JHIMMA

Today after a long time saw a Marathi movie at the theatre.

JHIMMA

(झिम्मा)

It was released on 19th November..so now it is running in its 51st Day..

I had heard a lot about this film but actually didn't get tickets over the weekend since last 3 weeks.

Finally saw it today after booking tickets on Friday itself.

Let's get to the movie..

After a long time in Marathi we see a travel film.

On paper, the film has a simple story. Seven women from different walks of life, all strangers, meet on a trip, slowly make friends, and help one another overcome their fears and look at their problems from newer perspectives. In short rediscover themselves.

The trip is to United Kingdom  (London in particular).

Some of them have been there before but most of them have come this far from home for the first time. They have signed up with a travel agency run by Kabir (played by Siddharth Chandekar) who has inherited his wanderlust from his father. This is the first tour that he has organised, so he is quite nervous. His future as an entrepreneur depends on the successful execution of this trip.

There are 7 lady protagonists with him

Indu (played by Suhas Joshi), Nirmala (played by Nirmiti Sawant), Mita (played by Kshitee Jog), Rama (played by Mrinmayee Godbole), Vaishali (played by Suchitra Bandekar), Krutika (played by Sayali Sanjeev), Maithili (played by Sonalee Kulkarni). They are of different ages ( from a 20 to 70 year old )and temperaments, so breaking the ice takes a while. The film does not assume a natural sisterhood; it explores each woman's story with care.

There are the mandatory bickerings but then they all develop a camaraderie and share secrets.

The writers and the director have made a deliberate attempt to keep the tone light even when things get serious. When the jokes land, they are really funny. In that sense, Jhimma delivers. It's a decent family entertainer that keeps you engaged.

Jhimma is thoughtful touching on social issues through individual stories without becoming preachy.

The film's biggest strength is the chemistry among the actresses. Senior artistes like Nirmiti Sawant, who plays the wife of a politician, and Suhas Joshi make their presence felt. They are quite natural in both the emotional and funny scenes. Sonalee Kulkarni plays a newly engaged woman who is already fed up with her clingy fiance. Her character has a nice angle. Kshitee Jog is impressive as an inveterate worrier.( She is the producer too)

All the ladies and girls act very well. Siddharth Chandekar does a good job of showing the helplessness and frustration of a man caught in the constant whims and fancies of the women.

Personally I loved the movie and left the theatre with a smile.

It is available in theatres with English Subtitles and is expected to be on the OTT platform by Women's Day in March.