Film depicts grandeur of Marathi Kingdom

Rushali Entertainment in conjunction with Life International Charitable Trust brings to New Zealand viewers for the first time regional Premiere screening of an unforgettable historical saga, the story of ‘Ramaa Madhav.’

Writer-Director Mrinal Kulkarni (a talented actor and the popular model of Vicco Turmeric Antiseptic Cream television advertisement) shares with us the not-much-known romantic story of the fourth Maratha Peshwa Madhavrao and his simple, beautiful wife Ramaa.

The movie will hit the ‘Xtreme Screen’ at Hoyts Cinema, Sylvia Park on November 30, 2014. The Marathi film will be the first of its kind to be brought to eager fans in New Zealand.

The Warriors

With a cast of actors well known on the Marathi stage and cinema, the film depicts the authentic life style of the Maratha warriors.

Mrinal has paid detailed attention to display the colourful contemporary clothes worn by people, the religious rituals and customs of the Marathas.

The movie was filmed mostly in Pune, considered the birthplace of the Marathi language. Apart from a few sets created for the movie, the film shows the original ‘Wadas’ or mansions of the Peshwas.

Movie for all

Its advantage of subtitles would make ‘Ramaa Madhav,’ a movie for people of all languages. In fact, its exquisite settings, costumes and jewellery would have a wide appeal not only among Marathi-speaking people but also members of other ethnic groups.

Containing realistic battle scenes, no effort has been spared to make the movie look authentic. It takes you three centuries into the past, keeping you spellbound until the end. The coy romance of the young Peshwa Madhav and his bashful bride Ramaa combines well with light humour.

‘Ramaa Madhav’ is Mrinal’s second directorial venture and she has invested all her talents to ensure that watchers are kept enthralled throughout the run of the movie.

Shruti Karlekar plays perfectly the role of the junior Ramaa.

Soothing music and melodious songs add sparkle to the film.

The following Review appeared in the Mumbai Edition of DNA, a daily newspaper.

I congratulate Mrinal Kulkarni. There are such few women directors in Marathi cinema, and Mrinal, in her second film, has taken on the Herculean task of making a period film.

‘Ramaa Madhav’ is a royal love story set against the backdrop of politics, war and the dawn of a new era.

Historic setting

Twelve-year-old Rama (Shruti Karlekar) enters the Shaniwarwada as Madhavrao’s wife and discovers a whole new world. The film explores the history of the Peshwas, as a young Ramaa blossoms into a beautiful woman, and develops a unique relationship with her husband.

The film is rich with interesting characters whose stories we have read in history books, breath-taking sets and talented actors. Rama Madhav presents a canvas that tests Mrinal’s skill as a director. But what makes it special is that Ravindra Mankani and Mrinal, who essayed Madhavrao and Ramabai respectively in the 1980s TV saga ‘Swami,’ portray Nanasaheb and Gopikabai in this film.

So what makes this film worth a watch?

Ramaa Madhav is a commendable effort, but it has big shoes to fill and I am not sure it does justice to a topic often explored in Marathi arts. If anything, this film was successful in evoking nostalgia and had me pining for a glimpse of the TV series that was an entertaining history lesson to much of my generation.

Nitin Subhedar is a writer with passion for Marathi theatre and films. A Commerce graduate, he works as a Procurement Coordinator at a commercial firm in Auckland.