This movie gives an opportunity to watch one of the greatest duels of the contemporary great Marathi actors Dr. Shriram Lagoo and Nilu Phule. It will be wiser not to get trapped into comparisons as to who surpasses whom in that department, but watch them perform their roles with great acumen - Phule as the Patil of the village, and Lagoo as the man in search of the answers to the questions that trouble him throughout his existence.
The backdrop is set on the lines of the heavyweight sugar barons of Maharashtra, and how they muscled their way up through the co-operative movement in the region - poultry, sugar and wines - giving an illusion of the regional development. Phule (Patil) plays this character in a village. Lagoo is a man identified as the master (his identity is not revealed throughout the movie), and seems to be the one always on the move, a vagabond albeit aged. He happens to reach this village and ends up meeting Phule. From then on, it's always a clash between the master's probing, incisive questions and Patil's futile attempts to escape them. This is the underlying theme.
Brilliant screenplay (Vijay Tendulkar), superb direction (Jabbar Patel) and performances that can never be forgotten (Lagoo and Phule) make this movie an absolute delight to watch. No wonder it was India's entry for the Golden Berlin Bear. "Kunachya khandyavari kunache ojhe" (someone carries the burden meant for someobody else's shoulders) became an everlasting song, along with "Hya topikhali dadlay kay" (what's hidden beneath this hat, a very strong statement on the Gandhian cap worn by the Congress political figures in those days). Overall, this movie rates very high in the Marathi film industry and shares the spots with all-time greats like "Shyamchi Aai".
