Rating: ★★ Presenter: Zee Talkies Producer: Shree Mangesh Films Director: Satish Rajwade Story: Girish Joshi Camera: Suresh Deshamane Cast: Ashok Saraf, Subodh Bhave, Prasad Oak, Kishori Shahane-veej, Movie Review by: Jitendra More

Comedy has been an inevitable element of Marathi Cinema since centuries. Carrying on the tradition of entertaining the audience by tickling their funny bone is the movie ‘Ek Daav dhobi Pachad’

Produced by Ashok Saraf and presented by Zee Talkies, the movie revolves around the life of Dada Dandke (Ashok Saraf), a crook whose business involves controlling and opening new beer bars and casinos. The so-called gunda of the village, he is fondly called as dada by his associates. Dada is notoriously known for capturing polling booths and doing vasooli from people. However, a transformation comes about in his life when he meets his long lost love, Hema (Asawari Joshi-Saraf). Dada puts a marriage proposal which Hema rejects saying that he is not the same person she had met years back. She comments on his language, clothes and way of living.

Unable to face the rejection, Dada decides to change himself and win Hema’s heart again. His attempts to improve make him appoint a Marathi teacher for his language, a fashion designer to stitch international and help all the loved ones in trouble. His journey to be a good man in Hema’s eyes, keeps his enemies wonder that he is planning to come up a new plan this time.

Saraf, as an authoritarian father and a man of honour suits the role well. However, his unreasonable comedy does not go with his image. Again keeping the image of a good actor intact is Subodh Bhave as the Marathi
teacher. Seeing Bhave into a sober role after the brutal role in Uladhaal is amazing and Bhave has made the transformation well. Pushkar Shrotri as Babya, the right hand man of Dada seems to be wasted and so are the acting talents of Prasad Oak (Trimbak Joshi), an accountant madly in love and Madhura Velankar (Saylee) as his lady love. Mukta Barve as Dada’s daughter in her role as Sulochana gets on the nerves of the audience.
With such a huge star cast, directed by Satish Rajwade has not been able to give justice to even one character. However, even after losing the plot of the movie, he comes out good in the end. Music by the two greats Ajay-Atul suits the theme of the movie, however, the audience would have expected a few more songs to keep with the mood of the movie. Nivedita Joshi-Saraf makes a good screen presence even after so many years.

A good movie overall but certainly not reaching the heights set by movies that have brought about a metamorphosis of Marathi movie industry.