An epic retelling of an interesting chapter from Maratha history

Right after Farzand and Fatteshikast, Digpal Lanjekar’s first two motion pictures in the collection of movies committed to the bravery of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the Maratha army, the writer-director returns with a bang in the 3rd film of the collection – Pawankhind.

The film, which was delayed owing to the pandemic, is based on just one of the most renowned incidents from Maratha record – the Fight of Pavan Khind. At the outset, the makers make it very clear that this is not a entire documentation of the battle, its prelude or aftermath, but a cinematic recreation intended to showcase the bravery of the Marathas involved in this battle. So, there are cinematic liberties taken in this retelling, but the crux of the tale is preserved.

The story about the Fight of Pavan Khind (earlier recognised as Ghod Khind) and the bravery shown by Bajiprabhu Deshpande and the Bandal military of 600 towards the Siddhi Masud and the troopers of the Adilshahi Sultanate is very well known throughout Maharashtra. The end result – Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s successful escape from Panhalgad to Vishalgad. But, does Lanjekar succeed in recreating this vital chapter from Marathi historical past on screen? Definitely!

Pawankhind is a complete cinematic working experience that is healthy for the massive screen. The film is bold in attempting to discover this story in two and a half several hours, but it mostly succeeds in creating the right create up and ambience that sales opportunities to a wonderful climax. From laying out the explanation and the figures included in it, to the siege of Panhala by Siddhi Jauhar, the escape program and the real struggle, Pawankhind lays out all its playing cards in front you chronologically, whilst inducing a dose of history, drama and even comic relief in among. The movie does not skip out on offering owing credit score to the the vast majority of the generals who assisted Shivaji Maharaj realise his desire of Swarajya.

As for the actors, it’s not an easy process to provide some of the most properly –known names from the Marathi film and Tv marketplace with each other in a multi-starrer of this scale. But the casting division 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 just about every actor has supplied 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. An additional noteworthy overall performance 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.

Whilst Pawankhind excels in storytelling, the technical aspects, even though great, could have been better. The background score overpowers dialogues in some crucial scenes, and the action choreography in some scenes fails to make the reduce. Even so, all claimed and performed, the overall workforce has accomplished its very best to make this a big monitor practical experience. Perhaps with a bigger spending plan, these issues can be ironed out in the next films of Lanjekar’s collection.

For now, Pawankhind is a great view, and at the cinemas only.