Director – Paresh Mokashi
Story – Madhugandha Kulkarni
Cast – Shrirang Mahajan, Sayali Bhandarkavthekar, Nandita
Dhuri, Pushkar Lonarkar
The best thing
about Elizabeth Ekadashi is that it’s a children’s film in the true sense. Bollywood
has made children do things (on-screen) which is not suited for their age. Thankfully,
director Paresh Mokashi understands this. He has ensured that the film awakens
the child inside you.
In Pandharpur,
a single mother (Nandita Dhuri) is unable to repay the loan for a sewing
machine, which is the sole source of livelihood for her family. The bank officer
grants a small extension, failing which the machine would be attached. In order
to raise funds, she decides to sell of her late husband’s bicycle ‘Elizabeth’,
much to the discomfort of her son Dyanesh (Shrirang Mahajan) and daughter Zendu
(Sayali). To help their mother and save Elizabeth, the children set up a stall
at the annual Ekadashi fest.
The heart of
this film is its simplicity. Various social issues including black magic and
prostitution have been addressed minus the conventional melodrama. Paresh
Mokashi has managed to maintain the same charm as ‘Harischandrachi Factory’.
Reminds me of interaction with Vibhawari Deshpande who worked in it. She
expected some tears for an important scene, the director otherwise.
There are many
of the happy-go-lucky moments in the film. Those who didn’t understand Newton and Einstein in Nolan's Interstellar will be amazed at the hilarious way
in which Dyanesh explains them to the masses.
Nandita Dhuri
is fabulous as the mother. Shrirang and Sayali portray the perfect siblings on
screen. But the one to watch out for is Pushkar Lonarkar as Ganya, the ‘abusive’
friend and the centre of mischief.
I’m going with
four and a half stars out of five for ‘Elizabeth Ekadashi’. It’s one of the few
films which you can enjoy with your family.
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