Star Cast: Chinmay Mandlekar, Sameer Dharmadhikari, Mrinal Kulkarni, Ajay Purkar, Ankit Mohan, Prajakta Mali, Astad Kale & others
Director: Digpal Lanjekar
What’s Good: It’s a tale dedicated to unsung heroes!
What’s Bad: A bit slow in the first few minutes of the first half
Loo Break: Strictly during the interval!
Watch or Not?: Yes, yes, yes! It’s another masterpiece from the Marathi film industry
Available On: Theatrical Release
Runtime: 153 Minutes
User Rating:
The great Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (played by Chinmay Mandlekar), and his loyal maavlas (soldiers) are trapped in the fort of Panhala and are surrounded by troops of Adil Shah II led by Siddi Johar (Sameer Dharmadhikari) and his son-in-law Siddi Masud (Astad Kale). It’s a tale of how Maharaj strategically tries dodging his enemies to take control of Vishalgad, resulting in a land stand, known as the Battle of Pawankhind.
Pawankhind Movie Review: Script Analysis
The biggest risk in such historic dramas is to churn out a compelling script without distorting facts and taking too much cinematic liberty. Digpal Lanjekar (who is the director of the film as well) does a great job at maintaining a good balance.
The characters are given enough space to contribute handsomely to the story, with a couple of them giving a good comic relief. There are many goosebumps moments, keeping viewers stuck in their seats. Not just more of action and thrill, but a good chunk of a narrative is dedicated to an emotional quotient that involves families of maavlas.
In short, it’s a one step up in the writing department for Lanjekar from his previous outings – Farzand and Fatteshikast.
Pawankhind Movie Review: Star Performance
Chinmay Mandlekar is hands down an amazing actor! Speaking about the character of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Chinmay plays it for the third time after Farzand and Fatteshikast. He has completely nailed it. While he shines when uttering dialogues, he is even more impactful when it comes to acting through his intense eyes and silence.
Ajay Purkar shines in the role of Bajiprabhu Deshpande. Be it his powerful physique, flawlessly delivering adrenaline-pumping dialogues, or carrying the warrior’s aura, Purkar does complete justice. It’s good to see Sameer Dharmadhikari after a long time. His Siddi Johar’s act is mystique and engrossing.
Actors like Mrunal Kulkarni, Ankit Mohan, Astad Kale, Harish Dudhade and Prajakta Mali excel in their parts.
Pawankhind Movie Review: Direction, Music
Digpal Lanjekar has a track record of delivering good historic dramas, but this time he has outdone himself by giving us a MASTERPIECE! Taking the route of a flashback for the narration, Lanjekar plays a good stroke. He tries to maintain a good balance of commercial value and rawness, in which he succeeds except for a few instances.
Here’s a special mention of an emotional scene between Maharaj and Bajiprabhu before the historic land stand & a battle sequence featuring injured Bajiprabhu taking on enemies.
The background score is good but during a few scenes, it overpowers dialogues. Songs elevate the emotions in the movie, and ‘Raja aala’, ‘Yugat Mandli’ to remain in your ears even after leaving theatres.
Pawankhind Movie Review: The Last Word
With a good motive of making unsung heroes shine, the film succeeds to a great extent. It’s more than just a popcorn flick. It’s an inspiring and compelling tale weaved beautifully in an entertaining package meant for big screens!
Pawankhind Trailer
Pawankhind released on 18th February 2022
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Want any more recommendations? Read our Badhaai Do Movie Review here.
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