1000 Rupee Note

It would've been better for the masses had 'Ek Hazarachi Note' released prior to elections; director Srihari Sathe's message would've enlightened thousands of illiterate voters. It's a story that tells you about poverty, illiteracy, farmer suicides and corrupt administration.

Budhi (Usha Naik) is an aged mother who has lost her farmer son due to indebtedness. A local leader (Ganesh Yadav) seeking re-election compensates her, giving her a few currency notes of 1000. However, this incident changes her life forever.

The film wins your hearts due to its simplicity. Traditional 'Khandeshi' language creates its own impact. The message is clear – money brings its own set of problems, townsmen will continue to degrade the countrymen and poverty is our biggest enemy. Similarly, authorities can never be honest and impartial. Shrikant Bojewar puts these facts perfectly onto paper.

Usha Naik steals the show as Budhi. But my choice is Sandeep Pathak for his supporting role of Sudama. He has matured after 'Varhad Nighalay Londonla'. Shailendra Barve's music carries a melancholy, suited for the film's theme. It is painful, yet wonderful.

I am going with four out of five stars for 'Ek Hazarachi Note'. The film is a tribute to the director's grandparents. And we must pay our respects as well!!

This film depicts the helplessness and tragedy of the poor in context of a corrupt, unfeeling system through a well enacted, crisply directed and edited movie. In the midst of this, there is an amazing humanity and fellow feeling to make the characters real.. and possible to relate to, even if you have never been in these situations.

The protagonist has excelled in depicting this absolutely heart warming person who seems to have taken life on the chin, and is surviving in extreme poverty with dignity and self - respect - in many ways, this is all she has. Her friend is a young man with whom she shares affection and care - again, a tip of my hat to the writer in creating such engaging characters. Scenes of making tea in a field or in a hovel have a warm intimacy due to the friendship these two characters share.

The direction and editing is really well done - there are hardly any superfluous moments and you never feel like any scene is dragged unnecessarily.

Worth a watch but the covert torture (I cannot think of any other suitable word) of the poor is hard to stomach.

As simple as it is exciting, rustic and realistically perfect, I love these Indian movies that show the culture, I feel a certain discomfort of Indians eating on the ground, it's very strange for us Westerners...

The movie to me feels like a satirical comedy. The story is beautifully executed, well acted and directed. Somewhere down the line, you live the life of those lead actors, and empathize with them. It's sad, hard hitting raw movie, which is true to its story and maybe real in rural India. It's a recommended movie for its powerful story and great performances.

This is a very good Indian film, it is tense and very dramatic.