An epic retelling of an interesting chapter from Maratha history

Following Farzand and Fatteshikast, Digpal Lanjekar’s initial two motion pictures in the series of films dedicated to the bravery of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the Maratha military, the writer-director returns with a bang in the third film of the sequence – Pawankhind.

The movie, which was delayed due to the pandemic, is based mostly on a single of the most well-known incidents from Maratha history – the Struggle of Pavan Khind. At the outset, the makers make it distinct that this is not a complete documentation of the struggle, its prelude or aftermath, but a cinematic recreation meant to showcase the bravery of the Marathas involved in this fight. So, there are cinematic liberties taken in this retelling, but the crux of the story is taken care of.

The tale about the Struggle of Pavan Khind (earlier regarded as Ghod Khind) and the bravery shown by Bajiprabhu Deshpande and the Bandal army of 600 in opposition to the Siddhi Masud and the soldiers of the Adilshahi Sultanate is perfectly known across Maharashtra. The outcome – Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s prosperous escape from Panhalgad to Vishalgad. But, does Lanjekar realize success in recreating this critical chapter from Marathi record on display? Completely!

Pawankhind is a comprehensive cinematic expertise that is healthy for the massive screen. The film is formidable in attempting to examine this story in two and a fifty percent hours, but it mostly succeeds in producing the appropriate make up and atmosphere that potential customers to a superb climax. From laying out the motive and the people associated in it, to the siege of Panhala by Siddhi Jauhar, the escape strategy and the real fight, Pawankhind lays out all its cards in front you chronologically, although inducing a dose of history, drama and even comic relief in among. The film doesn’t miss out on out on providing because of credit history to the the greater part of the generals who helped Shivaji Maharaj realise his dream of Swarajya.

As for the actors, it’s not an straightforward activity to convey some of the most nicely –known names from the Marathi film and Television set market alongside one another 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 and every actor has supplied his most effective 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. One more noteworthy efficiency that stands out is that of Ajinkya Nanaware as Shiva Kashid, the person who resembled Shivaji Maharaj and sacrificed himself for his king. The scenes involving Ajinkya and Chinmay are certain to provide tears to your eyes.

While Pawankhind excels in storytelling, the technical features, even though good, could have been superior. The background score overpowers dialogues in some critical scenes, and the action choreography in some scenes fails to make the cut. However, all said and carried out, the whole staff has performed its best to make this a major screen practical experience. Perhaps with a greater budget, these matters can be ironed out in the following films of Lanjekar’s collection.

For now, Pawankhind is a good look at, and at the cinemas only.