M-town's new era

Marathi cinema seems to be stormed by a ‘period’ wave as filmmakers are increasingly weaving time-based storylines.
Triggered by director Nitin Chandrakant Desai’s Balgandharva last year, this trend seems to be going strong with the recent releases of movies likeKaksparsh and Ajintha. Also, films like Tukaram, Pati Sarkar, Vitha, Sant Balu Mama and Dnyanjyoti Savitribai Phule are in the making.But handling a period film can be quite a challenge and involves a lot of research. Directors are leaving no stone unturned to bring alive the era, add grandeur and create a masterpiece …
Film: Kaksparsh
Directed by:
Mahesh Manjrekar
Based on: Konkan of the 1930s
Budget: ` 2.5 crores (approx)
“I scouted almost the entire Konkan area to find the location that I desired for 4-5 months till I found this old wada in the interiors. The first thing I did was to pull out the electricity as the pre-independence era of 1930s surely did not have lights,” says Manjrekar. Tin sheets were replaced by bricks, cow dung was smeared on the floors and walls were coated with mud. “The wells and the trees — mango, banana and supari —that surrounded the wada added an authentic feel. We had specially formulated the music that included penning prose that was a part of the daily lives of the women of that time. The jewellery and costumes of the actors were primary in completing the whole look of the film so I requested designer Neeta Lulla to lend us her creativity,” he adds.
Actor Sachin Khedekar says that working on a period film is an enriching experience as “it makes one aware of our rich culture that is getting lost somewhere today.” He had to shave his head everyday to keep the same look intact. “I also moved around in a dhoti, adapted Haridada’s mannerisms and made efforts to understand his reformist attitude to reflect in my character which was challenging,” he shares.
Film: Ajintha
Director: Nitin Chandrakant Desai
Based on: Love story between a tribal girl Paro and Robert Gill in 1863
Budget: ` 3.5 crores (approx)
Nitin Chandrakant Desai saw Ajantha in a completely new light the minute he read N D Mahanor’s script on this historical place. “I visited the caves regularly for almost two years and looked up on the internet on every bit of information to bring alive the 2000-year-old majestic love story of Robert Gill and tribal girl Paro. We shot for 14 days in five caves and 40 unexplored locations that I had discovered during my research,” he says. Actor Sonalee Kulkarni, who played Paro in the film, says, “I feel extremely lucky to have been chosen for the role as I got to experience a 2000-year-old era. Right from sitting for hours with the makeup man to adapt Paro’s dusky complexion to experiencing stunts as a wild tribal girl — everything was a learning experience.”
Film: Patri Sarkar
Director: Gajendra Ahire
Based on: Freedom fighter Nana Patil’s contribution (1930-1942)
Approx: ` 3-3.5 crores
“My research entailed repeated visits to places like Sangli, Satara, Kolhapur which were the prime areas where Nana Patil conducted his movements,” shares Gajendra Ahire. Meeting his heirs, relatives, friends and co-participants gave the director an insight into his thoughts and actions. “Some of these video footages will be seen in my film. I also had to gather a lot of documents which took six months. Tasgoan, Vita, Maini, Kundal, Vadoos are going to be the prime areas where we will shoot as the structure of the houses here are quite ideal. We also have used metre gauge railways which were used in the period,” he says.
Film: Vitha
Director: Pundlik Dhumal
Based on: Life of famous tamasha artist Vithabai Narayangavkar (1950-2000)
Budget: In the bracket of ` 3-4 crores
Pundlik Dhumal has been working on this concept for the last four years. “I have visited almost every tamasha family to study their lifestyles. Though Vithabai belonged to Narayanpur near Pune, tamasha artists are hardly home bound as they constantly keep travelling to places for their performances. Also, her home at Narayangaon wears a modern look today. So I decided to recreate the period by installing tents at Bhor where the shoot is taking place,” he says. The place was ideal as the mob of nearly 1000 people that they needed to show in the movie was easily available. “Also, we have experimented a lot with technology by using various filters like sepia and de-saturated sepia, that will showcase the peak period in a glossy tone and her downfall in a colder tone,” he adds.
Film: Tukaram
Director: Chandrakant Kulkarni
Based on: Legendary Saint Tukaram (1608-1650)
Budget: ` 5 crores (approx
“I had to search for a river bank where there wouldn’t be any signs of modern age like cable wires, electricity lines or plastic bags. I finally zeroed in on Shreekshetra Mahuli which was recently flooded,” says Chandrakant Kulkarni. Tukaram’s home was set up in Saap gaon. Besides, we shot at 14 other villages with a team of 150 technicians and artists for a stretch of 45 days,” he says. Six months were spent in pre-production and four months were on post production. “It was a challenge to shoot the scene showing 300 followers of Tukaram.
Actor Jitendra Joshi says that he was surprised when approached for the role. “Even my family was surprised. Today when I see myself on screen playing Tukaram, I can’t identify myself. I did research on Tukaram and also worked hard on my body structure to get the right look.”
Film: Dnyanjyoti Savitribai Phule
Showcases: Social reformer Savitribai Phule (1831)
Budget: ` 3 crores (approx)
Director Vijay Rahane reveals that most of the shooting will take place in Pune and nearby areas. “To depict the era, we will shoot in Satara, Naigaav and other areas.
Film: Sant Balu mama
Director: Vijay Rahane
Based on: Saint Balu Mama (1892-1966)
Budget: ` 2.25 crores (approx)
Director Vijay Rahane reveals, “Sant Balu Mama was a shepherd. We got to know a lot about him and his life from his followers. His followers believe that he was the incarnation of Shiva.” The film was shot in Kolhapur and Admapur.