Phulrani

Watched a Marathi movie on the big screen after a very long time and it was an extremely enjoyable and cathartic experience for me. For me this movie is special because this was my father's last Marathi movie and to see him on the big screen in such a grand way was sheer delight. It gave me closure in a way, after his recent passing away, and I felt that he is still there with me as I watched the film. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this delightful film, from its stellar cast to the story to the direction and art and production quality. It was very nice to see a Marathi movie delve into the world of the fashion industry and showcase that life so well. Subodh Bhave is phenomenal and matching his caliber at every step is the debutant Priyadarshini Indalkar. You never feel that this is her first film, she has the confidence and chutzpah of a seasoned actress! A particular scene comes to mind where my father dances the waltz with her. I remember him telling me about this scene and how he looked forward to learning this dance. His enthusiasm at this age amazed me and his hard work clearly shows in the scene. I found the direction and the editing to be very tight and engrossing too. Every song was absolutely melodious and I'm still humming them in my mind!

All in all this film will always remain special to me because it is my father's last curtain call before he left us all and because it is an outstanding film!

As it is, I was a great fan of Priyadarshini for her skits on MHJ . She has literally stolen the show single handedly in this Phulrani. It's like a six on the very first ball ... Subodh Bhave and Vikram Gokhale are gr8 as usual ... Hats off to Vishwas Joshi for providing such a wonderful entertainment. The message about the si called and well managed beauty pageants is very nice. What's more important is inner beauty rather than exterior appearance and hypocrisy. This movie based on Pigmalion is a great subject for all generations. The music numbers are catchy and melodious. Overall, a very good watch on Amazon prime.

George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion is an ironic satire on love and the English class system. Henry Higgins - a phonetician - accepts a bet to change Eliza Doolittle's language to make her a duchess (queen) in 6 months, trains her rigorously and then falls in love with her - his own creation. Based on this plot, the film My Fair Lady was released in 1964 and later P. L. D. Adapted this plot into the Marathi drama 'Ti Phulrani' in 1970-71. While Bhakti Barve's portrayal of Manjula and her monologue 'Tula Shikvin Changlach Dhada' still dominates the hearts of Marathi audiences, director Vishwas Joshi brought Phulrani into a contemporary context in the 21st century through the film 'Phulrani' released on 22/03/2023.

The Deconstruction of concepts like Beauty Pageant, the Beauty Standards and the slightly feminist lens is commendable and help make the film relatable today. Shevanta Tandel, played by Priyadarshini Indalkar, easily empathizes with the audience and Vishwas Joshi subtly breaks the concept of heroines being bound to a certain box. Shewanta's monologue in the film is very poignant. When she says, "Be it poor / rich, uneducated / educated and underprivileged / elite, a woman is ultimately an object, a doll" every word in the monologue is hard hitting and leaves one teary-eyed. Saying "not I'm not rustic but am uneducated because I have seen themoney for my education go quarter-to-quarter down my father's throat" the director expresses the pain of many such girls who are often deprived of education for this reason despite earning on their own.

Although the role of Brigadier played by Vikram Gokhale is in a secondary position, it is very effective in conveying the plot accurately to the audience. The role also conveys an emotional message by playing a big-hearted role to the child, saying, "Carry the bags, not the baggage." Subodh Bhave's portrayal of Henry Higgins/Nalayak Master i.e. Vikram Rajadhyaksha does full justice to both the hero and villain sides. The character development of this role from being associated with multiple women initially to being honest and loyal to Shevanta by the end has been beautifully shown in the film.

The roles of Sushant Shelar, Vaishnavi Andhale, Milind Shinde, Gaurav Ghatnekar, etc. Are seen in the film contributing equally to making Phulrani a success. The songs 'Hirve Hirve', 'Tujya Sobtiche', are perfectly timed in the film and gently touch the hearts of the audience and succeed in taking the plot forward.

The biggest strength of this film is that the story is presented in a very simple and easy manner without unnecessary melodrama or emotional twists and the film keeps the audience hooked till the end to know whether Shevanta Tandel's honesty is the best or Vikram Rajadhyaksha's arrogance.

Representation of the Koli community, prevalent social concepts, creativity, empathetic writing [eg: "It is the shop (of liquor) with the longest queue in front of it.], realistic framing of ideas and a graceful feminist touch are all aspects perfectly executed by Vishwas Joshi in Phulrani. It goes without saying that the challenge of reviving Pygmalion, My Fair Lady and Ti Phulrani in this age has been beautifully fulfilled through Phulrani.

#Phulrani

A remake of Pygmalion is always an audacious proposition... One it has a legacy that the makers need to be careful about.. From Julie andrews in theatre to Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady to our erstwhile Late Bhakti Barve singing "tula shikwin changlach dhada" - the actress in the lead role anyway has a Herculean task as the comparisons are obvious

Priyadarshini as "Phulrani" totally lives up to her role and you actually live her dream and emotions throughout the film - her honesty and her vulnerability both endearing - at the end of the film your heart is happy that she has created a niche of her own Subodh Bhave - well someone who has a range to play Lokmanya Tilak to Balgandharva to Kashinath Ghanekar - this gentleman can do just about anything in life

Ably supported by the rest of the cast the film engages you till the very end

And with a lighthouse like Vikram Kaka in his last film he nails it with his dialogues - "bag gheun ja baggage nahi" - the expressions, the dialogue delivery, the reconciliation with his son - truly wanted to hug him wherever he is

Phulrani takes us through all the beautiful emotions - the laughter, the remorse, the metamorphosis of the character doing justice to the original - whilst adapting beautifully to the modern times especially the climax - kudos to the director Vishwas Joshi

And when your dearest friend is one of the producers of this film you come out as happy as Eliza Doolittle singing

"I could have danced all night And still have begged for more"

My wife and I saw Phulrani one Sunday evening without any prior knowledge/ background , without too many expectations and were pleasantly surprised.

This is a well made , light hearted movie , with good production values with acting to boot . The movie is a visual treat with lovely costumes pleasing to the eye and some very good dialogues . We enjoyed the movie . I must add that my wife is not very familiar with Marathi and even so with the help of the subtitles , was engrossed throughout this entertaining film which has no violence or bloodshed .

Definitely worth a watch with family if you want to be entertained and still at the end leaves you with something to ponder.