#Cycle #MarathiFilmMovieReview #FilmCriticJohnsonThomas
Marathi Film Review
Johnson Thomas
A sweetly compelling Drama
Film: Cycle
Cast: Hrishikesh Joshi, Bhalchandra Kadam, Priyadarshan Jadhav, Abhijeet Chavan, Vidyadhar Joshi, Deepti Lele, Pradeep Velankar, Sandesh Kulkarni, Maithili Patwardhan
Director: Prakash Kunte
Rating: * * * 1/2
Runtime: 102 mins
'Cycle', scripted by Aditi Moghe and directed by Prakash Kunte, is a light-hearted family film with a ameliorative message underscoring it’s peculiar drama. The film is set in the 1960s, and traces the story of Keshav (Hrishikesh Joshi), a reputed astrologer who well known for his attachment to his unique yellow coloured cycle - a family treasure that was passed on to him by his great-grandfather who received it as a gift from a foreigner. Keshav lives a honest, content life with his father, wife Jayashree(Deepti Lele) and precocious young daughter Mrummayee(Maithili Patwardhan). But that tranquillity was not meant to last for long. On a night when the family and the entire village gather at the temple, two thieves(Priyadarshan Jadhav and Bhalchandra Kadam) in saffron robes go from house to house and vamoose away with a lot of precious loot, including Keshav’s Cycle. Keshav is distraught, worried that the loss of his lucky charm would cause his family and his reputation grave harm. He therefore sets out in search of the stolen cycle. The thieves on the other hand, have a life changing experience altogether, in their effort to distance themselves from the point of crime. Will Keshav eventually find his cycle?
The story thus far is just a means to put forward the idea that materialism never pays. The love, affection and bonding that one experiences with his fellow human beings should be far more important than the material gifts he possesses. In the process of the film both the protagonist and his antagonists realise the wealth and meaning of human love. And that message comes through with an impassioned allure that is all too vivid and enlightening –thanks to the compelling simplicity of Prakash Kunte’s unembellished narrative craft. The pace is inviting, background score is enabling and the cinematography, invitingly bucolic. The actors do a wonderful job staying within the strictures inherent in the period and befittingly speaking the language of the Konkan region highlighted in the film. Priyadarshan Jadhav and Bhalchandra Kadam play-off each other in Santa-Banta fashion, allowing for several ticklish moments that inevitably lead to laughter. Hrishikesh Joshi’s performance is heartfelt and sincere but it’s Maithili Patwardhan as his precocious and astute young daughter who steals the show from the stalwarts in this adorable picture!
Johnsont307@gmail.com
Marathi Film Review
Johnson Thomas
A sweetly compelling Drama
Film: Cycle
Cast: Hrishikesh Joshi, Bhalchandra Kadam, Priyadarshan Jadhav, Abhijeet Chavan, Vidyadhar Joshi, Deepti Lele, Pradeep Velankar, Sandesh Kulkarni, Maithili Patwardhan
Director: Prakash Kunte
Rating: * * * 1/2
Runtime: 102 mins
'Cycle', scripted by Aditi Moghe and directed by Prakash Kunte, is a light-hearted family film with a ameliorative message underscoring it’s peculiar drama. The film is set in the 1960s, and traces the story of Keshav (Hrishikesh Joshi), a reputed astrologer who well known for his attachment to his unique yellow coloured cycle - a family treasure that was passed on to him by his great-grandfather who received it as a gift from a foreigner. Keshav lives a honest, content life with his father, wife Jayashree(Deepti Lele) and precocious young daughter Mrummayee(Maithili Patwardhan). But that tranquillity was not meant to last for long. On a night when the family and the entire village gather at the temple, two thieves(Priyadarshan Jadhav and Bhalchandra Kadam) in saffron robes go from house to house and vamoose away with a lot of precious loot, including Keshav’s Cycle. Keshav is distraught, worried that the loss of his lucky charm would cause his family and his reputation grave harm. He therefore sets out in search of the stolen cycle. The thieves on the other hand, have a life changing experience altogether, in their effort to distance themselves from the point of crime. Will Keshav eventually find his cycle?
The story thus far is just a means to put forward the idea that materialism never pays. The love, affection and bonding that one experiences with his fellow human beings should be far more important than the material gifts he possesses. In the process of the film both the protagonist and his antagonists realise the wealth and meaning of human love. And that message comes through with an impassioned allure that is all too vivid and enlightening –thanks to the compelling simplicity of Prakash Kunte’s unembellished narrative craft. The pace is inviting, background score is enabling and the cinematography, invitingly bucolic. The actors do a wonderful job staying within the strictures inherent in the period and befittingly speaking the language of the Konkan region highlighted in the film. Priyadarshan Jadhav and Bhalchandra Kadam play-off each other in Santa-Banta fashion, allowing for several ticklish moments that inevitably lead to laughter. Hrishikesh Joshi’s performance is heartfelt and sincere but it’s Maithili Patwardhan as his precocious and astute young daughter who steals the show from the stalwarts in this adorable picture!
Johnsont307@gmail.com
