Court – a multilingual drama directed by Chaitanya Tamhane has been selected as India’s official entry for the Oscars. The film was chosen unanimously by a 16-member jury headed by Amol Palekar. The film be sent for the category: Best Foreign Language film. This is Chaitanya Tamhane’s debut film as a director.

Court has already been a toast of international film festivals in more than 25 countries and has won National awards for the best film in 2015. The film is about an ageing folk singer and his trial in court on charges of abetment of suicide. He is accused of performing an inflammatory song which might have incited the worker to commit the act. As the trial unfolds, the personal lives of the lawyers and the judge involved in the case are observed outside the court. This powerful narrative deals with most debated and sensational topics in a fierce way.

Also Read : Court Movie Review

The film has been produced by Zoo Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. Director of the photography is Mrunal Desai and edited by Rikhav Desai. The film stars Veera Sathidar, Vivek Gomber, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Pradeep Joshi, Usha Bane, Shirish Pawar. The role of a filk singer has been portrayed by Shaheer Sambhaji Bhagat.

We wish best luck for Chaitanya and his team for this Oscar journey.

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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:-

Welcome 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.

Nagrik

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.

Lokmanya – 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.

Killa

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.

Court

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.)

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• Review : Court (2015)
• Produced By : Vivek Gomber
• Director : Chaitanya Tamhane
• Studio : Zoo Entertainment Pvt Ltd production
• StarCast : Vivek Gomber, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Vira Sathidar, Pradeep Joshi, Usha Bane, Shirish Pawar
• Writer : Chaitanya Tamhane
• Music : Sambhaji Bhagat
• Genre : Romantic [Humor]
• Release Date : 17th April 2015
• Duration : 1hr 56 minutes
• Review By : Keyur Seta

Rating: ****

Review:

Courts have had a long relationship with Indian films. But mostly the court proceedings shown in our movie are no way near to reality. It is only since recent times that films like No One Killed Jessica (2011) and Jolly LLB (2013) have depicted court scenes as close to reality as possible.

But director Chaitanya Tamhane’s Marathi movie Court depicts the judicial process with never-seen-before reality. However, at the same time, the film stays far away from being a documentary or docu-drama. It focuses more on the dark humorous side while raising several serious questions about our judiciary procedure and law and order system.

The film revolves around Narayan Kamble (Vira Sathidar), a senior citizen from Mumbai working as a tution teacher. As a passion, he also writes and performs folk songs that depict the sorry tale of laborers and menial workers. Once, while performing, he is arrested for allegedly writing and performing a song that instigated a menial worker to commit suicide. Lawyer Vinay Vora (Vivek Gomber) fights Kamble’s case. Is Kamble Guilty?

Court is not a film in conventional sense. It is an honest presentation of a court case in an actual form. The arguments inside the courtroom, the casual conversations and the everyday, routine scenes appear right out of reality. There is also no background music whatsoever while the camerawork goes with the realistic genre.

However, this doesn’t make for a tedious watch as there is continuous dark humor. In fact, the film proves that you don’t need any melodrama to make court proceedings interesting. As I have witnessed court proceedings, I too agree that the real courtroom scenes have plenty of potential for entertainment, especially if it is Sessions Court, which is the case in the film.

But amidst the humor, the film completely succeeds in its motto of presenting the sorry and, at times, disturbing realities of our judiciary system. It also hints at the removal of Victorian laws that are completely irrelevant in today’s era.

Court has a questionable aspect though. There is too much footage given to the personal lives of both lawyers and the judge. Although these parts are also entertaining and meaningful in a way, few moments appear unnecessary, especially the way the film is dragged in the last few minutes. Thankfully, this point doesn’t lower your satisfaction much.

The performances fully complement the subject. It is difficult to believe that Narayam Kamble is not a real person and is just a fictional character. This is simply because of Vira Sathidar’s excellently realistic performance. Vivek Gomber isn’t behind though. He too perfectly gets into the skin of a Gujarati defense lawyer. Pradeep Joshi, as the judge, and Geetanjali Kulkarni, as the Public Prosecutor, render brilliant acts too. Shirish Pawar shines in a supporting role.

Overall:

Court is a daringly realistic saga that is also high on entertainment. The film has received the National Award for Best Feature Film and a number of other international awards and rightly so. It deserves positive word-of-mouth to make a good impact at the box office.

The post Review : Court (2015) – Real, Raw & Humorous appeared first on MarathiStars.

Court is all set for its theatrical release in Maharashtra, and still getting rave praise at various film festivals. After winning Golden Lotus for Best Film in National Awards, Court became a part of New Directors- New Films Festival in New York. This festival is organized by Museum of Modern Arts (MOMA) and screens only debut directors movies. The festival has previously showcased debut films of Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, Richard Linklactor. Court, director of Court has achieved this prestigious title. Previously Ashim Ahluwalia’s John and Jane was screened in this festival.

Court has already created a record by winning 19 awards in various 30 film festivals. Audience loved this realistic film depicting procedures in court. The festival has organized two shows for Court with 175 seating capacity. However, after estimating the audience response the show was shifted to highest seating capacity.
The film has produced by Zoo Entertainment Pvt Ltd and stars Vivek Gombar, Vira Sathidar, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Pradeep Joshi, Usha Bane, Shirish Pawar. The DoP is Mrunal Desai.

Court is ready for its theatrical release on 17 April in Maharashtra. The film will also be part of South Korea Film Festival, Argentina, San Francisco Film Festival, Istanbul Film Festival.

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• Movie : Court (2015)
• Produced By : Vivek Gomber
• Director : Chaitanya Tamhane
• Studio : Zoo Entertainment Pvt Ltd production
• StarCast : Vivek Gomber, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Vira Sathidar, Pradeep Joshi, Usha Bane, Shirish Pawar
• Writer : Chaitanya Tamhane
• Music : Sambhaji Bhagat
• Production Designer : Pooja Talreja, Somnath Pal
• Art Director : Nilesh Wagh
• Costume Designer : Sachin Lovlekar
• Casting Director : Sachit Puranik
• Sound : Amrit Pritam, Anita Kushwaha
• DOP : Mrunal Desai
• Editor : Rikhav Desai.
• Executive Producer : B.S. Narayanaswamy
• Line Producer : Kishor Sawant
• Genre : Drama
• Release Date : 17th April 2015
• Duration : 1hr 56 minutes

Synopsis : A sewerage worker’s dead body is found inside a manhole in Mumbai. An ageing folk singer is tried in court on charges of abetment of suicide. He is accused of performing an inflammatory song which might have incited the worker to commit the act. As the trial unfolds, the personal lives of the lawyers and the judge involved in the case are observed outside the court.

Awards :

• National Award for Best Feature Film (Swarna Kamal)
• Venice International Film Festival (Orizzonti): Best Film, Lion of the Future – “Luigi De Laurentiis” Venice Award for a Debut Film
• Mumbai Film Festival (International competition): Golden Gateway of India – Best Film, Silver Gateway of India – Best Director, Jury Special Mention for Ensemble Cast
• 51st International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival (International competition) : SİYAD International Feature Film Award
• Vienna International Film Festival : FIPRESCI award
• Hong Kong Asian Film Festival: New Talent award
• Minsk Film Festival Listapad (Youth on the March competition) : Best Film
• Auteur Film Festival (International Competition) : Grand Prix Aleksandar Sasa Petrovic – Best Film, FIPRESCI Prize Serbia Slobodan Novakovic
• Molodist Kyiv International Film Festival (International competition) : Special mention of the jury
• Singapore International Film Festival : Best Film: Asian Feature Film section, Best Director
• 2morrow Festival (Moscow) :Best Script (Chaitanya Tamhane), Best Cinematography (Mrinal Desai)

Court Marathi Movie Poster / Still Photos

Court Marathi Movie Official Trailer

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The month of April will be very busy for Marathi box office as four to six films will be releasing in this month. Right from a very serious drama to funny comedies to romantic sagas, something will be there for every member of audience.

Jitendra Joshi has recently been known for his negative roles will return to silver screen as a romantic hero. Urmila Kanetkar and Jitu will be seen in Kakan as the pair from 1970s era. The film is debut film for actress Kranti Redkar as a director. The film releases on 10 April.

Another film by a debut director which has created lots of buzz even before its release is Coffee aani barach kahi. This is a simple love story narrated in an unusual way. The fresh look of the film, amazing starcast and soulful music has made this film an absolute watch for cinegoers. The film releases on 3 April and stars Prarthana Behere, Vaibhav Tattvavadi, Suyash Tilak, Neha Mahajan, Bhooshan Pradhan.

Prem at first sight, as title suggests is a love story directed and produced by Uday Salkar. The film stars Sumeday Gaikwad, Shweta Pagar. Also, Vishakha Subhedar returns to silver screen in her usual comic avatar in Saasuche swayamvar. Omkar Mane has directed this comic movie and also stars Pushkar Jog, Vijay Chavan, Teja Devkar, Sunil Pal, Jaywant Wadkar and Satish Tare.

Court, one of the most powerful and realistic film also releasing on 17 April in India. Chaitanya Tamhane directed this film has won National award & more than 17 awards in various international film festivals. The film has been praised by critics and hopes to generate enough attention at the box office as well.

“What About Savarkar” is also ready for release on 17th April. This film is about ideologies of Swaantryaveer Savarkar and his ardent follower. The film revolves around how a single youth can create a revolution with the Savarkar’s philosophy. The film is jointly directed by Rupesh Katare and Nitin Gawde..

By Pranali Salunke & Nandini Desai

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Court, a film by Chaitanya Tamhane is gearing up for a theatrical release very soon. The film has already received rave reviews and critical acclaim. The film has also won several awards in various national and international film festivals.

The film is about a ageing folk singer and his trial in court on charges of abetment of suicide. He is accused of performing an inflammatory song which might have incited the worker to commit the act. As the trial unfolds, the personal lives of the lawyers and the judge involved in the case are observed outside the court. This powerful narrative deals with most debated and sensational topics in a fierce way.

The film stars Usha Bane, Vivek Gomber, Pradeep Joshi, Vira Sathidar etc. The music is by Sambhaji Bhagat. This film had bagged three awards at Mumbai film festival including ‘the best film’, in the international section and the director Chaitanya was also adjudged the best director by the jury, besides his film getting a special mention, from the Jury, for selection of the cast of this film.

The post Court (Marathi Movie): Trailer appeared first on MarathiStars.

Chaitanya Tamhane’s debut directorial venture Court has been the toast of the International film festival circuit with winning more than 17 awards. The film will have a theatrical release on April 17 in India. Court has set the record of winning most international awards for any Indian film.

Court was the first Indian film to win Best Film Award in MAMI film festival. The film also won Best Director in the same festival. Apart from that Court has claimed many other prestigious awards in Venice, Vinenna, Hong Kong, Moscow, Antalia, Singaopore, Molodist, Autier, Minsk, Kerala, Pune and Mexico film festivals.

The realistic film depicts the court procedure for a trial of an aging folk singer. He has been charged for an abutment of suicide by his inflammatory songs. The film uses Marathi, Hindi, English and Gujarati dialogues for maximum impact. Though the film does not have any known star-cast, yet it has created a buzz among audience due to its unusual way of story-telling.

The film has been produced by Zoo Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. Director of the photography is Mrunal Desai and edited by Rikhav Desai. The film stars Veera Sathidar, Vivek Gomber, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Pradeep Joshi, Usha Bane, Shirish Pawar. The role of a filk singer has been portrayed by Shaheer Sambhaji Bhagat.
The film releases on 17 April in Maharashtra and some parts of India.

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