• Review : Raakshas
• Producer : Vivek Kajaria and Nilesh Navalakha
• Director : Dnyanesh Zoting
• Star Cast : Sai Tamhankar, Sharad Kelkar, Rutuja Deshpande, Umesh Jagtap
• Screenplay : Dnyanesh Zoting
• Review by : Abhay Salvi

Rating : 2.5/5

Raakshas Movie Review:

The poster of this film was supposedly inspired by the poster of a modern classic directed by this year’s Oscar favorite director Guillermo Del Toro. It goes by the name ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’. Raakshas’ inspiration from the mentioned film is not restricted simply to the poster but it’s present in the film itself. It’s not a crime though filmmakers around the world do that & they add many of their own things to those films. Raakshas’ addition could be highlighted as the backdrop of the tribal culture in Maharashtra. Alike Pan’s Labyrinth this film uses the ‘Fantasy’ element & mixes it with the actual narrative of the film, moreover there are a few more similarities too. But the problem is that in ‘Raakshas’ the fantasy element doesn’t manage to create any excitement of its own. It feels like a mere narrative device used to take the other narrative set in reality forward. And it becomes repetitive throughout the length of the film.

There’s a quality about films that have ‘fantasy’ as an important part in the story. The creation of the fantasy world! It need not be done as a clear cut introduction. It can happen over time as the screenplay moves forward. In case of ‘Raakshas’ this world is never really created. You don’t really care about this world or the little girl who discovers it. The other & actual narrative of the film is not really a narrative but just a backdrop, a backdrop that had much scope of belonging to a different film, which could have treated it as closer to the real world & explore every face of it. I don’t have a problem with fantasy but it’s inclusion needs to be justified!

‘Raakshas’ is a film that over complicates the narrative & it’s connection with fantasy only to over simplify it later. Sharad Kelkar’s character is a documentary maker who was once a ‘Blasting Engineer’! A ‘Blasting Engineer’ to make the narrative convenient! The film had much scope if it had discovered a fantasy device of it’s own rather than blindly following the pattern of the mentioned film.

Having said all that ‘Raakshas’ is still a pleasing experience for your senses, the film is wonderfully shot, edited & the background score is probably the best I have heard in a Marathi film! The score inhibits the spirit of the ‘tribal’ backdrop completely. The performances are good too. Sai Tamhankar has little things to do herself as she is more driven by other characters in the film including her daughter. In a way this helplessness of making any decision on her own is an integral part of her inner conflict. And Sai Tamhankar nails it perfectly in her performance. The little girl ‘Rutuja Deshpande’ too has good camera sense & the director succeeds in bringing out her non-child like behavior. The minimalist approach in her performance again needed a better world (of fantasy).

The biggest disappointment of the film arrives when it ends. The whole narrative of the tribal people fighting against the builder mafia for their forest ends on an incomplete & problematic note. By the end the metaphor of ‘Raakshas’ gets completely messed up & so does it’s fantasy equivalent which also feels irrelevant.

Overall:

A better screenplay & a more original ‘fantasy’ world would have made wonders to this film. But still as a director Dnyanesh Zoting makes his presence felt. With a better script in hand Zoting can be a director to watch out for!

The post Raakshas Review: Well Directed & technically well made But Lacks the ‘Thrill’! appeared first on MarathiStars.

Sai Tamhankar & Sharad Kelkar starrer ‘Rakshas’ has been a highly awaited film ever since the poster of the film was out. The fantasy thriller genre is not the staple of Marathi cinema hence the basic theme & genre itself has a novelty to it. And now the trailer of the film increases the novelty factor to another level.

Dnyanesh Zoting is a young filmmaker who seems to have a distinct voice & vision! Presented by Half Ticket fame Samit Kakkad & produced by Vivek Kajaria, Nilesh Navalakha who previously brought us ‘Fandry’ & ‘Half Ticket’, this film is definitely deeper than it appears & has a mystery that could make a social connect with the understanding audiences. Sai Tamhankar too is seen in a very simplistic avatar & she fits the part perfectly.

What exactly is the mystery of this forest that is supposedly a fantasy world? Why does Sharad Kelkar’s character go there? And how does he disappear? All this questions would soon be answered. The dark treatment visible in the trailer truly makes it a fantasy beyond fancy!

The post Rakshas Trailer: A Fantasy Beyond Fancy! appeared first on MarathiStars.

A one of a kind mystery thriller ‘Raakshas’ starring Sai Tamhankar & Sharad Kelkar will soon be releasing in theatres. The first teaser of the film was recently revealed online. ‘Rakshas’ is  produced by Vivek Kajaria & Nilesh Navlakha under their banner ‘Navlakha Arts & Holy Basil Combine’, & is presented by ‘Half Ticket’ fame Samit Kakkad.

‘Rakshas’ stars a fresh leading pair in form of Sai Tamhankar & Sharad Kelkar. This teaser suggests us that the film revolves around tribal people & jungle. Interestingly this connection comes from writer-director Dnyanesh Zoting’s own childhood memories. This little teaser introduces us to a little family of three. We can see the little girl who tells her mother that the jungle has eaten her father! What exactly does that mean? What’s so horrific about the jungle? What has the father got to do with it?

As of now we have to keep thinking about answers to these questions! But soon when the film releases on 23^rd February we can have all our questions answered in the theatre itself.

The post Raakshas Movie Teaser: A Mystery Thriller That Intrigues Us! appeared first on MarathiStars.

• Movie : Raakshas (2018) | राक्षस
• Producer : Vivek Kajaria and Nilesh Navalakha
• Director : Dnyanesh Zoting
• Studio : Samit Kakkad Films, Navalakha Arts, Holy Basil Productions
• Presenter : Samit Kakkad
• Star Cast :
  • Sai Tamhankar
  • Sharad Kelkar
  • Rutuja Deshpande
  • Vitthal kale
  • Vijay Maurya
  • Umesh Jagtap
  • Dayashankar Pandey
  • Purnanand Wandhekar
• Story : Tanmayee Deo & Dnyanesh Zoting
• Screenplay & Dialogues : Dnyanesh Zoting
• Music : Andrew T. Mackay
• Sound Design : Avinash Sonawane
• Background Score :
• Cinematography (DOP) : Mayur Hardas
• Editor : Mayur Hardas
• Co – Editor : Charu Shree Roy
• Art Director : Sachin Bhilare
• Costume : Kalyani Gugle
• Make Up : Santosh Gilbile
• Vfx : Corridor Studios Pvt Ltd
• Supervising Producer :
• Re-recording Mixer :
• Visual Promotions : Jayesh Shikarkhane & Team
• Associate Producer : Anand Bafna & Ravi Jangda
• Executive Producer : Kapil Sharma
• Line Producer : Jitesh Upade
• Creative Producer : Vivek Wagh
• Genre : Drama, Suspense
• Release Date : 23rd February 2018

Synopsis : A documentary filmmaker, who is covering the protest of a remote forest tribe, goes missing. His nine-year-old daughter, along with her mother, arrives in the remote tribal area in search of the missing man. While the mother carries an extensive search through conventional means, the daughter does the same by referencing the plot of a fairytale. The quest gets fulfilled when reality and fantasy come together to unfold an ancient tribal myth.

Raakshas Marathi Movie Photos, Poster :

Rakshas Marathi Movie Trailer:

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The 700 year old tradition of walking down to Pandharpur on Ashadhi and Ekadashi is one of the most prominent cultural event in Maharashtra. Lakhs of Devotees of Lord Vithal keep their date with the pilgrimage. But, despite many Government schemes and initiatives there is a major issue of cleanliness. Even after the government building toilets the ‘warkaris’ defecate in the open. There is obviously a lack of awareness regarding the vulnerability of unhygienic conditions among the warkaris. Nilesh Navalakha, who has produced films like Fandry and Shala, has directed a short film titled Palkhi Ani Nantar that tries to bring into focus this issue during the pilgrimage.

Former MLA Pradeep Rawat under the aegis of Seva Sahyog Production had taken an initiative to create awareness about the uncleanliness on the path taken by the pilgrims of the Wari. Last year they had adopted two villages and had donated two mobile toilets and it got a very good response. Taking inspiration from this the social cleanliness message has been communicated to the Warkari pantheon and the society in general and that’s the reason why this short film has been made.

The director Nilesh Navlakha said about the film, “ Last year in Pandharpur , the Government along with a few private institutions had built 500 toilets but still many warkaris defecate on open spaces and as the warkaris go every year on a pilgrimage every year this has become a regular feature but a new way to stop this should be found. The Government is initiating Nirmal Wari like facilities. But the warkaris must take it upon them to use the facilities provided and make a clean wari . Only then this problem can be solved. They must realize that a lot of dangerous diseases spread because of uncleanliness.  Therefore this film has been made to make people aware that the wari is not only because of their devotion to Lord Vitthal but also cleanliness which is an anti-thesis which the society must know. The film implores warkaris to use toilets and make all the roads clean”

Palkhi Ani Nantar has been edited by Mayur Hardas and the DOP of the film is Atharva Wagh. Anveya Bendre has given the voice over for the film.

The short film with an important message will be released on various platforms and most importantly over the internet. Social media will be extensively used to help the film reach maximum people.

The post Palkhi Ani Nantar: Producer Nilesh Navalakha makes short film about the Pandharpur Wari. appeared first on MarathiStars.

Navalakha Arts and Holy Basil Production present ‘Raakshas… The Monster’ is an upcoming Marathi movie written and directed by Dnyanesh Zoting and produced by Nilesh Navalakha and Vivek Kajaria. Associate producers are Anand Bafna and Ravi Jangda. This movie is starring beautiful and stunning actress Sai Tamhankar, Actors Sharad Kelkar, Vijay Maurya and Umesh Jagtap.

Producers of this movie Nilesh Navalakha and Vivek Kajaria have given chance to many new directors and Dnyanesh Zoting is one of them. Navalakha Arts and Holy Basil Production proudly saying this, “Dnyanesh Zoting is the 7th first time director from their production house.”

Navalakha Arts and Holy Basil Production have been working on this movie for almost 2 years. Even before the shoot, the movie has traveled to Rotterdam International Film Festival and got selected in Drishyam Sundance Writers Lab.

Navalakha Arts and Holy Basil Production team is very excited about the movie. This movie will be released in coming new 2016 year.

The post Raakshas… The Monster appeared first on MarathiStars.

• Movie : Siddhant (2015)
• Producer : Nilesh Navalakha, Vivek Kajaria & Amit Ahirrao
• Directer : Vivek Wagh
• Studio : Navalakha Arts & Holy Basil Productions and Virtue Entertainment
• Star Cast : Vikram Gokhale, Swati Chitnis, Ganesh Yadav, Madhavi Soman, Sarang Sathaye, Archit Devadhar, Neha Mahajan, Chandrakant Kulkarni, Prashant Tapasvi, Suraj Satav, Baba Aphale and Kanchan Jadhav.
• Writer : Shekhar Dhavlikar
• Music : Shailendra Barve
• Lyrics : Kishor Kadam (Soumitra)
• Cinematography & Editor : Mayur M Hardas
  
• Production Designer : Sidharth Tatoskar
  
• Costume : Nakshatra
  
• Makeup : Vikram Gaikwad
  
• Executive Producer : Kapil Sharma
• Genre : NA
• Release Date : May 29, 2015

Synopsis:
The movie revolves around Appa Thosar (Vikram Gokhle) and his grandson Vakratund Thosar (Archit Dewadhar) and their bonding with a thread of Mathematics. The movie has beautifully bloomed with various emotions of love, relations, family, principles and faith. Each elements enacted by the actors in this movie are beyond words and limit.

Siddhant Marathi Movie Poster :

Siddhant Marathi Movie Official Trailer:

The post Siddhant (2015) | Marathi Movie appeared first on MarathiStars.

Today Marathi industry is going through a golden phase and a lot of good content driven subjects are being made like ‘Fandry‘ ‘Shala’, and ‘Anumati‘ which were brought to you by the house of Navlakha Arts and Media Entertainment headed by Nilesh Navlakha and Holy Basil Productions Pvt Ltd headed by Vivek Kajaria is adding one more good subject driven film to its oeuvre but this time Virtue Entertainment headed by Amit Ahirrao is co-producing ‘Siddhant’ which is a slice of life film about how to lead a principled life and the mathematical representation of life and how we lead lives by subjecting ourselves to it.

The grand music launch function of ‘Siddhant’ was recently held amidst the august gathering of actors Vikram Gokhale, Swati Chitnis, Kishor Kadam, Ganesh Yadav, Sarang Sathaye, Neha Mahajan, Madhavi Soman, Chandrashekhar Kulkarni, Prashant Tapasvi, Suraj Satav, Baba Afle, and Kanchan Jadhav. The evening was regaled by the singing of Shankar Mahadevan and Makarand Deshpande with lyrics like ‘Thodese Guntlele’ ani Ghatt Kahi Sutle’ written by Soumitra aka Kishore Kadam and composed by Shailendra Barve and both the singers confessed that the songs were the soul of the film. And the film is making waves on foreign shores like the selection for Toronto International Film Festival of South America (IFFSA) and the New York Film Festival .

The film revolves around a grandson Vakratund Deodhar played Archit Devdhar and his grandfather Appa Thosar played by Vikram Gokhale and the thin thread of relationship between them and their performances are the crowning glory of the film. The director Vivek Wagh thanked the cast and the producers for showing confidence and implicit trust in a debutante director like him . Vivek who till now has been the Executive Producer in many successful films like Ringa Ringaa, Checkmate, Ajinkya, Shala, Fandry , expressed that direction has given him a different sensibility from producing which has really touched him. Producer Kajaria said that film is a medium of social change and the mirror of society and it is their endevour to present a film which gives out a message to society and Siddhanth has done precisely that and the entire team is responsible for taking this film to a glorious high.

This sensitive tale releases May 29 all over Maharashtra.

The post Melodious Music revs up ‘Siddhant’ film! appeared first on MarathiStars.

Siddhant, a Vivek Wagh directorial debut is set to release on 22 May all over Maharashtra. The film has already generated buzz among audience due to its unusual plot. The movie revolves around Appa Thosar (Vikram Gokhle) and his grandson Vakratund Thosar (Archit Dewadhar) and their bonding with a thread of Mathematics.

Navalakha Arts and Holy Basil, a headed by Vivek Kajaria and Nilesh Navalakha have once again joined hands with Amit Ahirrao, Virtue Entertainment and adds to their milestone of quality cinemas ‘Siddhanth’. The film also stars Swati Chitnis, Kishor Kadam, Ganesh Yadav, Sarang Sathaye, Neha Mahajan, Madhavi Soman, Chandrashekhar Kulkarni, Prashant Tapasvi, Suraj Satav, Baba Aphale and Kanchan Jadhav. Though this if first directorial by Vivek Wagh, he as already years of experience as Executive Producer for the movies ‘Checkmate’, Ringa-Ringa’, ‘Shala’, ‘Ajinkya‘, and ‘Fandry‘.

“Being in production for long gave me the idea and perspective beyond direction. I’m sure when you watch the movie those small detailing will be seen by the audience. We’ve lived with the emotions shown in the movie.” said director Vivek Wagh.

“We always believed marathi movies are content driven. Therefore we always wanted to offer our audience quality marathi cinema. Hope with Siddhanth we’ll again be able to touch the hearts of the audience.” said producer Nilesh Navalakha.

Audience is really curious to know about how principles of Maths can be used in real life emotional situation- the film’s basic plot. Well, we all have to wait till May 22 to quench our curiosity, isn’t it?

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