Rating: na Producer: Anuya Mhaiskar. Director: Sanjay Surkar Camera: Harish Joshi Writer: Kiran Yadnopavit Editor: Manav Datta, Vishwas Dhabolkar Cast: Atul Kulkarni, Jyoti Chandekar, Kavita Lad Medhekar, Tushar Dalvi… Movie Review by:  Sadeep

Producer Anuya Mhaiskar’s ‘Sukhaant” directed by veteran Sanjay Surkar discusses the serious topic of euthanasia i.e. mercy killing. The approval of the lawmakers has still not been received for mercy killing but this film poignantly supports the concept of mercy killing.

Pratap Gunje (Atul Kulkarni) is a lawyer from a well to do family living with his wife (Kavita Lad Medhekar) and son. In a freak accident Pratap’s mother Sitabai Gunje(Jyoti Chandekar) gets injured and her hands and legs are paralyzed . No hopes for revival makes Sitabai an angry and frustrated lady who
wants an easy death to relieve her of a life of a vegetable though her son and family take good care of her. But the old lady doesn’t wan t to burden herself on anyone and asks her lawyer son to file a petition for mercy killing, a plea which is refused by the courts. But Pratap can’t bear his mothers pain and kills her with great remorse and surrenders himself to the police.

The climax is very bold and the more conservatives like the doctor played by Tushar Dalvi feel that mercy killing is agreeable
to the heart and not the mind and that we shouldn’t play God and try to treat the patients as far as possible.

The film though a tad serious is made watchable by the lead performers especially Jyoti Chandekar and Atul Kulkarni who excel in the ‘breakdown’ scene in the climax. Both Kavita Lad Medhekar and Tushar Dalvi are impressive. The rest of the cast supports well.

The music by Ashok Patki offers few good tunes. The film has been written well by Kiran Yadnopavit. The DOP has done his job well and the lighting effect especially in the courtroom scenes and during the traffic sequence, where Atul gathers his thoughts is well captured. The sound provided in the background is amazing. Director Sanjay Surkar is a master at handling such subjects and does his job well. The producer Anuya Mhaiskar should be lauded for backing such a serious subject instead of opting for routine comedy or gross songs. In all, a thought provoking film, certainly a worth watch.