Rating: ★★★ ½ Genres: Drama Censor: U Duration: 130 min. Studio/presenter: Video Palace Producer(s): Nanu Jaisinghani, Suresh Jaisinghani, Mohit Jaisinghani Director: Samit Kakkad Writer: Dnyanesh Zoting Music: G.V Prakashkumar Cinematographer (DOP): Sanjay Memane Cast: Shubham More, Vinayak Potdar, Priyanka Bose, Usha Naik, Bhau Kadam, Jaywant Wadkar, Kailash Waghmare, Shashank Shinde, Shrikant Yadav Movie Review by: Ulhas Shirke

Known for their realistic subjects, Marathi films have been appreciated world over. Now, the latest addition in this list is new Marathi film ‘Half Ticket‘, which is an emotion filled film, presenting the effect on the family of a person, who is arrested and kept in police custody, waiting for the court decision. His wife (Priyanka Bose Kamat) is working hard in a sewing unit, to raise money, to pay to the lawyer to get bail for her husband. At the same time, her two little children are looked after by their old grandmother( Usha Naik) at home.

The elder child in the family identifies himself as Mothya Kavalyache Anda( Big Crow’s egg) and younger one Chhotya Kavalyache Anda ( Egg of small crow); only because they are fond of picking up 2 eggs from the crow’s nest and sipping the content. They also support their mother by collecting the coal lying around the railway tracks, with the support of a track mechanic Tuti Fruti( Bhau Kadam) and selling it to a scrap vedor( Shashank Shende) . Initially, the elder son has a dream to possess a mobile phone. But, when a new Pizza shop is opened in their area, his new wish turns into sharing a Pizza worth Rs.299/- with his younger brother. To make it possible, they do extra work and earn the money in a short time.

When the two brothers are prevented from entering the shop by the security person, they on the advise of their friend Tutifruiti , start earning more doing odd jobs, to purchase new clothes for themselves, so that they could find entry into Pizza shop. But, this time, they are slapped by the manager. A video of this happening taken by a child in the neighbourhood, is acquired by the local goons in their slum and they blackmail the owner. But, the owner plays a smarter game , which fulfills the wish of the two children. But, after tasting the Pizza, they realize that the Home made Pizza attempted by the grandmother was much better.

With this simple emotion filled story, director Sameet Kakkad has presented a very sensible screenplay, showing the feelings of the slum children at that age.

Through the characters like Nana( Shrikant Yadav), Pokya( Kailash Waghmare), Chillar( Nitin Bhodare) & Shilwant( Jaywant Wadkar) , he has shown the selfish attitude of Politicians and their associates, while exploiting their own community people. The film also shows the dilemma of the woman, managing the house, after her husband is arrested by the police. Very cleverly, the director has tried to show, how the entry into big malls and Pizza shops become a dream for the children living in slums. If the dream of a little schoolboy boy from a well to do family , is owning a costliest wrist watch, that of a child of his age, living in slums, may be of eating a Pizza one day, costing Rs.300/-.

There are very few errors committed in the screenplay. How could this poor family, after winning a TV set in lucky draw, manage to have a satellite connection, with additional expenditure of at least Rs.500/- a month; when the woman is struggling to earn money to pay to the lawyer for her husband’s bail ? But, the intention of the story writer Dnyanesh Zoting is good, while dealing with this subject. The cinematic version of this story has become more effective, with the wonderful sound design by Anmol Bhave. Sanjay Memane’s cinematography, GV Prakash’s music and Faisal Imran’s editing makes this film more presentable. Excellent performances come from the two child artistes Shubham More & Vinayak Potdar, their mother played by Priyanka Bose kamat, Grand mother Usha Naik and others.

‘Half Ticket‘ is a much better film than ‘Slumdog Millionaire‘, because this film doesn’t exploit the poverty in city , but deals with a subject, with a social message. Moreover, it is made in Marathi, by our own Indian film maker. Certainly, a worth watch film, to understand how 54% of Mumbai’s population is living in slums and how they are struggling to survive in this tinsel town.