| Cast: |
Sachin
Kedekar, Tabu, Namrata Shirodkar, Mohnish Behl. |
| Director: |
Mahesh
Manjerekar |
Aditi
and Shrikant Pandit (Sachin Khedekar) are
happily married middle-aged couple with a son, Aniket,
(Sunil Barve) about to be married to Revathi (Namrata
Shirodkar).
One
fine day Aditi is left a substantial inheritance by
her former music teacher Malhar Kamat (Mohnish Behl).
Though Shri initially welcomes the unexpected bounty,
he gets suspicious and realises that Aniket is not his
son.
He
confronts Aditi and she admits Aniket is Kamat's son,
conceived during one of Shri's long business trips.
Shri is shattered, and feels that he has lost his respect
in society, as people would now laugh at him. His ego
his hurt and he even as he drowns in self pity, he also
asks Aditi, to leave the house. Aditi, whose life has
for the last 27 years been centered around her husband,
son and home, suddenly finds herself alone.
Already
very upset, she tells her husband and son her reasons
for her actions, making a strong plea for women's equality,
and walks out of the marriage. And here the film ends.
Surprisingly
enough the film does not show what happens to her during
her search for the identity, which is what could have
been he most interesting part of the film.
It
seems to an honest attempt by the director to examine
the sexual double standards in urban Indian settings,
only it should have taken lesser footage to do it. Tabu's
vehicle all the way, her performance is commendable,
but not outstanding.
Though
the effort is commendable, the film is incomplete. A
short film, what it does say could have perhaps been
said in lesser time and Aditi's later life deserved
to find a place in the film. What is remarkable is the
frankness with which the issue is discussed, though
only at the end.
|