By : Keyur Seta
With out-of-the-box content and an uncompromising manner of story telling, Marathi cinema has been gaining a lot of appreciation over the last 5-6 years or so. So, obviously, it becomes difficult to choose Top 5 half-yearly and Top 10 yearly films every year.
But 2015 was threatening to be a dry year for Marathi films with a series of patchy films during a period. Thankfully though, it only remained a threat as the films released during the end of the first half of the year made up for the bad period in between.
Here is the list of the Top 5 Marathi films of the first half of 2015:-
5Welcome Zindagi
Director:Umesh Ghadge
Cast: Swapnil Joshi, Amruta Khanvilkar
The film boasts of a content that is not only interesting but also moving. This ensures that half of its battle is won. Of course, the film has its share of minus points that cannot be ignored. But they don’t become much of a bother due to its entertaining nature and the final message, which is to love your life with whatever you have. Swapnil Joshi once again provides a lovable act.
Read the full review HERE.
4Nagrik
Director: Jaypraad Desai
Cast: Sachin Khedekar, Milind Soman, Devika Daftardar, Dilip Prabhavalkar, Rajesh Sharma, Dr Shriram Lagoo
Nagrik shows that a tried and tested subject ceases to be one if treated completely in an out-of-the-box manner. It explores the not-so-novel subject of an honest protagonist pitted against a corrupt system in an unconventionally intense manner. A non-verbal sequence displaying the irony of Mumbai sums up Jaypraad Desai’s uncompromising stamp. Sachin Khedekar’s dedicated act also helps the cause.
Read the full review HERE.
3Lokmanya – Ek Yugpurush
Director: Om Raut
Cast: Subodh Bhave, Chinmay Mandlekar, Sameer Sanjay Vidwans, Priya Bapat
There have been numerous biopics on Indian freedom fighters. Although Lokmanya – Ek Yugpurush is also one, it follows a modern method of storytelling and presentation, making it more appealing to the youth. This is also achieved by the parallel present day track about a journalist. But despite the modernism, the film does complete justice to the late freedom fighter and revolutionary Lokmanya Tilak. It is filled with overwhelming and appealing moments. But the film wouldn’t have achieved such greatness without Subodh Bhave’s excellent performance.
Read the full review HERE.
2Killa
Director: Avinash Arun
Cast: Archit Deodhar, Amruta Subhash, Parth Bhalerao
Ki`lla is a triumphant directorial debut by Avinash Arun; on par with Mahesh Limaye last year in Yellow. It is a co-incidence that both of them are cinematographers-turned-directors. Killa continues Marathi cinema’s stint with rural films about a child or children. But it certainly shouldn’t be labeled as yet another film of the genre. It is a heart-warming, coming-of-age saga that is filled with moments that will touch you deeply, making it one of the top Marathi films of recent years. Its camerawork also deserves special mention for the visual treat is provides. Archit Deodhar and Amruta Subhash excel in their acts but Parth Bhalerao too becomes a scene-stealer with a hilariously skillful act, at such a small age.
Read the full review HERE.
1Court
Director: Chaitanya Tamhane
Cast: Vira Sathidar, Vivek Gomber, Pradeep Joshi, Geetanjali Kulkarni
As per the name, Court is about a court case. But it certainly isn’t like those filmi courts we have been witnessing since decades. In fact, it portrays the working style of Indian courts in a never-seen-before and dedicatedly realistic manner. It proves that an utterly raw and realistic presentation can also be intensely gripping. But this doesn’t mean that the film is a serious affair. It becomes entertaining through some high dose of realistic and dark humor. Its greatness also lies in its undercurrent of irony related to the characters. And like every great film, it has some outstanding performances, especially from the lead actor Vira Sathidar.
Read the full review HERE.
(Note: The top 3 films in the list aren’t much ahead of one another.)
