• Review :   Astu – So Be It
• Producer : Mohan Agashe and Sheelaa Rao
• Directer : Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukhtankar
• StarCast : Mohan Agashe, Iravati Harshe, Milind Soman, Nachiket Purnapatre, Amruta Subhash, Devika Daftardar
• Writer : Sumitra Bhave
• Music : Saket Kanetkar and Dhananjay Kharwandikar
• Genre : Drama
• Review By : Rasik Tirodkar

Rating : * * * *

Astu Marathi Movie Review :

Astu is a deeply moving film with a lot of depth and meaning. And it manages to achieve all this in a rather modest manner, without being showy. In short, it is the kind of quality cinema that you have come to expect from the director duo of Sumitra Bhave-Sunil Sukhtankar.

The film is a lot more than what is apparent just on the surface. At the most obvious level it is about the downward spiral of a patient suffering from the dreadful disease of Alzheimer’s or Dementia and how it affects the people close to him. My own grandfather suffered from this disease, so I can vouch for the fact that portrayal of dementia in the film is researched, sensitive and accurate. Due to their disorientation, Alzheimer’s patients many times get lost. Research says that as high as three out of five such patients are likely to get lost.

Sumitra Bhave’s beautifully written screenplay uses this fact to heighten the drama and then through it explore a lot of themes and questions, giving the film a lot of depth. Bhave’s work on the screenplay here is truly exceptional. It is probably the most layered and nuanced screenplay after Ankhon Dekhi, in the recent past.

Dr. Shastri (Mohan Agashe) is a highly respected Sanskrit scholar living in Pune. An erstwhile Principal of a research institute, he is now afflicted with Alzheimer’s. In the beginning of the film, we see him getting lost in the bustling market of Laxmi Road of Pune, when he is accompanying his daughter (Iravati Harshe) to the market. Dr. Shastri, played by the veteran actor Agashe, gets fascinated by an elephant in the street and consequently gets diverged from his daughter. Astu then goes on to explore various philosophies in the rest of the duration of the film as we see his older daughter Mrs. Ira Pathak’s struggle to find her lost Father, and at the same time Dr. Shastri finding refuge with the family of the mahout of the elephant he is fascinated with.

Astu is enriched with a lot of ideas that force you to think. One of the recurring themes in the film is how we literate minds are quick to think and analyse. We don’t easily accept things. And this attitude isn’t of any help as a caregiver to a patient suffering from a disease with no cure like dementia.The slow deterioration of the mind of a person so close to you seems difficult to believe and accept at first. Ira does the same when her father first starts showing symptoms of the disease. In the beginning, she isn’t ready to accept that her father – a Sanskrit scholar who can, from memory,recite verses from ancient scriptures – can’t remember events that have happened a few days back or even just a few hours ago.This is contrasted with how the illiterate Channamma (AmrutaSubhash) readily accepts the strange old man wandering long out of his home and cannot even seem to remember his own name or address. It doesn’t take her long to realise that the senile old man has actually become like a baby. ‘He has become a God’, she says and takes care of him like her own child. This is most emphasised in that particularly superb scene wherein Channammais singing the most beautiful lullaby and as the camera pans we see her putting to sleep the massive elephant, Channamma’s little daughter and Dr. Shastri, all of whom she treats like her own children. Channammaa is possibly a nomad from the villages at the border of Maharashtra and Karnataka as she speaks a mix of Kannada and Marathi. It is to Amruta Subhash‘s credit that she manages to bring alive the character and create such an impact in a fairly short screen time. Kannada native speakers have also accepted the authenticity of her diction and language. Her costume and make up that includes the tattoos all over her body go to show how much Bhave-Sukhtankar care about detailing in their film.

Another theme that is touched upon in the film is the conflict between emotion and rationale. Ira – the older daughter – thinks more from her heart and cannot get herself to put her father in an asylum that she even visits once to have a look. The younger daughter Rahi, a professor at IIT Bombay, is a staunch rationalist and says that their father wouldn’t have been lost if he was put into such facility. The film is careful to not take sides here and merely presents a set of contrasting ideas that are right in their own way; putting dementia stricken person in an asylum might seem insensitive, but it also ensures that they are given the necessary all-day care that is so crucial andwhich a family would not be able to give due to time and other constraints. IravatiHarshe, as the older daughter who is married and has a girl of her own, is a revelation. I have seen her only acting in ads before and don’t really recollect any significant performance of hers in any other film. But the way she acts out the complex character who is torn between deciding the best for her father or her family, and choosing between her heart and her mind, makes it clear that the deep reserves of her talent were unexploited for long. Her casting may be inspired, but not that of MilindSoman. He suited well in his double role in Bhave-Sukhtankar’s last film Sanhita, but seems miscast here with his awkward Marathi diction. He plays Ira’s husband Dr. Pathak who is a pediatric. It is interesting to observe that Dr. Pathak more readily accepts and understands Ira’s father’s condition and adopts a lot more patient approach;being a doctor dealing with children, patience and acceptance comes more naturally to him.

The elephant that is used in the film also has its own solid reasons. One being Sanskrit scholar Dr. Shastri’s love for Kalidas’s play Meghdhoot which translates to an ‘elephant in the clouds’. Another being the vast reserves of memory that an elephant is supposed to have. A man with fast deteriorating memory wishing to ride an elephant gifted with huge reserves of it, lends the film a poetic touch apart from elevating it with more substance.There is also quite a lot of Vedic wisdom in the film, which thanks to the high quality subtitles (for a change!), I was able to follow.

Astu while dealing with all these themes doesn’t at all feel like a film with heavy doses of philosophy and that is the skill of the directors. The film is rather modest in nature. The empathetic gaze of the filmmakers falls on every frame of the film. They seem to have a lot of faith in humanism. The film is full of poignant moments that touch your heart. Having been a caregiver to my dementia stricken grandfather, i could personally relate a lot to the film and there were quite a few scenes when my eyes would become moist. Mohan Agashe, as expected of him, very skillfully portrays the slow downward spiral of a dementia patient. The relaxed and peaceful demeanor when his memory still hasn’t begun to cheat him; the shock and fear of not recollecting something very obvious when the disease is slowly and unknowingly creeping up on him; and a man totally gone into the hands of dementia – Dr. Agashe’s performance is quite touching and very convincing!

As I have seen my grand father suffering from Alzimer very closely, I can sincerely appreciate the hard work undertaken by the team of directors and the actors to recreate an Alzimerpatients image with the caregivers on a celluoid. 

The film’s unassuming nature might make it difficult to notice the technical excellence, but shooting with an elephant on a very busy street is a mighty challenge in itself which the makers of the film have excelled. The framing of the indoor scenes or the outdoor shots with the elephant, all are well done. The background score lends the film a kind of beautiful tranquility.

Now, i do have a few minor issues with the film. It is a rather poignant moment, when, after being tended to like a child, Dr. Shastri calls Channamma‘aai’ or mother the first time. But when the same idea of Dr. Shastri calling out to Channamma as his mother is repeated towards the end, it came across as a bit emotionally manipulative to me. Also, there doesn’t seem to be much urgency in Ira’s actions the moment she realises that her very ill father has wandered away. It is only after a little while that she becomes tensed. A woman who is usually shown to be so sensitive, would have got worried sick from the moment it dawns upon her that her father has gone missing under her watch. But, like i have mentioned before, these are minor issues that don’t harm the film much.As a whole,Astu is a highly accomplished piece of work.

Overall:

A poignant film, with a lot of depth and meaning, and exceptional performances from Mohan Agashe, IravatiHarshe and Amruta Subhash make Astu the best marathi film to release this year as yet, in my books. Bhave-Sukhtankar meet the high standards they have created for themselves. Must watch!

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Astu has traveled to numerous film festivals in the country and abroad and has also won a lot of acclaim everywhere. It had got a limited release earlier in Pune, but now the film is all set to release on a big scale in the whole of Maharashtra.

Astu is about a Sanskrit scholar named Chakrapanti Shastri. He suffers from Azheimers disease and is disconnected with the world around him. The disease renders him totally dependable on his elder daughter who acts as his caregiver. The film then movingly explores the father-daughter relationship. It stars Dr. Mohan Agashe, Amruta Subhash, Iravati Harshe, Devika Daftardar and Milind Soman among others.

Veteran actor Dr. Mohan Agashe has earned universal praise for his portrayal of a once Sanskrit scholar’s slow descend into the dreadful disease that is Alzheimer’s.AmrutaSubhash has won a National Award for her performance in the film.

Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukhatankar are one of the most respected filmmakers in Maharashtra and have consistently made good films for a couple of decades now. Given that Astu is directed by them, the expectations are reasonably high. The film has been produced by Sheela Rao and Mohan Agashe and is slated to release on July 15th, 2016.

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• Review :   Astu – So Be It
• Producer : Mohan Agashe and Sheelaa Rao
• Directer : Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukhtankar
• StarCast : Mohan Agashe, Iravati Harshe, Milind Soman, Nachiket Purnapatre, Amruta Subhash, Devika Daftardar
• Writer : Sumitra Bhave
• Music : Saket Kanetkar and Dhananjay Kharwandikar
• Genre : Drama
• Review By : Keyur Seta

Rating :

* * * *

Story Outline :

The film revolves around a retired college principal and widower Dr. Shastri aka Appa (Mohan Agashe). He is highly respected for his wisdom and deep knowledge about the Vedas. But lately he has also become known for being handicapped with Alzheimer’s disease, which makes him forget anything, including the names of his own family members.

Appa’s daughter (Iravati Harshe) is married to Dr. Madhav (Milind Soman). Once she takes Appa to his old house. On the way, she leaves him in a car for few minutes as she needs to visit a shop. But in that short duration, Appa goes missing.

Review :

There are innumerable films that speak a lot. But there are very few that say a lot of things without saying anything. Directors Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukhtankar’s Astu – So Be It is one of those rare films. On the surface, it appears as a lost-and-found saga but deep inside it brings to forth many layers that force you to think about it long after you leave the cinema hall.

Astu has Bhave and Sukhtankar’s stamp of uncompromising attitude all over when it comes to the utterly realistic manner in which the film is shot. This helps a lot in creating an intense atmosphere that helps the audience get involved in the proceedings. But of course, it is the watertight script, for most of the duration, which also largely helps its cause. The intelligent manner in which flashback is used deserves special mention.

But the bigger achievement is the message given with regards to the attitude of people from starkly opposite strata of society towards people with a condition like Alzheimer’s. One of the rich layers is also the equation of relationships. The film also manages to say a lot more through some sub-plots, moving images, conversations and conflict between characters. It will account to spoilers if they are listed here.

The only problem with Astu is its duration. The film should have ended much before and shouldn’t have been dragged during the ending moments. Thankfully though, the overwhelming climax won’t let these points bother you much.

There is no scope for songs as such. But a couple of tracks used in the background gel very well with the situations, especially the one in a South Indian language. Milind Jog’s camerawork creatively captures even the simplest of scenes. The idea of using a hand-held camera on a number of occasions adds to the intensity. The editing is fine but there could have been more use of scissors.

It is Mohan Agashe’s act that helps the film to rise at such a level. The veteran actor is simply outstanding in a role that can be hugely challenging for any actor. You just can’t help but applaud when he shows signs of Alzheimer’s and speaks with his expressions. But despite such a towering performance by the main lead, Iravati Harshe manages to super impress with a dedicated act.

Milind Soman plays his part well. There is some issue with his Marathi pronunciation though. Nachiket Purnapatre too is wonderful in a difficult role. Despite arriving in the latter part, Amruta Subhash leaves behind a tremendous impact through her brilliant portrayal of a tribal woman. Ila Bhate and Devika Daftardar too shine in extended cameos.

Overall:

Astu –So Be It is a must watch for the lovers of sensible cinema. It is sad that such a film is unable to get a proper release. Needless to say, it needs some tremendous word-of-mouth from all those who have been fortunate enough to have seen it.

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• Movie : ASTU-SO BE IT
• Produced By : Sheelaa Rao & Dr.Mohan Agashe
• Directed By : Sumitra Bhave & Sunil Sukhtankar
• Star Cast : Dr.Mohan Agashe , Iravati Harshe , Milind Soman , Amruta Subash ,Nachiket Purnapatre , Devika Daftardar & Ila Bhate
• Written By : Sumitra Bhave
• Screenplay By : Sumitra Bhave
• Genre : Family Drama

Plot Outline : Appa – Dr.Chakrapani Shastri,retired director of an oriental research institute is now suffering from dementia. His daughter IRA & her doctor husband Madhav are trying to cope with Appa’s decaying memory. One day Appa disappears. IRA is in panic and trapped in the chain of Appa’s memory. While Appa is living his day moment to moment with a tramp couple Anta & channama & their elephant Laxmi. How would the two parallel tracks meet?

Synopsis : Life is what’s happening to us and around us now. We create the story of our life sometimes playing the victim sometimes playing the guilty ! But life is always somewhere else other than web of stories that we weave. But Perhaps, we all,who are still struggling with the conditioning of our memories have to go through a life changing experience lik temporary loss of a loved one to shake away the grip of our life stories. How can we achieve the state of life “ASTU-SO BE IT”

Awards : Selected for screening at Indian Panorama IFFI 2013,Goa , 19th Kolkatta International Film Festival of India 2013,18th International Film Festivald of Kerala & 2nd International Film Festival of Kerala.

Astu – So Be It Marathi Movie Posters :

Astu – So Be It Marathi Movie Promo/Official Trailer :

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