An epic retelling of an interesting chapter from Maratha history

Following Farzand and Fatteshikast, Digpal Lanjekar’s 1st two movies in the series of movies committed to the bravery of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the Maratha army, the author-director returns with a bang in the 3rd film of the sequence – Pawankhind.

The film, which was delayed owing to the pandemic, is dependent on one particular of the most famed incidents from Maratha heritage – the Fight of Pavan Khind. At the outset, the makers make it very clear that this is not a total documentation of the struggle, its prelude or aftermath, but a cinematic recreation meant to showcase the bravery of the Marathas associated in this fight. So, there are cinematic liberties taken in this retelling, but the crux of the story is maintained.

The tale about the Battle of Pavan Khind (earlier known as Ghod Khind) and the bravery exhibited by Bajiprabhu Deshpande and the Bandal military of 600 versus the Siddhi Masud and the soldiers of the Adilshahi Sultanate is well acknowledged throughout Maharashtra. The outcome – Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s prosperous escape from Panhalgad to Vishalgad. But, does Lanjekar succeed in recreating this critical chapter from Marathi background on monitor? Absolutely!

Pawankhind is a comprehensive cinematic encounter that is in good shape for the big monitor. The film is ambitious in seeking to take a look at this story in two and a fifty percent hrs, but it mainly succeeds in making the appropriate build up and atmosphere that potential customers to a wonderful climax. From laying out the purpose and the characters involved in it, to the siege of Panhala by Siddhi Jauhar, the escape approach and the actual struggle, Pawankhind lays out all its cards in front you chronologically, even though inducing a dose of historical past, drama and even comic relief in concerning. The movie doesn’t pass up out on giving because of credit history to the the vast majority of the generals who served Shivaji Maharaj realise his dream of Swarajya.

As for the actors, it’s not an quick task to convey some of the most perfectly –known names from the Marathi film and Television set sector collectively in a multi-starrer of this scale. But the casting section and makers pull off this feat. Chinmay Mandlekar as Shivaji Maharaj, Ajay Purkar as Bajiprabhu Deshpande, Sameer Dharmadhikari as Siddhi Jauhar, Aastad Kale as Siddhi Masud, Ankit Mohan as Rayaji Bandal, Mrinal Kulkarni as Maasaheb Jijau, Akshay Waghmare as Koyaji Bandal each individual actor has given his very best to their roles. Even the supporting solid has some unforgettable performances from Kshitee Jog as Badi Begum, Harish Dudhade as Bahirji Naik, Shivraj Waichal as Harpya, Rishi Saxena as Rustam Zaman. A further notable overall performance that stands out is that of Ajinkya Nanaware as Shiva Kashid, the gentleman who resembled Shivaji Maharaj and sacrificed himself for his king. The scenes involving Ajinkya and Chinmay are bound to convey tears to your eyes.

Though Pawankhind excels in storytelling, the technological features, however good, could have been greater. The history rating overpowers dialogues in some crucial scenes, and the action choreography in some scenes fails to make the slice. Even so, all mentioned and completed, the overall workforce has performed its greatest to make this a major display screen working experience. It’s possible with a bigger price range, these factors can be ironed out in the next films of Lanjekar’s series.

For now, Pawankhind is a wonderful observe, and at the cinemas only.