Film: Paltadacho Munis (Man across the Bridge) Konkani with English Subtitles, Cast: Chittaranjan Giri, Veena Jamkar, Directed by: Laxmikant Shetgaonkar, Duration: 96 minutes, Rating: * * * *
After making waves and winning laurels at every festival it was screened at across the globe, Paltadacho Munis, which also won the FIPRESCI at the Toronto film fest last year, has finally hit the theaters in its home town. A stand out film, any which way you look at it, this effort by director Laxmikant Shetgaonkar is a landmark in Konkani cinema. But the global success proves that humane stories are not restricted by boundaries of countries, states, culture or language - it is the emotion and its portrayal through which cinema speaks and this film does an excellent job of that.
Based on a story by Mahabaleshwar Sail, this is the story of a forest guard Vinayak (Chittaranjan Giri) who lives on his own and leads a fairly simple life. The officer occasionally pays a visit to ensure that everything is okay and Vinayak’s job is to keep the odd poachers at bay.
One day he meets a woman (Veena Jamkar) who is mentally unstable. Initially, he tries to drive her away but gradually a bond is formed between the two, which remains a secret from the others. Meanwhile the villagers are building a temple and the local politician is the brain child behind this move. There are some subtle and symbolic moments depicting Vinayak’s moral dilemma on this issue. The portrayal of various social issues and the treatment of delicate subjects are extremely well handled. To his credit, Shetgaonkar manages to stir those emotions within you without a shred of melodrama or going over the top, which is a rare to see.
While the basic story has a strong core, the execution has made it even stronger. Perhaps the delay in making the film turned to be a blessing in disguise as the screenplay is watertight. Almost every department is picture perfect. The camerawork is splendid, the background score, which makes good use of western and Indian instruments, is apt and the editing is razor sharp. There is not an extra spoken word or a scene that lingers too long. The final shot will leave you shaken and stirred.
The cast has also done a fantastic job. Chittaranjan Giri apparently put in a lot of effort to play this role and it shows. Veena Jamkar has established herself as a very good actress in a considerably short period and her performance is noteworthy. Paltadacho Munis then is a must watch because this is as good as it gets when it comes to quality cinema - Then there is always a sense of pride that it is a Konkani film. Come high water or hell, don’t miss it.
