[Reader-list] A gem of a new Marathi film -- Taryanche Bait (Island of Stars)

[Chintan Girish Modi]

>From http://www.indianexpress.com/news/taryanche-bait/779372/

Taryanche Bait

By Namita Nivas
Tags : Taryanche Bait, Sachin Khedekar, Ashwini Giri, Kishore Kadam,
Ishaan Tambe, Asmita Joglekar

Posted: Fri Apr 22 2011, 17:56 hrs
Mumbai:

Shridhar is a clerk at the gram panchayat office in his village in
Konkan. He has to go to Mumbai regularly on official trips. He lives a
hand-to-mouth existence and his children go to the local school.
Shridhar’s wife and mother toil around the house. Once when he is
supposed to go to Mumbai, his boss asks him to take his family along.
His 10-year old son Omkar is quite excited and informs all his friends
as he is the first child from the village to visit Mumbai which they
have seen ‘only in their dreams’. Once in Mumbai, however, Omkar is
not allowed to do what he wants. He wants to watch a film in the
multiplex but Shridhar cannot afford the expensive tickets. He wants
to buy a toy from the shopping-mall but his father drags him away from
the store. Both he and his sister like some clothes but they are too
expensive. When they pass a five-star hotel, Omkar insists on going
inside and staying there. But this time too his father tells him that
he cannot afford it. A livid Omkar asks his father angrily why he does
not have sufficient money and is slapped by his mother.

Back in the village, Shridhar asks Omkar what he would do to please
his family. The boy replies that he is too young to do anything.
Finally his father asks him, “Will you stand first in your class?”
“What if I do,” replies the boy, and his father promises him a stay in
that same five-star hotel that he had seen in Mumbai. After that,
Omkar transforms completely. He forsakes his friends and is always
immersed in his studies and books to such an extent that his father
begins to worry. Soon the father starts collecting money to fulfill
his promise. Both father and son try to win the bet.

Sachin Khedekar, as Shridhar, is very convincing as the helpless
father out to please his son. His clothes, his body language and his
dialect make him a true villager. The scene where he pleads with God
that since he doesn’t have enough money to fulfill his son’s wish,
Omkar should get second rank instead and stand first later is quite
touching as well as funny. Omkar, played by debutant Ishaan Tambe, is
marvellous as a boy out to prove his father wrong and is adamant to
get his wish fulfilled. He is quite convincing in his role. Ashwini
Giri, as Shridhar’s wife, looks the part of a villager wife who
understands his problems and stands by his side. The daughter,
debutant Asmita Joglekar, is also good and so is Shubhangi Joshi as
her grandmother, who is sentimental about a boat left by her late
husband years ago. Kishore Kadam, in a brief role of an LIC agent, is
also very impressive.The camerawork by Sudhir Palsane is excellent as
he has captured the greenery and the scenic village beautifully. Nandu
Ghanekar, who makes his debut in Marathi, has given some good music
for lyrics penned by Ratnakar Matkari and Vijay Tapas. Kiran
Yadnyopavit makes his entry into Marathi films with Taryanche Bait and
he has done a wonderful job as the director. With this film, Ekta
Kapoor of Motion Pictures forays into Marathi cinema and we hope she
continues to make many more such films.