A Nostalgic Summer Soaked in Simplicity and self discovery – April May 99
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The 1990s was truly a golden era- especially for those who grew up in India’s quaint rural heartlands. The slower pace of life, the rustic charm, and the warmth of people from that time, evoke an irresistible longing for the past. And if there’s one season that captures the essence of childhood memories, it’s undoubtedly the summer vacation.
Every child who has grown up in India, holds fond recollections of visiting their maternal relatives, for spending carefree days with cousins and friends, indulging in innocent mischief and endless adventures. Mapuskar Brothers present ‘April May 99′, the latest gem in Marathi cinema, beautifully brings back those cherished memories in a way, which are deeply personal and universally relatable.
Set against the serene backdrop of Shrivardhan (Konkan), the story revolves around three inseparable friends – Prasad (Shreyas Thorat), Siddhesh (Manthan Kanekar), and Krishna (Aaryan Menghji) and a visiting girl, Jaie (Sajiri Joshi), who becomes an unexpected part of their summer story. English is a challenge for the boys, much to the concern of Prasad’s father, who insists that he should go to Mumbai for coaching. But, Prasad has other plans—he wants to enjoy his vacation with his buddies.
When the families discover that Jai is fluent in English, they ask her to train the boys. What unfolds, is an endearing and often hilarious journey of friendship, learning, and self-discovery. In return, the boys promise to give Jai a guided tour of the Konkan region, leading to a delightful blend of language lessons, cultural exchange, and unforgettable escapades.
Director Rohan Mapuskar captures this slice-of-life narrative with a rare sensitivity and sincerity. Through the characters of these four artistes, he subtly comments on themes like growth, companionship, and the joy of embracing life’s simple pleasures.
From storytelling to cinematography (Apoorva Shaligram), acting to music (Rohan Rohan), every element of ‘April May 99’ aligns with precision and passion. The film’s visual palette- highlighting the lush, coastal beauty of Konka- is nothing short of stunning. Every frame exudes a sense of purpose, echoing the efforts of a committed and collaborative team.
While summer vacation-themed films do make their way to the screens, sometimes; it has been a long time since one resonated so deeply. ‘April May 99′ is not just a film; it’s a warm, heartfelt reminder of our roots, our childhood, and the friendship that shape us.
A wholesome, family-friendly entertainer that leaves you with a smile- with a touch of nostalgia.
Emotion filled ‘Baba’ is a tribute to all fathers
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In the past, through films like Gulzar’s ‘Koshish’ and Sanjay Leela Bhansali‘s ‘Khamoshi’ we have seen the struggle of speech and hearing impaired parents, while communicating with their child . Similarly in Marathi film like Samruddhi Porey‘s ‘Mala Aai Vhaychay’ we saw the problems faced by a surrogate mother, when after taking care of the child , the absconding Mother suddenly comes to take the possession of the child. The film had also shown the story in legal and emotional perspective of who should the child be with.
Now, Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt presented and Raj R Gupta directed latest Marathi film ‘Baba‘, we find a speech and hearing impaired poor village couple Madhav( Deepak Dobriyal) & Anandi ( Nandita Patkar) taking unconditional charge of a three day old illegitimate child born to an unmarried woman Pallavi( Spruha Joshi) , whose father refuses to accept the child.
The poor couple living in a remote village make all the efforts to offer love and affection to the child named Shankar ( Aryan Menghji) for eight long 8 years. Though the child can hear, he cannot speak, obviously because of the environment around him. When after eight years, the real mother returns with her husband Raajan ( Abhijit Khandkekar) after four years of their marriage, to claim the child, Madhav and Anandi are dragged into court by their lawyer Mr. Sapre ( Shailesh Datar) to prove their claim right. So, the Public Prosecutor Mr. Madke ( Jayant Gadekar) is provided to the poor couple. What transpires in the court of Judge ( Jaywant Wadkar) handling this legal battle and how the poor father Madhav makes desperate efforts to make his little son speak during the hearing period of the case, is an interesting emotion and humour filled story presented through the film’s screenplay.
What impresses the most, is the battle in the court, with Madhav and Anandi trying to prove their point through their family friend Tryambak(Chittaranjan Giri) who stammers while speaking. The director has very skilfully shown the lifestyle of Madhav and Anandi, while meeting the small demands of little Shankar. Moreover, the struggle of Madhav is clearly noticed through his efforts so as to not lose the custody of his beloved Shankar.
The film’s screenplay and presentation style seems to have been inspired by award winning Iranian Film maker Majid Majidi and therefore there is a lot of scope for this film to receive invitations from various international film festivals. The performances of the lead artistes are the best. They find very good support from the supporting artistes. The film has also received good technical support, with superb cinematography by Arjun Sorte, good art direction by Siddharth Tatooskar, Bhakti Tatooskar suitable sound design of Shijin Hutton- Abhishek Nair and perfect music and background music by the team of Rohan, Rohan & Susmit Limaye to create the perfect village backdrop during the period of 1990.
All in all, ‘Baba’ is an artistic film for all those film lovers who love to watch something sensible that touches their heart. This emotion filled film with some added humour, is also a tribute to all fathers in this world.