Bhatukali

Director – Rohit Joshi

Cast – Ajinkya Deo, Sunil Barve, Shilpa Tulaskar, Smita Talwalkar, Kiran Karmarkar

            Towards the end of the first half I was irritated to such an extent that I’d almost decided to blast this film in my review. The other half did offer some solace but the damage was already done. Bhatukali, directed by Rohit Joshi is definitely not for the masses as it requires a lot of maturity and understanding. 

            A successful businessman Shrikant Deshmukh (Ajinkya Deo) decides to celebrate his birthday with his family in a quiet location away from the city. The family finds it difficult to adjust to his moody nature (one moment he’s angry, the other he’s calm). The next day, his friend (Kiran Karmarkar) visits them without notice. Then, the story takes an unexpected turn.

            It is really difficult to explain the crux of my irritation because it is a combination of lame dialogues, emphasis on weak-accented English, scenes dragged without reason, and inability to relate to what is going on. The climax answers all my questions, but only after the film has tested my patience. None of the actors, other than Shashank Madhav Shende, lived up to my expectations. And trust me. They are not legends as publicised.

            The typical Marathi audience laughed when it did not matter and complained when the film ended stating that they did not agree with it; which explains my point that it is not for commoners. I am going with two and a half stars out of five for Bhatukali. Watch it at your own risk!!