Review : Postcard (2014)

• Review : Postcard (2014)
• Director : Gajendra Ahire
• Producers : Smita Vinay Ganu and Prashant Gokhale
• Writer : Gajendra Ahire
• Cast : Girish Kulkarni, Sai Tamhankar, Dilip Prabhavalkar, Kishore Kadam, Vibhavari Deshpande, Radhika Apte, Subodh Bhave
• Music : Gandhaar Sangoram
• Genre : Drama
• Review By : Keyur Seta

Rating : * * *

Review:

A postman is considered a messiah when he brings delightful news. But he also has to bear the brunt of being labeled as inauspicious if the letter consist a tragic update. Ahire’s exploration of such interesting and unusual experiences of a postman in Postcard is not one of his best efforts but definitely worth watching for being visually stunning and heartwarming.

The three experiences of the central character of the postman are presented in three different stories. They are analyzed as under:

1. Ever since the age of 10-12, Bhikaji (Dilip Prabhavalkar) has been working as woodcutting laborer at the same place. Now, in his 80s, he wishes to join his family staying in a nearby village and spend the rest of his days with them. But he is unable to leave as he faces severe exploitation from his boss. Bhikaji develops a bond with the postman (Kulkarni), who reads the good news of his newly born grandson.

This is the best of the three stories simply because of a solid storyline. The happy and sad turn of events and the final emotional twist is enough to win your hearts. But it is Prabhavalkar’s brilliant act that plays a large role in the overall effect. It is incredible to see him carry out such a physical demanding role in this age with ease.

2. The postman is transferred to a scenic hill station. While entering a school to deliver a letter, he is stopped by a soldier Kamble (Kishore Kadam). He hands over a letter to the postman and pleads him to deliver it to her daughter studying in the school. He finally agrees but the task lands him in some mysterious trouble.

What starts as a funny tale turns into something unusually emotional. The intriguing narrative and an unexpected culmination are the strong points here. But it is strange to see some vital questions left unanswered. Also, the postman’s reaction to a shocking revelation is highly surprising. As expected, Kadam provides an aptly moving performance. In a limited screen time, Vibhavari Deshpande leaves behind a solid and memorable impact!

3. The postman’s next destination is a village with some barren land. Here he comes across a young girl Gulzar (Radhika Apte), who is a courtesan. She entertains numerous guests but longs for her lover (Subodh Bhave). She waits for hours for the postman to receive a letter from her beau, who has promised to marry her.

This story is beautifully shot and it also contains an earnest performance from Apte. She deserves to be seen much more. But this part tests your patience after a point of time as there is not much in terms of story development. Hence, it appears dragged most of the times. A surprising step taking by the postman also serves no purpose. Subodh Bhave provides a decent act.

Coming to the technicalities, cinematographer Yogesh Rajguru has presented a visual treat while capturing the beautiful locales, especially the hill station. There is not much scope for music (Gandhaar Sangoram) but the Mujra song featuring Apte is soulful.

Present throughout the film, Girish Kulkarni realistically gets into the skin of the character of a postman and gives a brilliant performance. Sai Tamhankar, as his wife, too plays a part well; she plays a rural character for a change.

Overall :

Postcard deserves a watch for being a realistically amusing tale of a postman. But it will have a tough time at the box office due to a low hype and the fact that three other Marathi films and three Hindi films have released simultaneously.