Phulrani

#Phulrani

A remake of Pygmalion is always an audacious proposition... One it has a legacy that the makers need to be careful about.. From Julie andrews in theatre to Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady to our erstwhile Late Bhakti Barve singing "tula shikwin changlach dhada" - the actress in the lead role anyway has a Herculean task as the comparisons are obvious

Priyadarshini as "Phulrani" totally lives up to her role and you actually live her dream and emotions throughout the film - her honesty and her vulnerability both endearing - at the end of the film your heart is happy that she has created a niche of her own Subodh Bhave - well someone who has a range to play Lokmanya Tilak to Balgandharva to Kashinath Ghanekar - this gentleman can do just about anything in life

Ably supported by the rest of the cast the film engages you till the very end

And with a lighthouse like Vikram Kaka in his last film he nails it with his dialogues - "bag gheun ja baggage nahi" - the expressions, the dialogue delivery, the reconciliation with his son - truly wanted to hug him wherever he is

Phulrani takes us through all the beautiful emotions - the laughter, the remorse, the metamorphosis of the character doing justice to the original - whilst adapting beautifully to the modern times especially the climax - kudos to the director Vishwas Joshi

And when your dearest friend is one of the producers of this film you come out as happy as Eliza Doolittle singing

"I could have danced all night And still have begged for more"

Powerful and simple wholesome movie. Though many versions /adaptation of Pygmallion are made, Phulrani standard out with a contemporary twist. Very subtle father Son relationship depicted. Very nicely written with class dialogues. " Take bag, leave the baggage " spoke a lot. Subodh Bhave and Vikram Gokhale are seasoned actors but the lead Phulrani played by Priyadarshini as like a breath of fresh air. What distinguishes this movie from other adaptations is the way story is told and unfolda. And that makes it today's film for every generation. Superb acting by everyone and masterpiece direction by Vishwas Joshi. A must watch. Go for it...

As it is, I was a great fan of Priyadarshini for her skits on MHJ . She has literally stolen the show single handedly in this Phulrani. It's like a six on the very first ball ... Subodh Bhave and Vikram Gokhale are gr8 as usual ... Hats off to Vishwas Joshi for providing such a wonderful entertainment. The message about the si called and well managed beauty pageants is very nice. What's more important is inner beauty rather than exterior appearance and hypocrisy. This movie based on Pigmalion is a great subject for all generations. The music numbers are catchy and melodious. Overall, a very good watch on Amazon prime.

George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion is an ironic satire on love and the English class system. Henry Higgins - a phonetician - accepts a bet to change Eliza Doolittle's language to make her a duchess (queen) in 6 months, trains her rigorously and then falls in love with her - his own creation. Based on this plot, the film My Fair Lady was released in 1964 and later P. L. D. Adapted this plot into the Marathi drama 'Ti Phulrani' in 1970-71. While Bhakti Barve's portrayal of Manjula and her monologue 'Tula Shikvin Changlach Dhada' still dominates the hearts of Marathi audiences, director Vishwas Joshi brought Phulrani into a contemporary context in the 21st century through the film 'Phulrani' released on 22/03/2023.

The Deconstruction of concepts like Beauty Pageant, the Beauty Standards and the slightly feminist lens is commendable and help make the film relatable today. Shevanta Tandel, played by Priyadarshini Indalkar, easily empathizes with the audience and Vishwas Joshi subtly breaks the concept of heroines being bound to a certain box. Shewanta's monologue in the film is very poignant. When she says, "Be it poor / rich, uneducated / educated and underprivileged / elite, a woman is ultimately an object, a doll" every word in the monologue is hard hitting and leaves one teary-eyed. Saying "not I'm not rustic but am uneducated because I have seen themoney for my education go quarter-to-quarter down my father's throat" the director expresses the pain of many such girls who are often deprived of education for this reason despite earning on their own.

Although the role of Brigadier played by Vikram Gokhale is in a secondary position, it is very effective in conveying the plot accurately to the audience. The role also conveys an emotional message by playing a big-hearted role to the child, saying, "Carry the bags, not the baggage." Subodh Bhave's portrayal of Henry Higgins/Nalayak Master i.e. Vikram Rajadhyaksha does full justice to both the hero and villain sides. The character development of this role from being associated with multiple women initially to being honest and loyal to Shevanta by the end has been beautifully shown in the film.

The roles of Sushant Shelar, Vaishnavi Andhale, Milind Shinde, Gaurav Ghatnekar, etc. Are seen in the film contributing equally to making Phulrani a success. The songs 'Hirve Hirve', 'Tujya Sobtiche', are perfectly timed in the film and gently touch the hearts of the audience and succeed in taking the plot forward.

The biggest strength of this film is that the story is presented in a very simple and easy manner without unnecessary melodrama or emotional twists and the film keeps the audience hooked till the end to know whether Shevanta Tandel's honesty is the best or Vikram Rajadhyaksha's arrogance.

Representation of the Koli community, prevalent social concepts, creativity, empathetic writing [eg: "It is the shop (of liquor) with the longest queue in front of it.], realistic framing of ideas and a graceful feminist touch are all aspects perfectly executed by Vishwas Joshi in Phulrani. It goes without saying that the challenge of reviving Pygmalion, My Fair Lady and Ti Phulrani in this age has been beautifully fulfilled through Phulrani.

Great story, lovely characters, amazing acting, good music, nice dialogues.

Twists in the movie make it interesting, including the ending, it's unexpected and warm.

The actress has done a fabulous job, doesn't feel like her first movie, she has acted like a seasoned person - with the accent and the transition and portrayal of two distinct personalities.

The movie is engaging right from the start and keeps one wondering what next and how. The comedy is good too.

A lot of real situations, characters and dialogues make it even more interesting.

Definitely recommend watching, ideally a theatre watch.