Sthal

Sthal (2025) : Movie Review -

Jayant Somalkar's Sthal is not a new-age film because it deals with old issues that many young girls still face in rural parts of Maharashtra - or for that matter, across India. The matchmaking practices shown here have been common not just in villages but also in cities, so there's nothing new to go gaga over until you notice some beautifully woven metaphors. The sublayers take a subtle but sharp dig at the lack of understanding about women's empowerment and its true meaning. Sthal almost reaches a level where it seems like the film of the year, but then some old-fashioned ideas and clichés spoil the tone, making it irregular and occasionally uninteresting. The twist in Savita's life and the climax lack a substantial amount of surprise or excitement since everything feels familiar. For instance, that final slap she directs toward the camera instantly reminds you of Fandry's climax. But the problem here is that the person opposite her isn't guilty enough to receive that treatment. From her point of view, it's an outburst born from years of endurance, but for the man on the other side, it's just a normal routine moment. The writer strongly conveys Savita's perception but fails to analyze the situation and its demands. Had she slapped the lecturer instead, I would have been more than happy - because that would have made far more social and emotional sense. But that's where the character development and reasoning go wrong. Had the film taken care of such things, it could have easily topped this year's list of best movies by a distance.

Coming to the story, Savita (Nandini Chikte) is a young girl studying in the final year of her B. A. and wants to pursue the MPSC exam. However, her parents are worried about her marriage and give more importance to matchmaking than her education and career. All she can do is answer the same basic, KG-level questions: "What's your name? Your mother's clan? Education? Field? Age? Date of birth? Hobbies?"-only to face rejection every single time. She admires her lecturer, who also wishes to marry her, but things don't go as planned. The irony is that the man who teaches Women Empowerment in class is the same one who demands dowry. Savita misses her MPSC exam because of one of those useless matchmaking visits, and her entire year goes to waste. Will she find her match? Catch the full drama unfold in the film.

Speaking of the pluses, I must admire the command of the narrative and its realism. The film captures every moment from the lives of its characters with utter authenticity. Yes, this is exactly how it happens in villages. You don't need glamorous backdrops, fancy lighting, loud background scores, or slow-motion pans to explore reality - and Sthal is a prime example of that. This is exactly where Laapataa Ladies failed. Sthal's metaphors are among its biggest highlights. When Savita's entire year goes in vain after missing her MPSC exam, the pain is expressed through tears, not words. The man who says "deals are non-negotiable" for 5 Lakhs dowry is the same one bargaining for 20 Rs vegetables. The girl who dreams of marrying an educated man faces patriarchy, while the girl who falls in love with a simple shop vendor finds true support and runs away with him.

Now coming to the negatives, I feel many tropes are repeated. The "cotton rate" cliché is so old that it would have felt outdated even if the film had been made in 2005. The entire family constantly facing problems looks forced, and their issues are overstretched. The biggest problem appears in the climax when the girl finally realizes the truth but targets the wrong person. Also, it's painful to see parents being portrayed as their daughters' biggest enemies. Haven't we evolved at least a little in the last few years? On the script level, there are small but serious lapses. For instance, how can final-year college students not know the meaning of "women empowerment"? You must be kidding me. When we've had films like Taani, which portrayed the struggle of a village girl who became an IAS officer, we now get this - a story of an MPSC aspirant unable to make the simplest choices in her life. Isn't that a slash on her personality? How can we expect that girl to pass her exam when she seems so weak and confused about personality development and social awareness?

That said, admiration should go to the film for the topic it handles and the seriousness it maintains. Feminism today has many interpretations and theories, but its true meaning is often lost - and Sthal underlines that bitter truth again: we have lost many potential champions and to-be-successful girls due to their families' foolish domination. That's one thing that makes you feel genuinely sad while watching this movie. The need for such stories to be told and heard is very high these days.

The performances feel natural because the actors don't act - they inhabit their characters. Nandini Chikte is fantastic in the lead role. Her expressions, voice modulation, eyes, and body language perfectly capture the essence of a real village girl. Taranath Khiratkar also does well as the helpless yet brainwashed father. Sangita Sonekar and Suyog Dhawas fit their parts neatly. The supporting cast - including Sandip Somalkar, Sandeep Parkhi, Gauri Badki, Mansi Pawar, Swati Ulmale, Sachin Tonge, and Shubham Shete - all deliver convincing performances. Technically, the film is brilliant. The lighting, camera work, and art design are top-notch despite the low budget - or maybe that's exactly what makes them feel natural. The editing is crisp, giving the film a steady pace, while the background score complements the tone without overpowering it.

Jayant Digambar Somalkar attempts to make a strong statement while promoting feminism, but the portrayal of issues and characters feels slightly behind its time. The modern touch and narrative smartness needed to elevate the story are missing. Still, that doesn't make Sthal a bad film. It's a good one - heartfelt, relevant, and worth watching. Given the kind of content we've seen this year in Indian cinema, Sthal easily stands among the top five for its sincerity and courage to tell the truth as it is. A well-attempted film - if not a perfectly structured one.

RATING - 6/10*

This film takes you to rural Maharashtra and keeps you there.

The deliberately slow pacing works perfectly to put the viewer in the same helpless shoes as the characters and forces us to sit in the discomfort.

The repetition of shots in the living room and college library predicts the end and central theme of the film : you can keep hoping but nothing is going to change.

I have heard that when Fandry released in 2013 there was this wave in Marathi film industry to make films like Fandry and lots of movies were made with that in mind and majority of those films failed but Sthal is an exception which has worked pretty good.

After watching Sthal it felt like something I needed to watch on Women's day. It was filled with good performances by non-actors so some here and there in few scenes is expected but still they all did a good job especially the main lead and her father. The thing which stood out to me the most was the production design and cinematography. The way they have captured the village in Maharashtra and the small details of the behaviour of people living in it is praise worthy. The writing did felt off at times, like they explored so much subplots/characters and the ending was not great but still hard hitting. The first half is filled with funny and beautiful moments but somewhere the second half could've been better still Sthal is one of the best film came out of Marathi film industry in recent times. I can see this being one of my favourite film's of the year 2025.

Metro public might can't relate with this story but it's brutal truth of rural Maharashtra.

Superb performance by actress..... Her eyes speaking More than words.

Mind blowing story and direction... It's a story of every average looking folks, poor farmers home and directoneless youth.

Hats off....