Rating: ★★★ ½ Studio / Presenter: Essel Vision, Mayasabha Productions Producers:Nittin Keni, Nikhil Sane & Madhugandha Kulkarni Director: Paresh Mokashi Writer: M adhugandha Kulkarni Director of Photography: Amol Gole Music Director: Anand Modak Cast: Shrirang Mahajan, Saili Bhandarkavthekar, Pushkar Lonarkar, Nandita Dhuri, Vanmala Kinikar, Chaitanya Badve, Durgesh Badve – Mahajan, Chaitanya Kulkarni, Ashwini Bhalekar, Anil Kamble Movie Review by: Sanskruti Bhatkar

Director Paresh Mokashi’s first film ‘Harishchandrachi Factory’ was acclaimed nationally as well as internationally and had won many prestigious awards. He has now returned back after a gap of five years, with his second creative film ‘Elizabeth Ekadashi’, which has all the qualities of the world cinema and also has the local feel. This film neither has a regular ‘formula’ of a hero, heroine and villain, nor has a love story between boy and a girl.
The name of the film itself creates curiosity in the minds of the viewers. The three main characters in the film are little children, who are passionate and determined to save their bicycle ‘Elizabeth’. The whole movie has been picturized in Pandhapur, against the backdrop of Ekadashi Vaari, with the real people of Pandharpur and the devotees around.

‘Elizabeth Ekadashi’ , is a story of Dnyanesh (child artist Shrirang Mahajan) and Zendu (Saili Bhandarkavthekar) who are staying in Pandharpur, with their mother (Nandita Dhuri) grandmother (Vanamala Kinikar) and friends Ganya and Kalpit . Dnyanesh is a bright student of his school, who is fascinated with the theories of well-known scientist Isaac Newton and performs ‘Kirtan’s on ‘Saint’ Newton, which is liked by the local people. His family financially struggles a lot after the death of his father. As his mother is not able to pay the loan installments, the bank takes away her Knitting Machine, the source of her earnings; to be returned only after payment of some installments. The family struggles to collect the money for payment to the bank. Dnyanesh who is very fond of ‘Elizabeth’, the bicycle made by his father, strives hard to save her from getting sold, with the help of his sister Zendu and his friends.

Presented by Essel Vision Productions Ltd and Mayasabha, the producers of this film are: Nittin Keni, Nikhil Sane and Madhugandha Kulkarni. The story is written by Madhugandha Kulkarni, who has written the script of TV serial ‘Honar Soon Mi Ya Gharachi’. The screenplay and dialogues are jointly written by Paresh Mokashi and Madhugandha Kulkarni, who happen to be a husband and wife pair. Paresh Mokashi has also written the songs, while the music has been rendered by late Shri Anand Modak. Brilliant Camera work by Amol Gole, suitable costumes designed by Chaitali Dongre, and editing by Abhijit Deshpande have added to the quality of the film.

Best part of this film are the fine performances by all the artistes. For stage artist Nandita Dhuri, it has been a good opportunity, to display her talent, while all the three child artistes Shrirang Mahajan, Saili Bhandarkavthekar, Pushkar Lonarkar have played their roles, remarkably well. The film’s screenplay has universal values, taking into account the struggle of the family, in absence of the head of the family, to keep the fire burning in their house. The film carries a strong message for children of all age group as well as elders. This film is likely to win many awards and is a ‘must watch’ for children and parents alike.