Well, I won’t hesitate to say that this is one of the BEST movies I have ever seen in any language. In fact I shall struggle to name a movie which I thought was better.
In Marathi there is of course not much comparison for this movie, since there are very few movies worth remembering over a prolonged period of time, such as this one. Pinjara and Samana are generally considered to be the Marathi greats, but I feel they don’t come close to this.
Of course this one is quite different than the one like Pinjara, which tries to reveal the intricacies of human mind, character and the conflict of the two. (sounds a like a typical news paper review?) Sinhasan was relased in 1978, and I think it is Jabbar’s best product to date. I think Jabbar himself rates Mukta as his best movie though. As has been told by previous reviewers, this is an out and out 100% political movie. It is something typical that you read in news papers about the political rat race, but hardly see what happens behind the scene. This movie shows you how things probably happen behind the scene. The novel is of course more detailed in describing these intricacies, but that’s the power of that medium. The whole plot revolves around the race for Chief ministerial ambitions of the No. 2 minister in the state cabinet, the conspiracies that he carries out, and how incumbent CM tackles them. The way movie has captured and displayed in 2 and half hours the mumerous characters and events - some of them such remote events that a common man will never ever imagine to be connected with such vicious politics - which form part of this plot, is the greatness of this movie. It is very comprehensive and extremely fast paced. I am not sure if the movie was made Black and White due to budget problem, or for the effect of it. But it has somehow given it an additional mysterious touch. Sometimes B&W can be more colourful than eastmancolour.
The direction is of the highest standard you can imagine, the novel(s) which the movie is based on, two greatest and pathbreaking novels in Marathi, and the Cast is the dream of any director. It is simply the whose who of the best actors in Marathi at that time. Dr. Shriram Lagu, Arun Sarnaik, Neelu Phule, Datta Bhat, Satish Dubhashi, Madhav Watve, Mohan Agashe... the list is never ending. It was the credential of the director, even 25-30 years ago, that fetched him such talented top artists, all together. It suffices to say that all the actors have lived up to their reputation one hunderd percent. Still, you can’t skip to mention the actors who have played the two main characters - Arun Sarnaik and Shriram Lagu. They have been La creme de la creme.
What else to say? It is simply something you must not miss.