• Review :  Half Ticket (2016)
• Producer : Nanu Jaisinghani, Suresh Jaisinghani, Mohit Jaisinghani
• Directer : Samit Kakkad
• StarCast : Shubham More, Vinayak Potdar, Priyanka Bose, Usha Naik, Bhau Kadam, Jaywant Wadkar, Kailash Waghmare, Shashank Shinde, Shrikant Yadav, Nitin Bhodhare, Anuya Baiche, Santosh Kanekar
• Writer : Dnyanesh Zoting
• Music : G.V Prakash Kumar
• Genre : Drama
• Review By : Rasik Tirodkar

Rating : 3.5/5

Half Ticket Marathi Movie Review :

Right since when it was announced that Marathi filmHalf Ticket is going to be a remake of the Tamil film Kakka Muttai, my hopes were raised. Kakka Muttai has a very heart-warming story that has a universalappeal. But given how often remakes completely missthe mark, i was also a bit apprehensive. But be rest assured, director Samit Kakkad’s Half Ticket is that rare remake that has retained the soul of its original Kakka Muttai.

With Kakka Muttai having such a well-written screenplay, Half Ticket team’s job was cut out. They haven’t tampered with the screenlay much, but have tried their best to bring it up faithfully on screen and this approach is a winner. Now, it is certainly easier said than done, to shoot a screenplay. But Samit Kakkad and his team seems to have gone about their job meticulously. First they have got the casting right. The two children are the heart and soul of the film and it was probably most crucial to get their casting right. Not only the two share a fantastic chemistry but charm you with their performances. The two child actors here are natural and you wouldn’t think anybody else would have portrayed the role as well as these two have. And the apt casting doesn’t just end there. The casting team has made sure that every character gets an actor that suits the role to the Right from the two child protagonist’s Mother and Grandmother to the local hoodlums who become part of the narrative, you couldn’t fault with the performance of any actor. Now, how often can you say this about a Marathi film?

Mumbai as the city to set the story of two kids from the slums is another factor that works for Half Ticket. In a city where most its population lives in the slums, it is not difficult to get convinced about a pair of underpriviledged boys aspiringto eat in a pizza outlet that has opened near their neighbourhood. Half Ticket then goes through lots of twists and turns as the two boys, who usually get their proteins from eating an egg of a crow (and hence have both got the nicknames Chota Kawalyacha Anda and Motha Kawlyacha Anda), are firm about eating a pizza from the outlet, but cannot seem to scale the apparent class divide.

G.V. Prakash’s charming music has been entirely retained here. If there is one aspect Half Ticket beats the original, it has to be the way the songs have been shot. Sanjay Memane’s camera captures the world of the two kids with a lot of finesse and finds beauty even in the most mundane of their activites. The location scouting also deserves a mention as there are a number of shots interspersed throught out the film that underline the apparent class divide just through their locations.

Half Ticket works best when it is focused on the two of its child protagonists. You do get a little restless when the film gets involved in the local politics and the world of news channels. But this is a rather minor issue i had with the film that hardly affects the overall impact of the film.

Overall:

Half Ticket is directed with an assured hand by Samit Kakkad, and is a remake that remains faithful to the original. It has a lot of soul and charm that will win the hearts of the classes and masses alike!

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Half Ticket directed by Samit Kakkad has to be the most looked forward to film, this week. Its premise is certainly interesting, but there quite a few other reasons that are making people eager to watch this film. Here are the a few :-

Actors
Bhau Kadam has become a star. His performances in the exceedingly popular TV show Chala Hawa Yeu Dya has made him the favourite comic actor of every household in Maharashtra. He seems to have the first decent role in a film in Half Ticket. There is no doubt that his fans won’t miss the film. The two kids who were selected after audition of hundreds of others seem to be natural from the promos. So, the acting is indeed something to look forward to in the trailer.

Camerawork
Sanjay Memane’s camerawork seems just splendid from the trailer. Each and every frame leaves you awed. The visuals are the crucial part of any film and here they promise to be even better than the original.

Setting
Mumbai certainly seems like a place more suited for the story about slum kids. More importantly the city seems to be like a character from the promos. The locations on which the film seems to be shot are unusual, but captivating. And the camerawork, as mentioned earlier, is exceptional

Music
GV Prakash’s music for the Tamil film was one of the highlights of the film. The pleasant soundtrack with child-like enthusiasm has been retained for the film and the Marathi lyrics have been penned by Kshitij Patwardhan. The songs have already become popular and the lyrics are on the tip of everyone’s tongue.

Success of the original
KakkaMuttai was easily one of the best films of last year from the whole of India. The story was charming and told with a lot of heart. If the soul of the film is maintained in the marathi remake as well, I see no reason why Half Ticket would be equally or even more popular.

– Rasik Tirodkar

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Half Ticket – a film about two brothers struggle to pursue a simple dream releases this weekend. Marathistars.com spoke with Samit Kakkad – the director behind this beautiful film.

Samit started his career as an editor for TV shows, and then he started editing films and then became a director. He is son of the documentary and ad-film maker Amar Kakkad and considers his father as a guru in cinema. Passionate about making good cinema, Samit has give us a hit like Aayna Ka Bayna in the past. Half Ticket stars Shubham More, Vinayak Potdar, Priyanka Bose, Usha Naik, Bhau Kadam, Jaywant Wadkar, Kailash Waghmare, Shashank Shinde, Shrikant Yadav in the lead roles.

Half Ticket has child actors in lead roles. How was your experience of working with these child actors?

It was very interesting and refreshing. The kids have no inhibitions, no tantrums and they are very genuine,. They grasp things faster and can understand the character very well. Most importantly, they can be molded in your desired shape. Whenever any shot happens they give a very natural reaction from their heart because they don’t think too much about other things. Such natural performance look wonderful on the screen and it is better than anybody who has rehearsed.

Your first film Aayna Ka Bayna was a superhit and appreciated by critics. The second film will be a remake of a Tamil film. Why you decided to direct a remake?

When the producers came to me and said they want to make this film in Marathi, I was gld. I had already seen the original Tamil film.  While watching the film itself I thought this film should be told in many languages because it is such a universal film. More so, it becomes very apt if the story is placed in Mumbai because it is a story of slum kids.  Mumbai is a city where more than 60% population lives in the slum. The film focuses not on the negativity and hardships of the slum but the positivity of the human relationship and conquering the divide of rich and poor. The best way to tell this story from Mumbai would have been in Marathi. Once the discussions with the producers started everything just fell in place, it was not pre-decided that I will direct a remake, but I wanted to make a good film.

Did you made any changes in the original film for this remake?

I have not played with the soul of this film. Whenever you are making a remake the soul of the original has to be intact. But yes, as the setup was in Mumbai some things were changed. Mumbai is a different city, it is more energetic and it has a very cosmopolitan feel. Also, as we were making this film in Marathi we had to change some context and dialogues. However, we made it sure that soul of the original film would not get hurt due to such changes.

I made another huge change in this film as I used Mumbai not just as a location but more as a character. Along with other characters like these two boys, mother and grandmother, the city also plays a major role in this movie. Taking this decision and making it work in a reverse manner works for the betterment of the film.

Mumbai definitely looks different in the promos and teasers.

People say that they are looking at different Mumbai in the promos, but I want to state that this is the same Mumbai. People don’t have time to revisit this amazing Old Mumbai. I chose all thse location for shooting because they are part of my growing up. I was born in Matunga and did my schooling at Don Basco.   I spent my childhood in areas like Dharavi, Koyla Bunder and Darukhana. I also went back to my roots, because my grandfather was born into the slums of Darukhana. All these locations have been an integral part of me. I still have many friends in this area and I meet them. Shooting in this area was revisiting my childhood.

Half Ticket has been getting good vibes from the audience. Many Marathi entertainment industry persons have praised the film through their social media platforms.

It feels really good when your colleagues praise your film. Our industry has always been like a family. Most of them are my friends. Everybody wants to promote a good and solid film. It is all about the sharing an equation. That helps us to grow together as an industry.

What will be your next project?

Next film is going to be an action thriller and it will go on the floors by September and it is titled Ek Number. It is produced by Vivek Kajaria who has produced Fandry. The starcast for this film has not been finalized but I will concentrate on it after release of Half Ticket.

Your first film Aayna Ka Bayna was dubbed for a national television. Do you think this trend will get more revenue for Marathi cinema?

Absolutely! There are always different ways to earn the money but more importantly film should reach more people. We have good content, but if it does not reaches people then it is a wasted opportunity. Nowadays our audience is more evolves and they don’t stick to their language or region to watch good films. If the film is good then it becomes global and universal. Film has not language. Many people from different background can enjoy your film if it has good content.

Thanks Samit for speaking with us. We wish all the best for your release.

Interview By – Nandini Desai

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Shubham More, who will be seen in Samit Kakkad’s Half Ticket is pretty excited about his release. The child actor will also be seen in much awaited “Raees” where he will play role of a younger Shah Rukh Khan. Shubham said, “This was a golden opportunity for me. Everybody on the set appreciated my work. Even SRK sir came to the set to meet me.”

Watch : Half Ticket Trailer

Shubham’s Half Ticket is one of the most talked movies of 2016 where he will be playing a lead role. The film is releasing on 22 July all over Maharashtra.

The post Shubham More from Half Ticket to star in Raees appeared first on MarathiStars.

If there is one aspect that is holding Marathi cinema behind, it has to be the marketing. So many times films come and go and people haven’t even heard of them. And this hurts more when the film in question is actually worth a watch. There are many who believe that the government should start subsidy for marketing of films and not for production that it gives now. But poor marketing definitely doesn’t seem to be a case that the upcoming film Half Ticket finds itself in.

Watch : Half Ticket Trailer

The marketing team of the film produced by Video Palace and distributed by Foxstar Studios, has come up with an innovative way to market their film. They have tied up with Vasaya Foods that are makers of Fryums and have had no less than 10 lakh packets exclusive Half Ticket wafers packets launched for the film. These packets will have the poster of Half Ticket on them. The strategy also helps targeting the youth and children who are majorly the consumers of Fryum all over Maharashtra.

Here’s hoping other makers of Marathi film take inspiration from the Half Ticket team and come up with such out-of-the-box idea for promotions.

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• Movie : Half Ticket (2016) | हाफ तिकीट
• Producers : Nanu Jaisinghani, Suresh Jaisinghani, Mohit Jaisinghani
• Director : Samit Kakkad
• Studio : Video Palace
• StarCast :
  • Shubham More as Elder son
  • Vinayak Potdar as Younger son
  • Priyanka Bose Kamat as Mother
  • Usha Naik as Grandmother
  • Bhau Kadam as Tutti frutti
  • Jaywant Wadkar
  • Kailash Waghmare
  • Shashank Shinde
  • Shrikant Yadav
  •  Nitin Bhodhare
  • Anuya Baiche
  • Santosh Kanekar
• Story : M. Manikandan
• Writer: Dnyanesh Zoting
• Lyrics : Kshitij Patwardhan
• Music: G.V Prakash Kumar
• Art Director : Vasu Patil
• DOP : Sanjay Memane
• Editor : Faisal-Imran
• Sound Design : Anmol Bhave
• Make Up: Santosh Gayke
• Costumes : Sachin Lovalekar
• Line Producers : Anand Gaikwad, Rahul Tulaskar
• Executive Producers : Milind Shingte, Tanmayee Deo
• Genre : Drama
• Release Date : 15^th July, 2016

Plot : A story of the ‘Have Nots’ struggling to survive in a world of ‘Haves’. Half Ticket is upcoming Marathi film directed by Samit Kakkad and produced by Video Palace. The film is the story of two slum boy brothers and their absolute focus to get what they cannot dare dream of. It is an official remake of the Award Winning Tamil film Kaaka Muttai Produced by Dhanush.

Half Ticket Marathi Movie Poster/ Still Photos :

Half Ticket Marathi Movie First look Teaser :

The post Half Ticket (2016) – Marathi Movie appeared first on MarathiStars.

Ever since the song promos of Half Ticket have been released, the film has created anticipation among the audience. The film stars two kids in the lead roles, and has a very simple yet effective story line. The recently released official trailer of the film gives us a glimpse of an emotional and touching story of hope and desire.

The film stars Shubham More, Vinayak Potdar, Priyanka Bose, Usha Naik, Bhau Kadam, Jaywant Wadkar, Kailash Waghmare, Shashank Shinde, Shrikant Yadav in the lead roles. Directed by Samit Kakkad and written by Dnyanesh Zoting, the film is an official remake of National Award Winning Tamil film Kakkai Muttai. The music for this film has been given by G V Prakash Kumar and lyrics have been penned by Kshitij Patwardhan.

The trailer of the film shows Mumbai in a very different way, from the perspective of a working child. Though the children are working for meager amount of money, the hope glimmering in their eyes is priceless. The trailer compels us to watch this film due to the simplicity of this narrative.

Half Ticket will be releasing on July 22 all over Maharashtra.

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Samit Kakkad’s Half Ticket has already been praised for its superb visuals of Mumbai. Another song has been released from this film, and we are in love with these two kids. The amazing song describes “Rubaab” (attitude) of these two kids while they working in pitiful jobs and earning money on their own. The song showcases slum children working in Mumbai and their positive attitude throughout this struggle and hard-work.

The song has been sung by Harshavardhan Waware and composed by famous Tamil composer G V Prakash Kumar. Lyrics have been penned by Kshitij Patwardhan. The soulful lyrics and amazing composition makes this song very unique. The song stars Vinayak Potdar and Shubham More. The kids look very innocent and cute. The story of the film revolves around two slum kids and how their simple dream turns into a big game for the slum residents and other people.

The film has been produced by Nanu Jaisinghani, Suresh Jaisinghani, Mohit Jaisinghani. The film will be releasing in the theaters on 22nd July 2016.

The post Rubaab Pahije: A new song from Half Ticket appeared first on MarathiStars.

Kakka Muttai, the tamil film, that released a few years back, charmed nearly everyone who saw the film. It was a heart-warming story about a bunch of two kids from the slums and their aspiration of a better life. The film won a lot of accolades. But while seeing the film you could always sense that Mumbai will be a much better setting for the tale. So no wonder Foxstar that had produced the original have decided to give the remake the film in marathi and set it in Mumbai. Samit Kakkad who has directed films like Huppa Huyya and Aayna ka Baayna before is helming the project and Nanubhai Jaisinghani of Video Palace is producing it. The marathi dialogues have been written by Dnyanesh Zoting.

Watch : Half Ticket Teaser

The film stars two kids in the lead role. Samit Kakkad auditioned nearly 400 kids for the roles. And the result is visible, as the casting seems perfect for the roles.

The camerawork by Sanjay Memane is singularly impressive from the teaser, and it certainly seems like an upgrade on the original. Memane has shot films like Shwaas before. Teaser gives you a glimpse of the numerous locations the film has been shot at. It is a Mumbai that hasn’t been seen before.

The melodious background score by GV Prakash also takes the film to a higher plane.

The song ‘Chal Chal’ has also been shot in a spectacular manner and gives us a glimpse in the life of a pair of slum kids. The melodious tune has been worded by some thoughtful lyrics by Kshitij Patwardhan.

The film releases on 15th July, 2016.

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The genuine intentions of some films come across right from the teaser itself. Even in that just 60 seconds peek into the film you realize that the director Samit Kakkad has poured in his heart and soul into the film. It is an honest effort to make something meaningful and not your usual run-of-the-mill dramas. Half Ticket teaser promises all this and a lot more.

The teaser opens with a montage of shots that are quintessentially Mumbai – the port, the goods train, the local train, and the slums. Beautifully captured by the cinematographer Sanjay Memane, who had also shot Shwaas, the montage makes it clear that the film is set in Mumbai. We are then introduced to a pair of kids. Seemingly brothers, the two of them are shown wandering on the streets of the metropolis. One spectacular frame after another shows us these kid from the slumsand their world; it is a Mumbai not often seen in films made in the city. They are shown walking in many of these shots with the older one carrying a bag full of something heavy. The kids are also seemingly having a jolly good time as well, despite their impoverished background. A rather cheerful background score by G.V. Prakash also reassures us that the film isn’t poverty porn.

All in all, Half Ticket looks like an immensely promising film that has been produced by Video Palace & directed by Samit Kakkad who has made Aayna ka Bayna before. It releases on 15th July, 2016.

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