• Review : Cycle
• Producer : Amar Pandit and Sangram Surve
• Director : Prakash Kunte
• Story: Aditi Moghe
• Star Cast : Hrishikesh Joshi, Priyadarshan Jadhav, Bhalchandra Kadam, Deepti Lele
• Review by : Abhay Salvi

Rating : 3/5

Cycle Movie Review:

Prakash Kunte directorial ‘Cycle’ is similar to some of his previous works in terms of what it achieves & what it doesn’t. It achieves soulful, simplistic & technically polished story telling standards, but lacks in details of the actual ‘story’. The stories are usually simple enough that they could be described in one line. Though Kunte has that much command over the medium to make a beautiful film out of them, in case of ‘Cycle’ most of the times we don’t mind the compactness of the one line story.

To begin with the flaws, two of the prominent characters in the film, of two thieves played by Priyadarshan Jadhav & Bhalchandra Kadam lack the comic energy between them. Strangely both seem to be giving deliberate understated performances, which didn’t work for me. The subtleness works better when there’s more to read between, here it was limited. Keshav played by Hrishikesh Joshi, his wife (Deepti Lele), Keshav’s father & Keshav’s little girl all of them aren’t enough familiar to us when the conflict of the film has begun.

The problem isn’t that, the problem is that we expect to know them more now that the conflict is active. Instead the narrative is completely concerned with the thieves. I felt since the film was already shorter in length it did have scope for more screen time for Keshav & his family in the second half. ‘Cycle’ is a story which has a sense of fantasy to it, or a sense of allegory, hence finding logic in every little incident that occurs isn’t fair to the film. Yet the incidents that are primary in taking the narrative forward need to be logically backed. ‘Cycle’ lacks this backing at quite a few instances especially in the whole track connected with the thieves.

Hrishikesh Joshi’s performance is one of the biggest strength of the film, his father, wife, daughter all of them are a picture perfect family. The visual feel of the film makes a larger impact in making us feel what the story wants us to feel, more than the story itself, cinematographer Amalendu Choudary deserves the credit for it. The overall openness of the story’s ‘message’ or what it wants to say gives good depth to the film. It shies away from telling us exactly what it meant, it let’s us choose between a few meanings or maybe it says it means all of them. That is the reason why ‘Cycle’ works when seen in totality.

The casting is pitch-perfect, yes even with Bhau Kadam & Priyadarshan (though their understated style didn’t work for me), Deepti Lele is a talented actress who should be seen in interesting roles in the future. The little girl too is lot better than what we see kids doing in daily soaps these days. ‘Cycle’ manages to make us feel it’s 1948 in a small coastal village & also encapsulates the beautiful locales of Konkan.

‘Goodness’ has a merit of it’s own when it’s translated in art earnestly, ‘Cycle’ manages that first & foremost. Better characterizations of the thieves, slightly more screen time to Keshav & co. ‘Cycle’ would have been a ‘complete’ feel good adventure, yet it is good enough to be seen in theatres with our families this summer holidays!

Overall:

‘Cycle’ is family entertainment set in the old world where ‘goodness’ was more common than today. And it has been backed by the technical fluidity of today’s times.

The post Cycle Marathi Movie Review: Slightly Bumpy but Overall Soulful Ride! appeared first on MarathiStars.

Prakash Kunte who has given us films like ‘Coffee Ani Barach Kahi’, ‘Hampi’ & ‘& Jara Hatke’ is back with his new film ‘Cycle’. One thing we are sure of that in Kunte’s film every little detail will be given utmost importance. In ‘Cycle’ too this detailing is very much evident. The look of the film, the cinematography & the way it has created a little world of a small village by the sea is pleasing to our senses.

The film stars Hrishikesh Joshi, Priyadarshan Jadhav, Bhau Kadam & Deepti Lele. ‘Cycle’ seems like a light hearted comedy that uses the conflict of a bicycle being stolen to present how such little tings can matter to the simplest of people.

This simplistic style of storytelling reminds us of the old classic Hindi filmmakers Hrishikesh Mukherjee & Basu Chatterjee who made many such beautiful films that dealt with the common man in a light-hearted humorous way!

The post Cycle Trailer: Simplistic Storytelling at it’s Best! appeared first on MarathiStars.

Directed by Prakash Kunte of ‘Coffee Ani Barach Kahi’ & ‘Hampi’ fame ‘Cycle’ is a highly awaited film that was also a part of the prestigious Cannes film festival. The film stars Hrishikesh Joshi, Priyadarshan Jadhav & Bhau Kadam in very real characters.

The story seems to revolve around a father, daughter & their mystical cycle. Mystical because the little girl believes that her cycle flies! Hrishikesh Joshi finally seems to be getting the parts he deserves as an actor. Films about children have always been a strong point of Marathi cinema. And ‘Cycle’ seems to take this tradition forward.

Director Prakash Kunte has his own style of crafting films. His films always capture the essence of the places that his films are set in. And the beautiful little village by the sea in this film seems no exception. The film is produced by Amar Pandit & Sangram Surve & is being presented by Sudhanshu Vats, Ajit Andhare and Nikhil Sane.

The post Cycle Marathi Movie Teaser: A Refreshing Mystical Story! appeared first on MarathiStars.

• Review : Hampi
• Producer : Yogesh Bhalerao, Chaitanya Akolkar
• Director : Prakash Kunte
• Star Cast : Sonalee Kulkarni, Lalit Prabhakar, Priyadarshan Jadhav, Prajakta Mali & Chhaya Kadam
• Story, Screenplay & Dialogues : Aditi Moghe
• Review By : Abhay Salvi

Rating : 2.5/5

Hampi Marathi Movie Review:

Some films don’t require a complete story. As one of the dialogues in ‘Hampi’ it need not be about a full-fledged ‘novel’ all the time, it’s about those few moments that speak as loud as a complete story. Unfortunately this film doesn’t manage to fully justify this thought. But yes it succeeds partially, especially in the first half!

Director Prakash Kunte convinces us that this film belongs in ‘Hampi’ a small tourist centre near Bangalore, Karnataka. Sonalee Kulkarni’s ‘Isha’ appears a strong protagonist to the film, then enters ‘Kabir’ (Lalit Prabhakar), who takes his name a little too seriously & keeps giving philosophical lessons to ‘Isha’ & us. Kabir is strictly a cliché character, yet the flair with which Lalit Prabhakar essays him makes him interesting. This film definitely borrows from quite a few films in its central theme from Richard Linklater’s ‘Before’ series to Imtiaz Ali’s ‘Tamasha’, though the inspirations are healthy.

But one expects the film to discover some of its own renditions to the genre.  And this is where the weak script (by Aditi Moghe) restricts ‘Hampi’. Slowly in the second half the calmness of the film feels more like emptiness, the character of ‘Girija’ (Prajakta Mali) adds nothing to the film. While a character established & utilised smartly (to induce humour) in the first half, of Priyadarshan Jadhav (Rickshaw Driver cum guide cum Proud Hampian) is neglected completely from the scheme of things!

Throughout, the film avoids ‘drama’. Even the back story of Isha is presented in a subtle non-dramatic way. But suddenly to make a specific point in the end, & to give a definite end to the film it indulges in a dramatic climax! And the situation that causes it isn’t dramatic at all.

‘Hampi’ is sharply edited, running around 96 minutes. It’s a good decision keeping in mind the compactness of the film. However as I said above it needed more moments that could project the soul of the film more beautifully, the director makes use of everything he has on paper but it just isn’t enough! Hampi succeeds in every department from sound, background score, editing, cinematography except writing!

A story is not always essential to a film. A good script can be made up of simply conversations, but conversations that reflect a sense of novelty, discovery to it! In fact it’s lot more difficult then telling a well rounded story on screen. ‘Hampi’ deserves credit for an attempt, it could have been lot better had it searched for something more beneath the surface of its theme, plot, characters & the setting of this place called ‘Hampi’!

However both Sonalee Kulkarni & Lalit Prabhakar have given soulful performances, & probably their best so far! A lot of this credit goes to director Prakash Kunte for pulling out such performances from them. Priyadarshan Jadhav is effortlessly funny in the first half but loses screen time in the second. Prajakta Mali is comfortable in a new makeover, yet the existence of her character seems pointless. Vijay Nikam plays a fun character but becomes repetitive immediately.

Prakash Kunte’s films represent the new sophisticated Marathi cinema & ‘Hampi’ is no exception. But here it feels ‘Hampi’ gives us away the Marathiness. I mean, it could have been in another Indian language & nothing of it would’ve changed. Some would call it ideally universal, I feel it needed some Marathi context, this isn’t a flaw though.

Overall:

Hampi is definitely, at least a one-time watch. However there’s scope for different subjective reactions to this film, more positive or negative!

The post Hampi Review: Well Acted, Well Directed, but.. appeared first on MarathiStars.

• Movie : Hampi
• Producer : Yogesh Bhalerao, Chaitanya Akolkar
• Director : Prakash Kunte
• Studio : Swaroop Samarth Entertainment & Digital Detoxx
• Star Cast :
  • Sonalee Kulkarni as Isha
  • Lalit Prabhakar as Kabir
  • Prajakta Mali as Girija
  • Priydarshan Jadhav
  • Chhaya Kadam
• Story, Screenplay & Dialogues : Aditi Moghe
• Music : Narendra Bhide, Aditya Bedekar
• Lyrics : Vaibhav joshi, Onkar Kulkarni
• Sound Design : U
• Background Music : Aditya Bedekar
• Cinematography (DOP) : Amlendu Chaoudhari
• Editor : Prachi Rohidas
• Art Director : Purva Pandit
• Choreography : Phulwa Khamkar
• Makeup : Vinod Sarode
• Costumes : Sayali Soman
• Line-producer : Sachin Lokhande, Atul Tarkar
• Genre : Drama
• Duration : NA
• Release Date : 17th November 2017

Synopsis :

Hampi Marathi Movie Photos, Poster :

Hampi Marathi Movie Trailer:

The post Hampi (2017) – Marathi Movie appeared first on MarathiStars.

‘Hampi’ starring Sonalee Kulkarni, Lalit Prabhakar, Priyadarshan Jadhav & Prajakta Mali looks refreshing from the word go. The story is set in one of the lesser explored tourist centres in India, ‘Hampi’. And her ‘Hampi’ is also an important character in the story. It symbolizes some sort of positivity in the life Sonalee Kulkarni’s character.

Lalit Prabhakar’s ‘Kabir’ is a free spirited wanderer who instantly feels connected with Sonalee’s character. Characters of Priyadarshan Jadhav & Prajakta Mali too seem very important in the story. The trailer of ‘Hampi’ reminds us that Marathi cinema is truly exploring unknown territories now.

The strongest point in the trailer is definitely the chemistry between Sonalee & Lalit. Though they are working for the first time they seem to complement each other beautifully. ‘Hampi’ is directed by Prakash Kunte who previously gave us films like ‘Coffee Ani Barch Kahi’ & ‘& Jara Hatke’. Alike his previous films this film too represents a new face of Marathi cinema one that connects with the younger audiences instantly.

The post Hampi Trailer: Chemistry Between Sonalee & Lalit Looks Enticing! appeared first on MarathiStars.

Not many actors have the habit of transforming themselves for the need of a character. Some of those actors increase or decrease weight, some work intensively hard on their muscles while some adopt a completely new look. On similar line Sonalee Kulkarni is being presented in a completely new look in the upcoming Marathi film ‘Hampi’ directed by ‘Coffee Ani Barach Kahi’ fame Prakash Kunte.

Sonalee Kulkarni is seen in a different haircut in this film. Though it sounds like a simple thing. But she looks way different than her usual self & that will definitely help to add a different dimension to her character in the film. This film is produced by Swaroop Entertainment’s Yogesh Nivrutti Bhalerao & Digital Detoxx while Chaitanya Girish Akolkar is the presenter of ‘Hampi’. The film is written by Aditi Moghe & the cinematography is done by Amalendu Chaudhary.

The short hair & specs look of Sonalee was suggested by the director of this film Prakash Kunte. They wanted to presnt Sonalee as a girl next door & also to differentiate her look from her previous films. ‘Hampi’ also stars Priyadarshan Jadhav, Lalit Prabhakar & Prajakta Mali & will be releasing theatres on 3^rd November.

The post Sonalee Kulkarni Gets A Special Haircut for ‘Hampi’! appeared first on MarathiStars.

• Movie : Cycle (2018) | सायकल
• Producer : Amar Pandit and Sangram Surve
• Director : Prakash Kunte
• Studio : Viacom18 Motion Pictures and Happy Mind Production
• Star Cast :
  • Hrishikesh Joshi as Keshav
  • Priyadarshan Jadhav as Mangya
  • Bhalchandra Kadam as Gajya
  • Deepti Lele as Jayashree
  • Pradeep Welankar as Holy Man
  • Sandesh Kulkarni as Sawant
  • Vidyadhar Joshi as Savkar
  • Sujata Mogal Pawar as Savkar’s Wife
  • Ruturaj Shinde as Tea Stall Boy
  • Abhijeet Chavan as Shyam
  • Sandhya Mhatre as Jalinder’s Mother
  • Sameer Khandekar as Jalindar
  • Mangesh Satpute as Natha Kumbhar
  • Tanvi Mundle as Natha’s Wife
  • Anil Gawde as Munim
  • Maithili Patwardhan as Mrunmayee
• Story : Aditi Moghe
• Dialogues : NA
• Lyrics : Mangesh Kanane
• Singer :Sagar Phadake and Aditya Phadake
• Original Soundtrack : Aditya Bedekar
• Sound Design : Manoj V. Mochemadkar and Sandeep Madkholkar
• Cinematography (DOP) : Amalendu Chaudhary
• Editor : Mayur Hardas
• Art Director : Mahesh Kudalkar
• Makeup : Nilesh Sonawane
• Costumes : Sachin Lovalekar
• Executive Producer : Avinash Bhanushali
• Co-Producer : MFA and Think Why Not
• Associate Producer : Rajiv Kottomtharayil and Luv Bhatt
• Presented By : Sudhanshu Vats, Ajit Andhare and Nikhil Sane
• Assistant Director : Niket Halve, Prashant Naik and Hemant Kudale
• Associate Director : Vishal Modhave and Swapnil Warke
• DI : Prime Focus LTD
• Visual Promotions : Just Right Studioz
• Publicity Design : Think Why Not
• Digital Publicity : Be Birbal Media Pvt Ltd
• VFX and Titles : Parthsarthi Ayar
• Camera Assistant : Jitendra Borhade
• Executive Producer (Viacom18 Motion Pictures) : Deepa Jathar
• Revenue and Inernational (Viacom18 Motion Pictures) : Gayatri Gulati
• Sales and Distribution (Viacom18 Motion Pictures) : Neeraj Goswamy
• Genre : Drama, Comedy
• Release Date : 4th May 2018

Synopsis : Cycle is an upcoming Marathi film directed by Prakash Kunte. This film is light-hearted family film. The film is produced by Sangram Surve and Amar Pandit and written by Aditi Moghe. The stars in the movie Priyadarshan Jadhav, Deepti Lele, Bhalchandra Kadam and Hrishikesh Joshi. The movie will be released on May 4, 2018.

Cycle Marathi Movie Poster/Photos :

Cycle Marathi Movie Teaser/Trailer :

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Most of us must be aware about the famous ‘Hampi’ village in Karnataka & now a Marathi film titled ‘Hampi’ directed by ‘Coffee Ani Barach Kahi’ fame director Prakash Kunte is all set to hit theatres. The film is produced by Yogesh Nivrutti Bhalerao under the banner ‘Swaroop Samarth Entertainment’ & ‘Digital Detoxx’. ‘Hampi’ is being presented by Chaitanya Girish Akolkar. This film is set to release on 3^rd November after Diwali & the first official teaser was recently revealed online.

Priyadarshan Jadhav plays an Auto Rickshaw driver in this film & in this teaser he welcomes us to ‘Hampi’. This little teaser has definitely excited us for the film. Alongside Priyadarshan Jadhav, ‘Hampi’ also stars Sonalee Kulkarni, Prajakta Mali & Lalit Prabhakar. This film is based on a emotional journey of a girl (Sonalee). The story, screenplay & dialogues of this film are written by Aditi Moghe & the cinematography is done by Amalendu Chaudhary.

Prakash Kunte’s previous directorial films ‘Coffee Ani Barach Kahi’ & ‘& Jara Hatke’ had his unique voice as a director, it would be interesting to see how he finds a new voice with a different film like ‘Hampi’.

The post Hampi Teaser: Sonalee Kulkarni Starrer ‘Hampi’ promises to be a Unique Emotional Journey appeared first on MarathiStars.

Prakash Kunte gave us two beautiful & refreshing cinematic beauties ‘Coffee Ani Barach Kahi’ & ‘& Jara Hatke’. Now he is coming soon with another hatke film. The USP of this upcoming film is the location at which it will be shot. The new wave Marathi films are proving how important the locations of our films are & Prakash Kunte is now taking this process further ahead by shooting his next in the beautiful backdrop of Hampi, Karnataka. Hampi is a place famous for its historical monuments & temples. Prakash stresses that the story of this film takes place at Hampi itself & so it would be authentic to shoot the film at same place.

This currently untitled film is produced by Yogesh Nivrutti Bhalerao under the banner ‘Swarup Samarth Entertainment’ & stars a number of popular Marathi actors in prominent roles. Sonalee Kulkarni, Priyadarshan Jadhav, Lalit Prabhakar & Prajakta Mali will be essaying important roles in this ‘Hampi’ film!

This film is an emotional journey of a young girl whose roots are in this beautiful place. Nothing more has been revealed about the film as yet, but one can definitely trust this fabulous team & the talented filmmaker Prakash Kunte to give us a special cinematic experience through this film.

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