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Trust the Marathi film folk to give the audience a great time. And spin an engaging script from two exciting sources spread over six decades.
Actor-screenwriter-producer-director and occasional singer and theater personality Ankush Chaudhari, who has done small roles in Hindi films here and there, had made his directorial debut in 2007 with Saade Maade Teen, a Marathi remake of the 1957 classic Hindi comedy, Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi. The film was among the highest Marathi grossers at the time.
This time, he brings in an element of the 2017 comedy-cum-horror-cum-crime blockbuster, Golmaal Again, into the Chalti…-like similar setup of three brothers, again named Ratan (Ashok Saraf), Madan (Makrand Anaspure) and Chandan (Bharat Jadhav) as in the first movie, and a girl named Kamini (Rinku Rajguru), who enters Chandan’s life one rainy night (as in Chalti…).
But Kamini is not what she seems. Turns out that she is a spirit seeking justice for the wrongs done to her, and has chosen Chandan (Bharat Jadhav), as he is very pure at heart, to help her avenge her own murder. The culprit is a callous suitor from her college days who had later married her, as it turns out, for her money.
The three brothers, of course, run their own automobile garage, and as in the vintage film, the eldest brother Ratan (Ashok Saraf in place of Ashok Kumar) will not have any woman enter his or his brothers’ lives. When only Chandan can see Kamini, we get a completely loony and whacky merry-go-round till the other two brothers (now accepting her entity) finally understand her mission and decide to help her. And Kamini has also chosen them as the ex-husband happens to be their customer for his car.
Nothing in the film is extraordinary, fresh or surprising. The idea is just to have a ball. And in that sense, the film is an exhilarating outing and a whopper stress-breaker from the bumps and jerks of everyday life. In the climax, we even have a ‘horror’ element that isn’t. But one small nitpick: the villains (Yes! There are two!) are not handed over to the police. But I guess that was intentional in the quest for just a wholesome meal of manoranjan for the audience! No space here for extraneous characters like cops!
The script (especially the dialogues) and the performances both take this film to tall heights. Ashok Saraf is restrained and effective as the eldest and protective yet strict brother. Makrand Anaspure as the middle brother is terrific, especially in his expressions and the way he addresses his younger brother. Bharat Jadhav also does an impactful Chandan as the straight and innocent soul. Rinku Rajguru is lovely as Kamini, the girl who needs help in teaching her ex-husband a lesson. Siddharth Jadhav as Baban, the brothers’ trusted associate, is as impressive as always. As the tantrik, Baba Khatri, Sanjay Narvekar is a hoot. The actors who play Kamini’s parents are alright.
Sanket Pathak as Rohan is adequate. As Rohan’s wife, Samruddhi Kelkar does not have much to do.
Technically, the film is sound. The script is tight, with some fine humorous as well as emotional one-liners. The climax does feel a tad stretched but not unbearably so. The director just wants to make sure that the viewer has a whale of a time and leaves the theatre with a broad smile on his faces.
And that’s how entertaining such old wines in new bottles must be!
Rating: ***1/2
Usha Kakade Productions’, EOD Media Official’s, Udaharnarth Nirmit’s & Ameya Vinod Khopkar Pictures’ Punhaa Ekdaa Saade Maade Teen Produced by: Usha Kakade, Pushkar Yawalkar, Sudhir Kolte, Ameya Khopkar, Swati Khopkar & Ninad Battin Directed by: Ankush Chaudhari Written by: Ankush Chaudhari & Sandeep Dandavate Music:Gaurav Chati & Aditya Bedekar Starring: Ashok Saraf, Makrand Anaspure. Bharat Jadhav, Siddharth Jadhav, Rinku Rajguru, Sanket Pathak, Samruddhi Kelkar, Sp. App.: Sanjay Narvekar & others
