Rita
Directed by actor Renuka Shahane, ‘Rita’ is the story of a woman whose ambitions find wing after her boss supports her and with whom she falls in love. She has a nervous breakdown when things go wrong and bonds with a long-lost friend, after which she starts anew. Jackie Shroff and Pallavi Joshi play the lead roles.
Vihir
Set in Pune and rural Maharashtra, Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni’s second film is about two teenage boys and their families. During a family wedding, uncomfortable truths unravel. The film was screened at the Pusan International Film Festival in South Korea earlier this month.
Also Read Marathi Noir
Gandha
Director Sachin Kundalkar captures the essence of smell through three interwoven stories—a humorous love story, a relationship between an HIV-positive man and his wife, and a drama based in rural Maharashtra.
Natarang
Rich colours, catchy music and beautiful cinematography— ‘Natarang’, directed by Ravi Jadav, has all the makings of a commercial film with technical finesse. It is about the plight of Tamasha artists, a forgotten breed of Maharashtrian performers.
The Man Beyond the Bridge
A widowed forest ranger finds a companion in a mentally disturbed woman. While her mental illness makes her an outcast, the forest ranger’s relationship with her turns him into an outcast as well. This Konkani film, directed by Laxmikant Shetgaonkar, deals with dilemmas about faith, environment and social taboos.
At Fun Republic and Metro Adlabs till 5 November. For registration details and screening schedule, visit www.mumbaifilmfest.com
Mumbai’s National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) has announced ‘Nave Valan’, a Marathi film festival, to keep alive the buzz Marathi films have created among non-Marathi speakers
Harishchandrachi Factory See review
Gandha See above
Gho Mala Asla Hava
This light-hearted musical set in rural Maharashtra has Savitri rebelling against the custom of arranged marriage. The entire village gets involved to help her out. Directed by Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukhtankar, the film manages to balance social critique with entertainment.
People from her village plan to dedicate Putla, 16, to the goddess as a ‘jogtin’. But Putla rebels and joins a music troupe. The film, directed by Rajiv Patil, explores her journey as she tries to break free of sexual oppression and superstition.
Gabhricha Paus
The film directed by Satish Manwar is about the life of Kisna, a farmer who is trying to get a good crop in the drought-stricken Vidharbha region, which is notorious for farmer suicides. Kisna’s wife is convinced that he is thinking of committing suicide. She asks their six-year-old son to keep a watch on Kisna, and report any unusual behaviour.
The festival starts 16 November. A film will be screened at 6.30pm daily at NCPA’s Dance Theatre Godrej.