Plot:
A musical biopic based on the acclaimed Marathi folk singer, writer and actor – The Legendary Krishnarao Ganpatrao Sable – popularly known as Shahir Sable.
Rating:
Team:
Director- Kedar Shinde
Cast- Ankush Chaudhari, Sana Kedar Shinde, Nirmiti Sawant, Mrunmayee Deshpande
Writer- Omkar Mangesh Datt, Pratima Kulkarni
Music- Ajay-Atul
Review:
Two years back, Everybody in the Marathi industry was absolutely elated when Kedar Shinde announced a biopic on the legendary persona Shahir Sable. It was his 100th birth anniversary then and now cut to its release, the craze hasn’t fazed still.
The auteur who gave Maharashtra its official anthem in ‘Jay Jay Maharashtra Mazha’ definitely needed a film as beautiful as his work to tell his story. ‘Maharashtra Shahir’ does exactly that. The film is based on the autobiography of Shahir Sable named ‘Majha Powada’. It is technically sleek in its production design and camera work.
The film begins with a documentary crew in conversation with Sable. Sable narrates his life right from his birth. Born in the village of Pasarni in the pre-independent India to Ganpatrao Sable. Fondly called Kisna by everyone in the village, his singing wooed all of them. But his mother was against his singing. She forced him to focus on studies and completely stop singing.
Falling prey to his mother’s stubbornness, he was sent to Amalner, Jalgaon. There he had to face an even more atrocious persona his Maternal Grandmother. She once tied him to a pole when he tried to sneak out. All this pain was put to rest when he met Sane Guruji. His learnings helped him understand how Shahiri could help India in its freedom struggle. Layer by layer, Shahir Sable’s life unfolds in the film. His social work and his songs definitely added to the freedom fight of India.
Nobody else could have done justice to such diverse work of a musician other than the terrific duo of Ajay-Atul. Another mesmerising soundtrack by the legends. Everything they touch turns to gold. All the songs are one masterpiece after another.
Coming to the performances, Ankush Chaudhary really crawls into Shahir Sable’s skin putting up a perfect act. Sana Shinde also does justice to her role of Bhanumati, Shahir’s wife. Other supporting cast doesn’t have much to offer in the screenplay. The dialogues feel staged and not conversational. Better dialogues could have elevated the film to a whole new level.
Shahir Sable’s blood runs through Kedar Shinde and it is evidently seen in this musical. The first half of the film slowly sets up Kisna’s love for singing and his rise to fame but the second half slightly gets uneven when dealing with his career’s peak. This is where Kedar Shinde’s direction is tested and slightly falters. The uneven pacing of the film is the only drawback. The camera work is fluid and pleasing to the eyes. A few parts of the production design and sets feel fake at times.
All in all, Maharashtra Shahir is a mesmerising musical tribute to the legend. The soundtrack and Sable’s anecdotes bind the film together with a weak screenplay at its front.
Definitely give it a watch in theatres. And to quote a famous statement, “मराठी रंगभूमीवर गाणं कसं पाहिजे, असं जर मला कुणी विचारलं, तर मी त्यांना सांगेन की, शाहीरसाबळयांसारखं.”
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