Rita….. The movie.

Rita….. The movie.

(Language: Marathi)

That marathi cinema has come of age is by now an established fact. Rita, the movie is fresh evidence to the premise. The movie is based on a Marathi novel by Shanta Gokhale, Rita Welinkar. With the central character played by Pallavi Joshi the film is directed by Renuka Shahane. Renuka Shahane debuts as a director with this powerful movie. Jackie Shroff also plays a crucial role as Rita’s (Joshi) love interest.

The story of young Rita as she grows to become a supportive daughter to emotionless eccentric parents touches the heart. The movie traces the life of Rita from there to being the ‘other woman’ in Salvi’s (Jackie Shroff) life finally ending into a nervous breakdown. The movie explores her life through a letter to her best friend Saraswati Iyyer played by Renuka Shahne. Rita’s character unfolds as being a little girl running around on the beaches and babysitting her younger sister to being helpless in front of her family’s selfishness. Rita’s journey continues through her make believe love to a married man that makes her emotionally vulnerable and dependent stripped off her self-respect. It is the end that she discovers the latent self respect and speaks up for herself. The movie moves beyond feminism, rather it explores the aspect of individual identity.

The movie is a mostly dark with glimpses of light and liveliness in it. It starts with a gloomy feeling in a psychiatric ward of a hospital. The quick flashbacks are extremely powerful as they create a shock effect. The glimpses of her past thrown in between create more curiosity. The short dream sequence is heart wrenching. The sudden dissolve to a little Rita playing on the beach and a peek into her troubled childhood gives a strong base for the movie to make an impact on the audiences mind. From there on the constant juggling between the past and the present until a full flash back through the letter to Saraswati Iyyer opens up. The sound of the movie creates a lasting impression of the scences. In one particular example where Rita goes though a emotional turmoil the ‘ Mantra pushpanjali’ during Ganesh utsava which contradicts with Rita’s emotions make a strong impact. The immediate silence that follows this scene is completely jarring. The movie ends on a happier note with The three women Rita , her friend Saraswati and her sister Sangita walking by the beach melting into the sunset.th elast scene in a way indicates Rita’s life coming to a full circle.

The movie is clearly a performer’s movie and Pallavi Joshi as the protagonist is astounding. Jackies Shroff fits the bill as married man unable to decide between his family and the person he loves. Sai Tamhankar as the understanding sister proves her mettle. Renuka Shahane performs the dual role as a director and actor with much aplomb.

Rita… is truly a bench mark for more Marathi movies.

- Prachi Mujumdar.

(freelance journalist , Pune)