Cast: Sagar Deshmukh, Vijay Kenkre, Saksham Kulkarni, Irawati Harshe, Mayadev Deshpande, Shubhangi Damle, Satish Alekar, Ashwini Giri, Daleep Tahil, Sarang Sathe, Shailesh Datar, Abhijeet Chauhan, Sanjay Khapre, Medha Manjrekar, Neena Kulkarni, Madhura Velankar, Swanand Kirkire, Ajay Purkar, Sagar Talashikar, Sunil Barve, Deepti Lele
Director: Mahesh Manjrekar
Rating: * * *
This second part of the Pu La Deshpande biopic gathers some storm as it takes us past his midlife highlights and hovers around an ICU – a testimony to his eventual mortality.
The film begins with Pu La’s stint in Doordarshan, his meeting with the then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, his ethical stand on not covering an election-related meeting, his triumphant return to theatre in what is today recognised as a stand-up comedy mono act – in Batatyachi Chaali, his literary and eloquent opposition to the Emergency, his repulsion of all efforts to induct him into a political role, his efforts to provide financial aid to Baba Amte’s work, Muktangan and several other charities, his renewed trysts with classical music greats like Kumar Gandharva, Vasantrao, GD Madgulkar, Pandit Bhimsein Joshi etc., his adaptation of ‘Pygmalion’ as ‘Ti Phularani’ with Bhakti Barve, his conflicting relationship with one-time student Bal Thackeray, his controversial acceptance speech at the Maharashtra Bhushan awards and enduring friendships with Dr Vijaya Mehta, Dr. Anil Awchat, Dr. Jabbar Patel.
There is a lot crammed in here but most of the meaningful, impactful episodes in his life appear to have been lost in the melee showcasing the celebs that weighed in on his life.
The narrative lacks intensity and the treatment seems almost ineffective in raising a memorial to his august talent and memory. Much of the narrative is frittered away on delightful but meaningless forays into the past involving local goon Barkya who was once his childhood playmate and attempts to resurrect Kumar Gandharva’s legendary voice after a rather trying bout with illness and depression.
While the sequence involving another impromptu jugalbandi with the august gathering of musical greats could be considered a highlight of the film, it does nothing to flesh out Pu La’s depth of character or his literary talents.
The writing is rather droll if not entirely humorous but the loosely strung scripting and the lack of rhythm and tempo in the direction makes it all feel rather ineffective here. With several actors playing different stages of each character’s life, it also gets a little complicated and confusing. The actors keep it simple and tangible. There is no effort to grandstand each other here. This film sets the parameter of a great life to the number of celebrities that walked through it and that’s something even the great humorist would have frowned upon!
