An epic retelling of an interesting chapter from Maratha history

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

The film, which was delayed owing to the pandemic, is centered on a person of the most well-known incidents from Maratha background – the Fight of Pavan Khind. At the outset, the makers make it obvious that this is not a full documentation of the battle, its prelude or aftermath, but a cinematic recreation meant to showcase the bravery of the Marathas concerned in this struggle. So, there are cinematic liberties taken in this retelling, but the crux of the story is preserved.

The tale about the Fight of Pavan Khind (before recognized as Ghod Khind) and the bravery shown by Bajiprabhu Deshpande and the Bandal army of 600 versus the Siddhi Masud and the troopers of the Adilshahi Sultanate is properly regarded throughout Maharashtra. The outcome – Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s prosperous escape from Panhalgad to Vishalgad. But, does Lanjekar do well in recreating this important chapter from Marathi heritage on display? Totally!

Pawankhind is a complete cinematic encounter that is suit for the huge display. The movie is bold in hoping to take a look at this tale in two and a fifty percent several hours, but it mostly succeeds in generating the suitable make up and atmosphere that qualified prospects to a excellent climax. From laying out the purpose and the characters associated in it, to the siege of Panhala by Siddhi Jauhar, the escape approach and the real fight, Pawankhind lays out all its playing cards in entrance you chronologically, while inducing a dose of record, drama and even comic aid in concerning. The film doesn’t miss out on offering owing credit to the the vast majority of the generals who aided Shivaji Maharaj realise his aspiration of Swarajya.

As for the actors, it is not an uncomplicated job to provide some of the most perfectly –known names from the Marathi film and Tv industry together 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 every single actor has supplied his ideal to their roles. Even the supporting cast has some unforgettable performances from Kshitee Jog as Badi Begum, Harish Dudhade as Bahirji Naik, Shivraj Waichal as Harpya, Rishi Saxena as Rustam Zaman. Yet another notable effectiveness 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 carry tears to your eyes.

While Pawankhind excels in storytelling, the specialized elements, even though good, could have been far better. The history score overpowers dialogues in some critical scenes, and the motion choreography in some scenes fails to make the reduce. Having said that, all stated and performed, the whole group has performed its finest to make this a big display screen practical experience. Probably with a larger budget, these points can be ironed out in the subsequent films of Lanjekar’s collection.

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