Ashwini Bhave was recently seen in Marathi films Dhyanimani & Manjha. In her second innings she has chosen to work in Marathi films. Her performance was appreciated in both these films.

Recently Ashvini Bhave did a photoshoot and she uploaded one of the photos on social media. She is looking absolutely stunning and gorgeous in that picture. Netizens are totally in love with her picture and are going gaga over it. Ashvini Bhave has proved that age is a just number for her.

Her well-shaped body is flaunting in pictures and which might have made young actress envy of her and everyone is gushed on her timeless beauty. She is worth to be jealous on. This photo has raised questions like – What would be a reason for such photo-shoot? Is she coming with a new movie or something different is about to happen?? So let’s wait and watch.

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• Review : Manjha (2017)
• Producer : Trilok Malhotra, KR Harish
• Director : Jatin Wagle
• Star Cast : Ashvini Bhave – Samidha, Sumedh Mudgalkar, Rohit Phalke, Apoorva Arora, Shivani Tanksale, Mohan Kapur, Denzil Smith
• Writer : Jatin Wagle
• Music : Shail-Pritesh
• Review By : Abhay Salvi

Rating : 3.5/5

Manjha Marathi Movie Review :

The most basic difference between a psychological thriller & a thriller is that in a thriller incidents keep on occurring one after the other, but in a psycho thriller very few incidents actually occur. Most of the incidents are ‘about to’ occur, with a possibility that they might never occur! Another important trait of this genre is the importance of the mental state of the characters. Jatin Wagle directed ‘Manjha’ proudly inhibits these traits & gives a well-polished, well-crafted psychological thriller to Marathi cinema.

The heart of ‘Manjha’ lies with Jaydeep, (Rohit Phalke) an introvert young boy who has just moved to Lonavala with his mother (Ashwini Bhave). Both of them are new in the town & are helped around by a friend (Veena) of Jaydeep’s mother. She also takes up a job (she works under Veeena’s husband) to support herself & her son. Jaydeep is admitted to a new school in Lonavala. He studies in XIth std. Enters Vicky, (Sumedh Mudgalkar) Jaydeep’s classmate, a complete opposite of Jaydeep, a flamboyant lad who befriends Jaydeep almost instantly. The two of them become the best of friends. However there are many odd things that Jaydeep slowly starts noticing about Vicky. Rather, Vicky too wants Jaydeep to know all that. Vicky’s ideas of ‘fear’ & solutions to come out of it, truly shock Jaydeep & the audiences. Is Vicky an outright psycho? Or is it just his age? Many questions keep arising in our minds.

The first half is a terrific build-up for truly shocking things that are about to happen. And that is the best part about this film. It doesn’t keep explaining itself with dialogues. But then the second half slowly dilutes all the ambiguity of it! It becomes more & more one dimensional. Vicky’s character becomes a clear cut negative & Jaydeep’s mother takes charge of his son’s life & this film’s life too. Having said that we are still not complaining! We are definitely eager to see what happens & how does Jaydeep ‘comes-of-age’ through this difficult patch of his life!

Then enters the anti-climax! One that finishes a truly thrilling scene almost abruptly & gives a moral lesson for no particular reason! It’s almost like it’s no longer the same film! All the craftsmanship & the psychological games the first half played get affected by this, to be frank! It appears like, since Jaydeep’s mother is played by a popular actress like Ashwini Bhave, the film has to make use of her & put her above the actual soul of the film. Just because Marathi cinema has never really seen a well crafted psycho thriller, we are trying to forgive the makers for these messed up 5-10 minutes that sum up the otherwise beautiful film!

There are two important reasons for forgiving the makers for the end; Rohit Phalke & Sumedh Mudgalkar! Straight from the decision of casting them for this film to pulling out extremely intricate, soulful performances from these young men ‘Manjha’ hits a home run! Rohit was previously seen working under the assured direction of Ravi Jadhav for ‘BP’, while Sumedh a popular dancing star on T.V. was seen in a small role in Rajesh Mapuskar’s ‘Ventilator’. Both Rohit & Sumedh out-perform themselves when compared to their previous works. Hopefully we can see them doing even better works in the future! Another little flaw is that the makers chose non-Marathi actors in a few important characters like the principal of Jaydeep & Vicky’s school, Veena’s husband & even Veena’s daughter! The problem is that it’s a little displeasing to our ears to listen to their broken Marathi.

The sound, background score, cinematography all of it is top notch & represents the new sophisticated Marathi cinema! Of course minus the anti-climax!

Overall:

There are huge releases in other languages, but ‘Manjha’ deserves to be seen by all true lovers of Marathi Cinema.

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Manjha Upcoming Marathi Movie starring Ashwini Bhave, Sumedh Mudgalkar, Rohit Phalke. Directed by Jatin Wagle.

• Movie : Manjha (2017)
• Producer : Trilok Malhotra, KR Harish (India Stories)
• Director : Jatin Wagle
• Studio : India Stories Media and Entertainment Private Limited
• Star Cast :
  • Ashvini Bhave – Samidha
  • Sumedh Mudgalkar – Vicky
  • Rohit Phalke – Jaydeep
  • Apoorva Arora – Maya
  • Shivani Tanksale – Ashvini Bhave’s friend Veena
  • Mohan Kapur – Ashvini Bhave’s friend Saurabh
  • Denzil Smith – School Principle Mr. Smith 
• Story & Screenplay : Jatin Wagle
• Dialogues : Upendra Sidhaye
• Lyrics:  Mangesh Kangane
• Music Composers : Shail-Pritesh
• Original Background Score : Anurag Saikia
• Sound Designer : Baylon Fonseca
• Cinematography (DOP) : Fasahat Khan
• Editor: Charu Shree Roy 
• Action Director : Pradyumna Kumar Swain (PK)
• Re-Recording Mixer : Alok De (Fiesta)
• Production Designer : Priten Patil  
• Choreographer : Longinus Fernandes 
• Costume Designer : Nakshatra Dewadikar
• Make- Up : Pradeep Pemgirikar
• D.I & VFX : Prime Focus Ltd
• D.I Colouris :Nilesh Sawant
• Visual Promotions : Roop
• VFX Superviso : Susheel Peris
• Publicity Designer : Chaitanya Sant (Mantra SDS)
• Associate Director : Omkar Joshi
• Head – Post Production : Sharang Pange
• Executive Producer : Surendra Pratap Singh / Umang Agarwal
• Production Manager : Dinesh Yadav
• Genre : Drama
• Release Date : 21st April, 2017

Synopsis : A working mother with a teenage son shifts to a new town to escape her abusive husband and to begin a new life, but when she finds that her son is being forced to be party to a violent crime by his psychotic class friend, she has to decide if she is going to run away again or fight her deepest fears and stand up for herself.

Manjha Marathi Movie First Look Poster

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Nittin Keni, the visionary maverick of Marathi cinema, who has a keen sense of cinema for the masses and the classes, today presented Manjha, the psychological thriller directed by Jatin Wagle.

The film appears to be a psychological thriller between a psychotic teenager, (played by ‘Dance India Dance’ fame Sumedh Mudgalkar) and an introvert boy, (played by Rohit Phalke of ‘BalakPalak’ fame), undergoing psychological therapy. There seems to be a cat and mouse game because it is not clear which of the boys are saying the truth about a heinous crime being planned. Behind the introvert boy, as his pillar of strength against his psycho friend, is his strong mother played by Ashvini Bhave.

Ashwini Bhave has a complex role of not only single handedly bringing up a disturbed and introverted son but also coping with her own seeming vulnerabilities as a single mother. Rising above these challenges, she is seen as defending her son against the whole world – her love for her son being the strong basis for her conviction of his truthfulness.

An India Stories Production, ‘Manjha’ is the first Marathi film Produced by Producers Trilok Malhotra and KR Harish. The film is presented by MFDC, a venture helmed by Nittin Keni and Manish Vasisht, and is slated for a global release on 21st July, 2017.

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Manjha is a film that speaks about sensitive but essential subjects. Right in the adolescence, a person is more impressionable by the people he/she meets or develops a friendship with. Right from the posters & teasers ‘Manjha’ seemed to put light on this topic.

Now the trailer suggests that apart from this subject, the film is even more complex. The trailer truly pulls us by the gut. Sumedh Mudgalkar a popular dancer & previously seen playing a small role in ‘Ventilator’ looks terrific in this trailer. And the lead of this film ‘BP’ fame Rohit Phalke looks perfectly suited for his character. Ashwini Bhave plays Rohit’s mother in this film & has an important part in this story.

‘Manjha’ looks to be a psychological thriller. We don’t often see this style of filmmaking in a story that deals with young teenage characters. The maturity of the filmmaker is definitely evident in this trailer. All audience should definitely give this unique experiment a chance!

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The first motion teaser of upcoming Marathi film ‘Manjha’ was recently released on social media. Like its teaser poster earlier that created waves on the internet, the motion poster has upped the momentum to intrigue and amplify the curiosity of film goers.

What is most interesting about the motion teaser is the mysterious whistle accompanying the poster as it reveals itself in a most dramatic manner. And when one reads the tag line “Reshmacha dhagyala samvadachi dhaar” it appears to cue a thriller riding on the communication gap between parents and children.

Ashvini Bhave has heightened her fans’ curiosity with her very sublime expression which is an interesting mixture of concern and helplessness. Contrasting her expression is that of the two boys in the background – ‘Balak Palak’ fame Rohit Phalke and ‘Dance India Dance’ fame Sumedh Mudgalkar. And with Jatin Wagle at the helm, as the director, this one looks like a sure winner.

An India Stories Production, ‘Manjha’ is the first Marathi venture movie by producers Trilok Malhotra and KR Harish. Along with the motion poster the release date of the film has also been announced.

Manjha is going to be released globally on 21st of July, and is being presented by MFDC, a company focused on Marathi Film Distribution and Production. MFDC is promoted by Nittin Keni, with Manish Vasisht as co-promoter.

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• Review : Dhyanimani (2017)
• Producer : Aniruddha Deshpande & Medha Manjrekar
• Director : Chandrakant Kulkarni
• Star Cast : Mahesh Manjrekar, Ashvini Bhave, Abhijeet Khandekar, Mrunmayee Deshpande
• Writer : Prashant Dalvi
• Music : Ajit Parab
• Review By : Abhay Salvi

Rating : 2.5/5

Dhyanimani Marathi Movie Review :

In the 70s & 80s Marathi theatre scene flourished like never before or after. Vijay Tendulkar was the pioneer of this change. The commercial stage did exist (before 70s) just as merrily as it has been throughout, but Tendulkar & a few others brought realism & experimental theatre in the mainstream specifically in that era. Some of these playwrights functioned till the 90s but most of them didn’t. The golden era diminished more sooner than expected. But then entered Prashant Dalvi in the early 90s, Dalvi was probably the most important playwright of the 90s who announced himself both on the commercial & experimental theatre scene. ‘Dhyanimani’ directed by Chandrakant Kulkarni was one such play of Dalvi. One of his most successful commercial play, a play that was readily accepted by the conventional audiences too.

So when today the film is being promoted as strictly for “serious” audiences it makes us curious. To put it this way, this film would still appeal more impactfully to the conventional Marathi audiences then specifically “serious” audiences. Today in the Internet era the serious audiences are getting exposed to cinema of all kind from all over the globe. An eyebrow raising “bold” moment in a film might no longer be the shock element. A serious audience demands more unique cinematic discoveries rather than just an impactful story. Rather the treatment is the king today more excitingly than the story. Dhyanimani doesn’t really succeed in providing us that!  

But thanks to the original soul infused by Prashant Dalvi ‘Dhyanimani’ is a decent watch. The performances too by Mahesh Manjrekar & Ashwini Bhave are good enough to make the film compelling. The story is simple; a middle aged couple, not blessed with a child, figure out other ways to live a happily married & complete life. The first half introduces us to the suspenceful other ways. The film expects us to really be shocked by it, needlessly by using loud suspenseful background music. 

Throughout the promotions the ‘Dhyanimani’ team has been stressing that it’s difficult to categorize this film to a specific genre. It’s true in one way because just after the interval comes a moment where we are pleasantly in an awkward “what now?” mind space. Sadly the happenings that follow aren’t strong enough to really give us that mental stimulation. Having said that for theatre lovers ‘Dhyanimani’ can just be the right film, while some of them would argue that this should have stayed a play. 

Prashant Dalvi’s three important plays; ‘Chahool’, ‘Charchoughi’ & of course ‘Dhyanimani’ belonged to the changing times of urban India. They do have subtle remarks on our societal incompetence to match up with these changes. In a play, many of these subtle remarks can be given away symbolically but in a film they needed a different treatment. We all know how ‘personal’ can transform into ‘universal’ if it connects with the audience. Unfortunately the personal trauma that this middle aged couple are going through couldn’t be transformed into universal.

The climax of this film is a major error. Trying to make ‘sense’ out of it on moral grounds is a real test of our interpretative & analytical skills. Even after investing that much effort do we come up with an acceptable justification? Not really. Though Chandrakant Kulkarni is a true-hearted director, he could have worked harder on the visual appeal of the film. Mahesh Manjrekar has given us a few intense moments but in some scenes he is unintentionally funny. And well Ashwini Bhave has essayed her most challenging role that we are aware of. She is decent but not quite haunting as her character wanted her to be.

Overall:

Serious or not if you belong to a group of audiences who love a bit melodramatic suspenseful Marathi entertainment. And yes if you’re not expecting a song & dance film, you should definitely go for ‘Dhyanimani’!

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On the occasion of an upcoming release ‘Dhyanimani’ we got the opportunity to ask one of India’s boldest filmmaker & a free spirited soul Mahesh Manjrekar a few questions regarding acting, directing & everything in between!

What drives you to choose a project as an actor/producer?

Well to talk about this (Dhyanimani) subject specifically, I actually wanted to direct it. Even while producing this play (in 1993) I thought of it as a film. So when I entered the film line I always wanted to make this film & I also wrote the screenplay for it. I decided at some point I’ll ask Chandu (Chandrakant Kulkarni) & Prashant (Dalvi) about it. But then they said, they’ve written the screenplay & they want to do it themselves. I said fine. Anyhow, I wanted this film to be made. The subject itself is so off-beat that it’s difficult to categorize it in a specific genre. In a way it’s a thriller, a suspense film & has an emotional impact but beyond that it has its own USP, a shock element to it.

From ‘Kshitij’ A Doordarshan serial to ‘Rege’ many of your roles have become immortal. How would you specify your approach to acting? Are you a method actor?

When I did ‘Kshitij’ the stigma of ‘Leprosy’ was huge. One spot of Leprosy could destroy a man’s life. Actually, one type of Leprosy was curable (the other type wasn’t). But otherwise too it wasn’t infectious. That was a very important serial in my life, I was also the writer of it. I was extremely proud of it & I felt it was ahead of its time.

Even your performance in ‘Kaante’ was ahead of its time.

In case of ‘Kaante’ all others were heroes & I got to play a guy who’s a drug peddler. So I did my homework. I asked the director if he’s using sync sound. So when he said yes. I decided to use the ‘stammer’ & the director agreed. I still feel that everyone performed really well but I stood out because of my ‘stammer’. I did it because I felt that suited the madness of that character.

This role (in Dhyanimani) seems to be a difficult role to play, emotionally. Does it affect you personally?

I never take my role home. I am not a “Method Actor”. I don’t have that much patience. When the director says ‘Action’ I am into the role & the moment he says ‘Cut’ I am out of it!

Many Marathi plays are being adapted for the screen. What about other Marathi literature?

Look, there’s a reason to it. It’s a simple human psychology. In case of other literature one needs to read & create the images on his own. A filmmaker is subconsciously lured by plays because he’s already seen it. Now ‘Kakpsarsh’ was based on a work of literature. But for that Girish Joshi worked hard on it & gave it a visual form which helped me as a director.

So do we need more professional screenwriters?

I feel we have very few good screenwriters. Every day I get phone calls that they’ve written Oscar-winning scripts! If you read them they are pathetic, but in their own mind, it’s a masterpiece. Film line is the most abused line. If you can’t do anything in your life, you decide to be a director! All these so called writers & directors are in plenty today, whereas a good writer has no value. I think the most well-paid profession should be of writers.

You’ve implied a bold “Baghu Naka” marketing strategy for Dhyanimani. This should inspire others.

I don’t know about others. But I’ll tell you why I did this. See I am also doing another song & dance film. So I would readily invite the audience who likes that kind of cinema. In that case, if you’re expecting something thought provoking you should avoid it. I trust the audience. If you give anything good it has its own audience. There’s a song & dance audience & there’s serious film’s audience. But when the song & dance film lovers come to watch a serious film, they ridicule it. This results in negative word of mouth which is unfair to the film. These audiences might even distract (the popcorn & stuff) the serious film watchers watching the film.

What is your equation working with Chandu Sir (Chandrakant Kulkarni)? Does the director in you come in between your work as an actor?

Never, but I can discuss with Chandu since he has done theater. In other cases, I prefer the ‘supply according to demand’ philosophy. I am being paid to do exactly what the director wants me to do. I never think too much of it. But with Chandu it’s a different scenario. I share my vision with him. There’s scope for discussion & we come to common grounds. However the last word will always belong to Chandrakant Kulkarni. Actually if we observe there’s no other director around who works with his actors so wonderfully.

Nana Patekar said in an interview that he wants to play ‘Sakharam Binder’ in a film directed by you. What are your thoughts?

I said this to Nana that actually I am not convinced about it. Nothing against ‘Sakharam Binder’, it’s definitely a milestone play written by Vijay Tendulkar. The problem is I can’t see Nana as ‘Sakharam Binder’. I don’t doubt his acting skills, we all know he can absolutely smash it as an actor. The problem is his godly image in the hearts of the people. With his recent works as ‘Dr. Prakash Amte’, ‘Natsamrat’ & his actual work for ‘NAM Foundation’ he has reached an iconic status. His image will affect the film. I don’t think the audiences would like Nana playing a womanizer. They respect him a lot. However, I would definitely want to work on a different film with Nana. As a director, I am obviously greedy to work with a great actor like Nana Patekar again. That film has to be eye popping but it shouldn’t be something in which people won’t accept Nana in.

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Dhyanimani, a film starring Ashwini Bhave in the lead role will be releasing on 10 February. The film has started an innovative marketing campaign where celebrities are requesting the audience to not to watch the film. This is a new strategy by the makers of the film as it creates an anticipation and curiosity about the film.

The celebrities like Amitabh Bacchan and Salman Khan have already tweeted urging audience not to watch Dhyani mani. Marathi film industry actors like Jitendra Joshi, Subodh Bhave, Priya Bapat, Pushkar Shroitri Sachin Khedekar, Bhau Kadam, Amruta Khanvilkar, Sanjay Jadhav, Sandeep Pathak, Anand Ingle, Sanskruti Balgude, Vaidehe Parshurami, Pooja Sawant and Akash Thosar have published a video saying to watch this film. Such negative publicity will help to create awareness of the film and will make audience to know more about the film, said the publicity experts. Here are these videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Vk2otqHOI
The film is produced by Mahesh Majrekar and directed by Chandrakant Kulkarni. The film stars Ashwini BHave, Mahesh Manjrekar, Abhijeet Khandekar and Mrunmayee Deshpande.

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On the occasion of Makar Sankranti the teaser poster of “Manjha” has been released digitally. The film will hit the theatres on the 21st April 2017.Ashvini Bhave has heightened her fans’ curiosity after releasing the first teaser poster of her upcoming film ‘Manjha’.

The further combination of ‘Balak Palak’ fame Rohit Phalke and ‘Dance India Dance’ fame Sumedh Mudgalkar has made it even more intriguing! And with Director Jatin Wagle at the helm, this one looks like a winner. An India Stories Production, ‘Manjha’ is the first Marathi venture movie produced by Hindi film producers Trilok Malhotra & KR Harish.

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