Reviews

Muramba Review: Refreshing Family Entertainment!

02/06/2017

Review : Muramba (2017)
Producer : Ranjit Gugle, Anish Joag, Nitin Vaidya,Ninad Vaidya
Director : Varun Narvekar
Star Cast : Amey Wagh, Mithila Palkar, Sachin Khedekar , Chinmayee Sumeet
Writer : Varun Narvekar
Music : Hrishikesh, Saurabh, Jasraj
Review By : Abhay Salvi

Rating : 3.5/5

Muramba Marathi Movie Review :

The trailer & the whole promotional strategy of ‘Muramba’ involved all the leading four actors/characters. And the film has so beautifully justified this involvement. It’s not simply a modern day rom-com, but also a modern take on ‘family drama’ in the most fun way. A basic connective conversation is absolutely essential for these two generations two come on the same page. Varun Narvekar, the director of this film presents an interesting view point that maybe our elder generation has skillfully adapted to changed times, but it’s the younger generation who are struggling to strike the right balance to reach out to their elders.

The film’s story happens over the duration of a day & of course the story keeps going back & forth through flashbacks. Aalok (Amey Wagh) & Indu (MIthila Palkar) have ended their 3 year relationship, at a point where both families where involved & the engagement date was about to be decided soon. The first half takes a lot of time that lets us settle into what Aalok is going through. His equations with his mother & father are slowly unveiled. The essence of this calmness can also be related to the overall privileged life that Aalok is living. He belongs to a decent upper class family & his survival isn’t dependent on whether he works or not.

Aalok though has always been a very bright student! An MBA by education, but he hasn’t yet decided upon what exactly is it that he wants to do. On the contrary Indu is a workaholic (though her family background is similar). She works in a travel company & has been considering the thought to shift to Kerala for a year. This & many other little reasons are responsible for the friction that was caused between Aalok & Indu.

So yes there’s a plot, a pretty compact & specific, but the strongest aspect of Muramba is something else. It’s the inter-connected bonds between Aalok & his parents (Sachin Khedekar & Chinmayee Sumeet) & how easily they have assimilated Indu into this family.

Director Varun Narvekar keeps on saying a bit of truth here & there, one that resonates with today’s idea of liberalism & gender equality. Aalok’s inner conflict too can be associated to a similar commentary. But here’s where a flaw occurs. This inner conflict of Aalok lacks a logical explanation. It appears a bit superficial, done for the sake of the ultimate showdown, and left unresolved once the greater point is made.

However, the good part is that the ultimate showdown works beautifully! The performances obviously are also responsible for the overall elevation of the film’s impact on the viewers. Amey Wagh has outdone himself & our idea of how talented he is! He is truly magical! Sachin Khedekar has given one of the most important performances of his whole career!

Mithila Palkar is as natural as a fresh monsoon breeze, and Chinmayee Sumeet’s performance (& the character) is where the heart of Muramba truly lies!

The cinematography, editing, sound design & back ground score complement each other & the rest of the aspects in the film. Especially the cinematography, since the film is compact & was shot at very limited locations. The few songs that are in the film or in the album are truly as fresh & soulful as the film.

Yes the film will break your idea of a “family film” in some situations/scenes. But it’s time we adapt accordingly. Moreover Marathi cinema needs a hit as immediate as possible, & there can’t be a better film than Muramba at this stage which deserves the glory.