Aapla Manus: A Marathi Cinema Masterpiece with Nana Patekar’s Double Role

Have you watched Aapla Manus movie? Yes, I just finished it. The film comes across as an extremely immature story, with irritating acting by Nana and an irritating accent given to him. The tone of the movie and cinematography is too fresh for a suspense movie, making it too filmsy in context. Overall, it is another failed attempt in Marathi cinema, which is hurting the Marathi boy in me.

Worth Watching Despite Criticism

Reading some opinions about the movie, there are contrary views. Just watched! The movie was exciting without songs, making it more interesting. Nana's performance is at his best, and the support actors have done an excellent job. Any movie that keeps you engrossed is definitely worth a watch!

Movie Overview and Plot

Language: Marathi with English Subtitles
Genre: Suspense Drama
Rating: 4/5

Being a fan of Nana Patekar, I was excited to watch this film. This time, he plays two different roles in the movie – "Aapla Manus," meaning "Our Man." Aapla Manus is produced by Ajay Devgan Ffilms and is the first Marathi movie by Viacom18 Motion Pictures. The movie is an adaptation of the play "Katkon Trikon" by Vivek Bele. The plot is a gripping mix of suspense and drama, with a fascinating narrative that keeps you hooked.

Story and Characters

The movie begins with an old man by the name Aba Gokhale, played by Nana Patekar, falling from an apartment and lying on the ground. Inspector Maruti Nagargoje (also played by Nana Patekar) comes to investigate the case. Maruti later confronts the son Rahul (played by Sumeet Raghavan) and the daughter-in-law Iravati (played by Iravati Hershe) separately to understand the case. He tries to break into the fine details of their complicated relationship with Aba and their daily arguments and heated conversations that took place a few days before the crime.

Questions and Suspense

Was it a suicide, if so, what led Aba to commit suicide? Was it a murder, if so, could it be the daughter-in-law who did it to get rid of her old cranky father-in-law? Could it be the son himself?

The movie takes a deep dive into all the possible perspectives and versions of the same incident, and the suspense surrounding "whodunit" forms the heart of the movie. Nana Patekar's performance as Aba is particularly commendable, as he successfully portrays a man who, for once, wants to get reunited with his grandson and for two, can't stop cribbing about his daughter-in-law's day-to-day actions.

Director Satish Rajwade has maintained the pace and suspense in the movie until the very end, making it a thrilling experience. The absence of songs actually adds to the gripping nature of the film. However, the movie's structure could have been better, as a poorly structured and somewhat drawn-out ending felt unnecessary.

Conclusion

This movie clearly highlights how an incident can be viewed and interpreted in different ways by the society. How different perspectives can weave a different story for the same incident. In the road of life, relationships can be slightly bumpy at times but we all have our "Aapla Manus" to help us! Similarly, the movie may have had its share of flaws and deviations in the end, but we all had our talented "Aapla Manus" to take care of it.

Overall, Aapla Manus is definitely a watch, especially if you are a fan of Nana Patekar and Marathi cinema. It's a well-crafted suspense drama that keeps you on the edge of your seat.