Dhondi Champya - Ek Prem Katha

Shakesphere's Romeo Juliet has seen every possible variation in cinema across the world. However, Dhondi Champya offers a version that might be a first for the age-old story.

We are introduced to Umaji (Bharat Jadhav) and Ankush Rao (Vaibhav Mangle) who are at loggerheads due to an ancestral feud. Multiple instances of them one-upping each other come to a head when Umaji’s Champya ‘falls in love’ with Ankush’s Dhondi. Dhondi and Champya, mind you, are buffaloes.

As both fathers fight over the rights to Dhondi-Champya’s progeny, their own children are falling for each other. These life-long enemies must now fight society and their children’s wishes to ensure that they emerge victorious in this struggle.

The movie rests squarely on the premise of 'buffalo love'. Bharat Jadhav and Vaibhav Mangle carry most of the comedic sequences on their shoulders with their rivalry. The love story of their children Aditya and Ovi (Nikhil Chavan and Sayli Patil) is engaging in the first half, with the children following the competitive streak of their fathers.

The cinematography and music are well done. The pacing however, slows down dramatically, close to the interval, as the focus moves to the Adi-Ovi romance. The movie morphs into a run-of-the-mill tale of love in the face of family opposition, recovering partially in the second half.

Dhondi Champya has some solid moments but ultimately plays it safe and ends up fitting a cookie cutter mold. Watch it for some good laughs at the movies.