Mee Sindhutai Sapkal

Bai (Neena Kulkarni),who is not in her senses,mistakes her for her own daughter and takes her home but dies after learning the truth. Thus begins Chindi’s lone journey. She adopts a name,Sindhu,after her favourite river. She sings bhajans and begins her preachings to earn a living. On the way,she adopts orphans. Eventually,when Shrihari is 80 years old,he comes to her for help and she ‘adopts’ him as well.

The film begins with a 60-year-old Sindhutai,who is on her way to San Jose for a Marathi Sammelan where she is to be honoured for her good deeds. It is the first time she is travelling by aeroplane and seated next to her is a pilot (Anant Narayan Mahadevan) who is on his way to meet his daughter. The duo bonds and events on the flight take her on a flashback to her younger days.

This touching tale has been handled diligently by director Anant Mahadevan. The pain and trauma of little Chindi,later as the ill-treated wife and helpless mother and then as Sindhutai,who has lived life on her own terms,comes across very emotionally and touches a core.

It is the eyes of Prajwal Shetye,the 12-year old Chindi,that speaks volumes of her pain. She is brilliant in her role. Tejaswini Pandit,who plays the young wife and mother,manages to carry the film on her gentle shoulders. She too expresses with her eyes beautifully. Her deglam look and clothes suit her character. Jyoti Chandekar,as the older Sindhutai,too does justice to her character. The fact that she has accepted her fate comes across in her speech that she makes in San Jose. When she returns to her village and her husband wants her back,she says,she shall ‘adopt’ him but not be his ‘wife’ again. Being mother-daughter in real life helps connect Jyoti and Tejaswini in their characters as there is a lot of resemblance between them. Upendra Limaye as the husband has little to do. Neena Kulkarni as Bai,Suhas Palshikar as Chindi’s father and Ganesh Yadav as the village sarpanch are passable.

Ashok Patki’s music is pleasant to the ears. Camerawork by K. Raj Kumar is good.

RATING: ****

Four stars. One each for performances by Tejaswini Pandit and Jyoti Chandekar,Anant Narayan Mahadevan’s direction and the touching story of a distraught woman.

namita.nivas@expressindia.com