the same conclusion – kidnapping a rich girl or boy and demanding a reasonable ransom to overcome their monetary problems. Their first plan backfires when they go to kidnap a boy called “Gotya” but he turns out to be a young man and boxing champ!

The next attempt is however successful and they kidnap Kalpana and bring her to Shrikant’s bungalow. What follows next are a hilarious sequence of events. They first need to convince Kalpana’s parents (Shrikant Moghe and Ashalata Wabgaonkar) to pay the ransom.

But the biggest hurdle is Kalpana herself. She realises they are not seasoned kidnappers and can have her own way. She offers to cooperate with them if they share a chunk of the ransom money with her. And they need to take care of her royally. Gautam and Phalgun are literally at her mercy and have no option. They are required to attend to her constantly and can leave the house only with her permission.

Shrikant’s uncle visits them for a day. Kalpana impresses him by posing as Gautam’s wife (Gautami). Both are forced to sing a romantic song to maintain the deception of being a newly married couple. Another character is Ganu Pehelwan (Viju Khote), who is searching for the kidnappers on Kalpana’s father’s request.

Meanwhile Phalgun’s wife is desperately waiting for him to return home. She thinks its her nagging nature that has caused him to run away and apparently married someone else. We are treated to an awesome song Ashwini Ye Naa featuring weird but entertaining choreography!

Ultimately, things are sorted out satisfactorily. And yes Gautam and Kalpana fall in love as expected.

The Music

Sachin regulars Shantaram Nandgaonkar (lyricist) and Arun Paudwal (music director) team up to make a memorable contribution. Mee aale, nighale is Varsha’s introduction song, followed by a dance number Me re tujhya sangatin (both by Anuradha Paudwal). Sachin and Anuradha Paudwal sing the romantic duet Choricha mamala, mama hi thambala. And finally the blockbuster duet Ashwini Ye Naa. This was Kishore Kumar’s first Marathi movie playback song and popular till date. It was recently “remade” in Ye Re Ye Re Paisa 2 (2019).

My Thoughts

Sachin is a masterful director and knows how to combine the right ingredients in what quantity. He looks after the little details and creates genuinely comic situations. Ashok Saraf as usual is too good. Varsha is credited as “wonder girl” and acts confidently. It is fun to watch her troubling the kidnappers and enjoying herself.

This was Satish Shah’s first Marathi movie. Other supporting actors including Ravindra Berde, Madhu Apte, Bipin Varti, Suhas Bhalekar and Manorama Wagle are impressive.

Mumbaicha Faujdar (1984)

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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.

Ha Khel Savlyancha (1976)

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Ha Khel Savlyancha (1976) is a Marathi language movie and the title means “Game of Shadows.” I had heard about this movie for many years and finally had the chance to watch it recently. The Marathi movie falls in the thriller/mystery/haunting movie genres which were not explored much in the era when the movie was released. So kudos to Vasant Joglekar, the director for making this attempt. The movie was made under his own banner.

Yes, we have a haunted haveli (mansion), a haunting song, a terrified heroine, a stepmother, a sensible hero, and lots of fun on the menu!

The Plot

Indumati “Indu” (Asha Kale) is a rich heiress but aware of the responsibility brought along by wealth and status. She likes to spend time with the villagers, working in the fields and sharing meals with them. Her widowed step mother played by Lalan Sarang admonishes her but Indu has her answers ready. Diwanji Moropant (Dhumal), a tenured employee is the other major character in the house.

Lalan is worried that Indu has come of age and is now the rightful owner of the property. She will not be able to continue enjoying the financial freedom she has been used to since Indu’s father’s death. Can this be fixed in any way?

It is time to find a suitable match for Indu. Dr Shekhar (Kashinath Ghanekar) comes to visit along with his parents (Ashok Kumar and Sumati Gupte in cameos). Coincidentally, Shekhar has come across Indu earlier in the village. Indu had met him as a simple village girl called “Gomu” (with attire and accent to match!). The impersonation is soon sorted out and the lovebirds Shekhar and Indu agree to get married. 

Meanwhile, Lalan’s brother Ganu (Raja Gosavi) has also come to stay uninvited in his rich relative’s mansion. The unemployed Ganu has been an actor in Marathi musical dramas and keeps reciting dialogues and songs from old musical plays. Indu likes him because of his funny nature and he provides comic relief.

All is well when tragedy strikes. The ghost of a servant who had died, apparently returns to haunt Indu. Time for a flashback.

We come to know that many years back as a child, Indu was stubbornly requesting for fresh coconut water during a rainstorm. One of the servants Narsu agrees to climb the tree in spite of the storm and pick the coconut. He succeeds but loses his life falling off the tree and hitting a stone. This leaves his wife (Sanjivani Bidkar?) crushed. It is believed his ghost resides in the same tree and his wife keeps singing a haunting song “Kaajal raatin” from time to time. To pacify the ghost, the household offers daily bhog (prasad).

In the coming days, Indu keeps seeing Narsu’s apparition in front of her window and gets terrorized. Has the ghost arrived to seek revenge? Somewhere deep down, she blames herself for Narsu’s death. Her condition deteriorates rapidly and things may soon go out of control.

Her mother and diwanji would like to continue with traditional cures (meaning calling an exorcist to exorcise the ghost). On the other hand, Dr Shekhar wants to employ scientific medical methods and cure Indu permanently.

What happens next? Is the ghost exorcised, will Indu ever be normal? or a mental asylum will be the best option for her? And what about Dr Shekhar?

The Music

Sudhir Moghe (lyricist) and Hridaynath Mangeshkar (music director) share the honours.

The film begins with a beautiful song in the rice fields “Aala aala wara” by Asha Bhosle and Anuradha Paudwal.

Gomu sangatin is a catchy song by Hemant Kumar and Asha Bhosle. The only jarring note is Kashinath Ghanekar in a gaudy costume accompanied by weird choreography.

The title song comes later in the movie and is ably used in the context of the scene and condition of the heroine at the time. Mahendra Kapoor sings the song.

And finally the haunting song “Kaajal raatin” (singer: Asha Bhosle). The song comes at regular intervals and achieves its intention – to scare the audience and leaves a lasting impression.

My Thoughts

Firstly, as mentioned this genre was not much explored in Marathi cinema when the movie was released. I am not sure if the movie has been inspired from a Hindi or other language movie. Well known writer Madhusudan Kalelkar and Sumati Gupte (who was also the producer) share the writing credits. Vasant Joglekar’s direction succeeds in keeping the viewer hooked till the end when the suspense gets revealed. The film is taut and engaging. The songs are too good and complement the story.

Asha Kale is widely known for her self-sacrificing sobby roles image in Marathi movies. This movie is a revelation. From the practical, happy go lucky rich heiress to the desperate haunted girl, she is most impressive. She brings out the transition of the character and its vulnerability very well. And she dances well in a couple of songs (she was a trained dancer), something which she rarely gets to do in her other movies.

Dr Kashinath Ghanekar was a superstar on Marathi stage. While the initial scenes seems a bit awkward including the dancing part, he performs effortlessly as the doctor supporting and treating his would be wife.

The supporting cast is good including veterans Dhumal and Madhu Apte. Lalan Sarang is impressive as the stepmother torn between the love for her step child and greed for the estate and comfort. But thankfully she is not shown as an evil stepmother which is the norm in movies. Raja Gosavi offers comic relief and excels as the out of job actor wanting a comfortable life in his sister’s house.

Ashok Kumar and Sumati Gupte offer entertaining cameos. Same for Deven Verma who plays an exorcist Bhoot Papeshwar. Jairam Kulkarni appears in one scene as a tonga driver (tangewala) and this marked his debut in movies.