• 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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Holy Basil’s producer Vivek Kajaria has made his directorial debut with a short film “Durga” The film has received accolades in various international film festivals. The film stars talented actress Veena Jamkar in leading role. She has played a role of a Bengali woman. The short film showcases relationship between grandparents and grandchildren in a very emotional way.

The short film was screened at Bussan International Film Festival in Korea for the first time. Then it has been screened at 13th Indian Film Festival (Stuttgart 2016), International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala, International Film Festival of South Asia (Toronto) Kayseri Altin Sinar Film Festival (Turkey), 5th Kolkata Shorts International Film Festival, Garden State Film Festival (New Jersey), 5th Antarctica Short Documentary and Animation Film Festival till date. The short film has also won this year’s Dadasaheb Phalke Film Festival award.

The post Durga shines bright in International Film Festivals appeared first on MarathiStars.

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.

Veena Jamkar, talented actress from Marathi entertainment industry is going global. Her latest short film “Durga” was shown in Busan International Film Festival recently. The Korean film festival is one of the most prestigious film festival around the globe and to reach at such level is truly phenomenal. The film is also expected to be seen at various National and International film festival in this year.

The short film is directed by Vivek Kajaria. He has produced several Marathi blockbusters previously but this his first directorial adventure.  The story revolves around a poor Village Artist (Bhola), who makes Idols of Goddess Durga, his love for his grand-daughter and ultimately the faith of a worshipper of Goddess Durga with the final task to do justice to his very existence and purpose in life.

The post Veena Jamkar in Busan International Film Festival appeared first on MarathiStars.

Producer Vivek Kajaria has produced films like Fandry, Siddhant and Anumati is all set to try his luck as director. Vivek has recently completed a short film ‘Durga’. The story revolves around a poor Village Artist (Bhola), who makes idols of Goddess Durga, his love for his granddaughter. The short film stars Veena Jamkar, Saachi and Kalyan Chatterjee.

On this occasion director and producer Vivek Kajaria said, “This film has given an opportunity to learn more about film making along with gaining technical expertise. I know many directors capable than myself but while making this movie, I was very clear in my head about what I wanted to show therefore I took up the challenge of directing on my own.”
Adding to the zest, Durga is selected for this year’s Busan International Film Festival to be held in Korea. The film is also expected to be seen at various National and International film festival in this year.

The post Producer Vivek Kajaria becomes a director with short film Durga 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:

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