Натаранг (2010) Online

Speaking of the poohs and boos in Regional Cinema are a thing of the past. I reckon Utterly jaw dropping visual treat when you experience this picture.A true example of how cinema is made and what its makes of it. The entire plot is accurately composed, pumped up story line keeps you at heels . Arguably the best soundtrack for a regional movie. As vivacious as a movie can get . Full of up and downs in setting of a traditional musical theater art of the past called tamasha. Marvellous acting skills displayed by the cast . Exemplary cast compositions , stunning camera work . We here in England are thrilled to see such a high class creative movie from Marathi Cinema which should be a delight for the world audience to watch . Want to show it to few English veterans, Cinema enthusiasts in Sheffield but wouldn't get a DVD with English subs .

Marathi actors have never been short of talent. Unfortunately, the industry has been degenerating gradually, possible because of talented actors moving to bollywood, lower investments, etc. However, with films like Zenda, Harishchandrachi Factory and Natarang, one can safely say the industry has been resuscitated. Atul Kulkarni, Kishore Kadam and the others leave you spellbound with their performances. Their performances are so mezmerising, that you will find yourself watching a stage performance. The direction is not flawless, particularly in the last few minutes, where you get the impression that the director was tired. However the tightly written script and gripping story keep you on the edge for most of the time. The actors too must be credited for the perfect oration of Rural Marathi. Hats off to Ajay-Atul for their exceptional background score and music. The depiction of lavni & tamasha was maybe a bit too over-the-top. Overall, Natarang is an OUTSTANDING film!!

Marathi film industry was almost dead for me and was only churning out the usual potboilers and non-funny- at-all-and-assault-on-senses comedies from some years. But it's showing signs of recovery and some promise lately. One such entry is Natrang.

Guna (Atul Kulkarni, can't praise enough for his dedication) is an avid Tamasha (folk dance) fan and has talent for writing. After loosing his job he swears to build a troupe but the realizes most important thing they need to find is lead dancer. Pandoba, manager of the troupe played with naturalistic swagger by Kishor Kadam accidentally stumbles upon Naina (Sonali Kulkarni) in Kolhapur ("Lanket Sonyachya Vita"). Pandoba convinces mother (his old flame)-daughter to be partner in the troupe but they want a nachya in their group otherwise threatens to call whole thing off. This sends Guna in real conflict where he has to choose between his social-family-personal image or his dream. He chooses latter in process rises in art industry and falls on personal and social fronts.

Tamasha is famous-infamous in the marathi folklore for various reasons. Making a movie around the secondary character in the show itself is surprising. But he is not mere an actor but a writer (shaahir) of his plays. He plays the part as no one else would and eventually realizes no one else could have. Society often destroys what it doesn't understand. People fail to see he is just a man doing his job. Off-stage he is man he used to be. His on stage image is mistaken with his own sexual orientation. His rebellion is received as an outcast. From society, from family, from his mistress herself who love him all right but in one revealing scene she tells like an actress shelf life of nachya will be short lived. She doesn't want to commit. He is shaken. So are we.

This one is more of biopic of an unusual folk artist but also a very sad one where he has to undergo the ordeal of social banishment, constant humiliation and harrowing acts of cruelty. I was reminded of another film which won Hillary Swank her first Oscar Boys Don't Cry. Writer- director sure deserves the accolades that is been showered on him. Capturing the idyll milieu quite well director moves from laugh to grave subject of its title commendably. Still there were few things where I find it is kind of limited from going for greatness. Like Guna's own personality gets lost in the midst of commercial game where he becomes a pawn or in portraying his relationship with women which is never fully realized. Or film doesn't fully convey the real puzzling situation of fame and infamy he is trapped in.

These are few flaws that bothered me but let me not undermine what this film can mean to Marathi cinema. At one point, Guna decides to come up with what he does best – his own art- as an expression for his salvation. A play around Arjun-Brihaanadda where THE man of all time had to disguise himself as a woman under the circumstances demanded. It's a brilliant idea. And so is the music of the film.

Artist eventually resurrects and refuses to be beaten down and continue to pursue his passion. He succeeds and so does the film.

Good marathi movies are far in between and when a movie like "Natrang" (yes, its not "Natarang") comes by it certainly qualifies for a definite watch. The director (Ravi Jadhav) deserves a standing ovation. Every soul associated with the movie has poured his heart out and it clearly reflects in the proceedings. The narrative hooks the audience from the word go. The plot is engaging, screenplay engrossing and editing gives it a sleek feel. Noteworthy is the realistic touch in the garb of performance, location and the icing on the cake namely the language and dialect.

۩ Atul Kulkarni:: If there is any reason should you be propelled to watch the movie then make it Atul Kulkarni. Pay special attention to the commitment of Atul from portrayal of a strong physique labourer to a breathing life into the namby-pamby pansy. Nothing short of perfection.

۩ Sonali (with an "ee") Kulkarni:: In comparison to protagonist her character is subdued. But very pretty indeed, the green-eyed beauty captures attention from the word go. Needed more screen time for her character blossom into full glory.

۩ Vibhawari Deshpande:: Sadly her character got completely relegated to backseat resulting to a dwarfed character role. Editing perhaps?

۩ Kishore Kadam:: Effective portrayal. No string attached performance and a very strong screen presence.

۩ Amruta Khanvelkar:: What makes her item number etched in the minds of the audience is her screen presence and the composition of the lavani "Wajle Ki Barah" itself. Fantastic!!

Finally Zee Talkies should be applauded for backing this project. We need more of this.

2010 began with great expectations from Bollywood, but another film industry promised a lot of great movies - The Marathi Film Industry. With 'Harishchandrachi Factory' selected as the official Indian movie to the Oscars and 'Vihir' receiving accolades at the Pusan Film Festival, the year started well. It is surely taken one step further by Natrang .

Before talking about the movie, I would like to give a brief description about it's subject. It is based on Maharashtra's folk dance called as 'Tamasha'. The Tamasha is a stage dance and performance act carried out by a good female dancer, A 'Songadya' who narrates the Tamasha, The Band who provides the music and a 'Nachya'. The 'Nachya' is perhaps the second most important character of a Tamasha after the female dancer. It is impossible to imagine a Tamasha without a 'Nachya'. The person who plays the 'Nachya' is a man who poses as a woman. In Normal life, he is like any other normal man, but on stage, he acts, talks and dances as a woman.

Now about the movie, Natrang is about a poor farmer and wrestler Guna (Atul Kulkarni) who loves to watch the Tamasha as a viewer. He also dreams someday to own a Tamasha. Due to bad weather conditions and other things, he has to give away his farm and has no other means of earning livelihood. His friends and well-wishers in the village suggest him to create a Tamasha troupe and perform from village to village to earn some money. He assembles people including a good female dancer, A Songadya and the band. Only. he cannot find anyone who can play the 'Nachya'. Then, the villagers suggest him to do the unthinkable - Give away his wrestling body, his mustache and his male ego to become the 'Nachya' himself. His transformation from the well-built, manly wrestler to a female-imposing Nachya is the finest part of the movie. The second half is all about how the people around him, his relatives and other friends despise and even make fun of him even if he plays the female part only on stage. He is labeled as an 'Eunuch' and has to face great humiliation. The ending is where I felt the movie was a bit weak. But overall, it is one of the finest movies I have watched for a long time.

The movie requires good music since this is a 'Tamasha' centric movie and the Music Directors Ajay-Atul have done a splendid job. On the acting front, this movie is an Atul Kulkarni movie from start to end. He had gained great weight to look like a wrestler and even shed weight to look the 'Nachya'. I hope the National Awards take notice of him once again. Sonali Kulkarni is the emerging Marathi star IMO and Natrang would surely be a great entry in her resume. She was taken primarily because she is a good dancer and it paid off. In the end, I would just like to say, if Marathi cinema churns out movies like this, it surely has a great future ahead of it.

Rating : 8/10

Tamasha (a sort of theatrical show which includes stories, dance, songs etc) has been one of the most sought out subjects in Marathi movie history.Whether it is part of the actual story or used in minor references, it is something that has always found its place in Marathi films.But only recently it acquired a cultural status from the government.

In this movie though it forms the core subject.Based on the novel by Dr. Anand Yadav, Natarang follows Guna's (played brilliantly by Atul Kulkarni) love for Tamasha and his talents to write plays.A love for which he is willing to even transform himself from the muscular village wrestler to Nachya(pansy character in Tamashas, usually played by Eunuchs).

The movie deals with the discrimination that these Nachyas have to deal with as Guna is subjected to abuse, mockery, questioned about his sexuality etc.Yes he remains a man and is only playing the character on the stage but its normal village mentality which quickly judges individuals and ostracizes them from the community.

We make this grim journey of a man, through one colourful movie brimmed with wonderful cinematography, well defined characters(esp Kishor Kadam and Vibhavari Deshpande), Ajay-Atul's melodious and mesmerizing music and new-comer Sonalee Kulkarni's(who plays the role of Naina) sheer beauty and wonderful dance skills.

But all in all this is Atul Kulkarni's finest hour as an actor.For someone who has consistently portrayed different characters and delighted everyone with his talents, this has to be his best role yet.And he does complete justice to it.This movie might not be as great as V. Shantaram's Pinjara but its close enough.

Marathi movie industry has fathered nothing more than what can best be described as cheap melodramatic family soaps and comedy flicks that would embarrass even a 4th grader (with just a handful of exceptions - Pinjara, Vastupurush, Vajir, Chaukat-raja to name a few). I went to watch "Natrang" with least expectations and it surprised me more than Susan Boyle surprised the audience of "Briton's got talent".

Its really rare to watch a movie thats realistic yet not monotonous. Creative but not make-believe! Atul Kulkarni's portrayal of husky poor and passionate Guna is as believable as the feminine "nachya" or "songadya" that his passion transforms him into. He has played both the characters so well that its as good as watching two different actors. Equally brilliant is the supporting cast, cinematography and direction. I haven't read Anand Yadav's novel (by the same name) but screenplay tells story like it has never been told before in a Marathi film. There is really nothing where you can point a serious flaw in this beautifully made inspiring movie, but if there is a million dollar prize to come up with one, I would say "phoenix like resurrection" of Guna from having lost everything to winning a "lifetime achievement" as a performer could have been captured in little more than a minute. Movie barely runs for 120 mins so there obviously wasn't a reason to wrap up that last scene so quickly. But again it would bother you only if you really want to be bothered.

Its been a long time since music has truly complemented the script of a Marathi movie instead of just dragging it along. Songs and background score is riveting and "Khel Mandala" is exceptional. All in all this movie has raised the bar so high that it truly is a revolution in regional Marathi movie-making which has been mediocre at its best in last few years.

Natarang has changed my perspective towards marathi films. Filled with deep pain and struggle of a farmer changed his life completely. Even the songs of this movie are breath stopping, hardcore meaning of life and difficulties faced by everyone. MUST WATCH FILM. Please review this content

Ravi Jadhav's directorial debut Natrang takes us into the yesteryear of Marathi cinema in which no super hit movie was complete without a 'tamasha' (i.e. folk dance- play) and a 'laavni' (sensuous song).

Gunavantrao Kagalkar (aka Guna, played fabulously by Atul Kulkarni) is a labourer with a chiseled physique in a remote village. He has a penchant for a 'tamasha' and imagines himself as a king in the 'tamasha' whenever he spends half of his income watching and squandering on one. His wife and father are upset over this habit and keep on pestering him to change himself.

With the onslaught of machinery, the villagers are wary of losing their job. In an attempt to survive, Guna floats the idea of starting a tamasha troupe. Touted as immoral by the villagers, the money attracts his team into it. They go to various lengths of stealing to get the equipment for the troupe. Each one finds a unique talent within oneself that would aid in forming the troupe. Pandoba (Kishore Kadam in a shrewd role) and Guna are successful in forming the whole team, and they are ready for their first gig. They also team up with mother-daughter duo of Yamunabai (Priya Berde), Pandoba's ex-flame and Naina (Sonalee Kulkarni). However, their tamasha is incomplete without a pansy character 'nachya'. People familiar with the 'tamasha' in remote Maharashtrian villages would know the importance of a 'nachya' - it is like what water is to a school of fish. Often, the pansy character is misunderstood as a homosexual personality and also subjected to humiliation, insults and abuse.

Here comes the dilemma for Guna at the mid-point of the story. Guna has to choose between his promise and passion of his 'tamasha' and the ostracism that he would face by becoming a 'nachya'. Fully aware of the repercussions, Guna takes the extreme step of filling in for the 'nachya'. He undergoes training under Naina to gain the mannerisms of a woman. He loses his physique and muscles, loses weight to, applies make-up to embrace Feminism with a capital F.

The plays written by Guna in the tamasha' strikes the right chord among people, and the troupe becomes famous. They get various contracts, and they go for a village tour of around 3-4 months. Guna faces ridicule from his father and wife for continuing with this kind of work.

Their 'tamasha' becomes so famous that even rival political parties want to have them in their territory. During one such incident, Guna weighs promise more than pressure and refuses to bow and even faces molestation. Being away from home also causes one of his colleague to attempt to molest him.

Meanwhile, Guna's father passes away. Pandoba does not inform Guna of his father's death as he feels that the 'tamasha' would be in trouble.

Guna and Naina fall in love. Naina rejects the marriage proposal as she knows the humiliation carried from Guna being a pansy character would be daunting for their future life.

To resurrect his image and that of a 'nachya' in general, Guna tries to write a play that will make people accept him as a character rather than just a pansy character, but he is unsuccessful. People are unable to imagine Guna as a king or any other character for that matter.

The political clashes lead to a revolt and destruction of the troupe. Guna comes back to his village, only to be boycotted by his community and his family.

Unaccepted by society, Guna believes in himself and vows to continue doing what he does best - 'tamasha.' He is so deep into the art that he is standing at a point of no return. With Naina by his side, there is only one way for him to survive. They resume from where they left. Guna performs various character roles through out his lifetime to achieve huge success. He is conferred the life time achievement award.

Your heart goes out to Guna. Atul Kulkarni showed the kind of work he is capable of. His hard work is eminent. The rural Marathi accent has been beautifully adapted by all characters. The writing by Abhay Yadav (his novel) and the screenplay by Ravi Jadhav are top-notch. The dialogue, songs, and music are a renaissance of the past. At 127 minutes, the film feels to be a bit short. The transition of Guna from a well-bodied labourer to a pansy character and Guna's relationship with his wife and son warranted more footage.

All in all, Natrang is a landmark film that was an inflection point for Marathi cinema.