Sinhasan

Sinhasan
Directed byJabbar Patel
Written byArun Sadhoo
Screenplay byVijay Tendulkar
Story byArun Sadhoo
Based onSinhasan
by Arun Sadhoo
Mumbai Dinank
by Arun Sadhu
StarringNilu Phule
Shriram Lagoo
Mohan Agashe
Nana Patekar
Satish Dubhashi
Jairam Hardikar
CinematographySuryakant Lavande
Edited byN. S. Vaidya
Music byHridaynath Mangeshkar
Release date
  • 1979 (1979)
CountryIndia
LanguageMarathi

Sinhasan (English: Throne) is 1979 Indian Marathi-language political drama film directed by Jabbar Patel and written by journalist Arun Sadhu.[1] The film is based on two novels - one of the same name and the other named Mumbai Dinank by writer and freelance journalist Arun Sadhu.[2] The film starring Nilu Phule, Arun Sarnaik, Shriram Lagoo, Mohan Agashe, Reema Lagoo, Nana Patekar, Usha Nadkarni, Datta Bhatt and Satish Dubhashi.[3] Film Won National Film Award for Best Marathi Feature Film at 27th National Film Awards.[4]

Plot

The movie draws a parallel from the political turmoil of India.

The main character is a journalist named Digu Tipnis (Nilu Phule) who uncovers a network of telephone tapping, relations between trade unions and politicians, etc. The plot addresses Maharashtra's political corruption linked with Mumbai's entrepreneurial sector. The movie starts with an assembly session where Chief Minister (Arun Sarnaik) has to leave the heated discussion to attend an urgent call. The caller (claims to be a well-wisher and informer) informs CM that some the members from his own party are secretively planning to remove him from his chair. The phone call changes the political scenario in the state and many activities start taking place behind the curtains. CM obviously doubts the Finance Minister of the state (Shriram Lagoo) who has started gathering the support of MLAs for trying to pose himself as a better candidate for a Chief Ministerial Post. In this chaos, certain factors like Media (Nilu Phule – Digambar - A journalist), a Union Leader named D’casta who has decided to take head on with smugglers (see a young Nana Patekar – a small time criminal) gain high bargaining power. The struggle for the power reaches to the peak when CM deals with the issues like Hunger strike, worker’s strike, famine and deaths due to malnutrition. Digambar (who is already troubled in his personal life) observes all these negotiations, compromises and Horse-trading that are happening in the political arena. Union leader announces a conference where he is going to reveal some secrets, FM almost manages to gather the required numbers and CM tries to judge who is on which side. And as a last nail in the coffin, one of the confidants in Police informs CM that Police is about to arrested his (CM’s) brother-in law with the charges of smuggling. The FM faction is about to start the celebrations and suddenly a news strikes that shocks each and everyone involved. What is that news? Is it really true? What impact would it have on the political scene? The future events are very fast and unimaginable.

The movie has lot of scenes in between including extra marital affairs of Digambars maid with others, her husband (Nana Patekar), also affair of the Finance minister Sriram Lagoo with his daughter in law (Reema Lagoo), once such scene is quiet enticing in the movie in which Digambar goes to a saloon for hair cut, and when the barber probes him about the future of Maharashtra CM, he bluntly tells him "who ever becomes the CM, how will that make any changes in your life as a common man?" In short this is a very touchy, emotional, dramatic as well as realistic movie. Specially the song "Usha kaal hota hota" is heart wrenching. Towards the end, Digu Tipnis becomes insane after being frustrated with the corrupt political system. The movie outlines how the effect of selfish and voracious behaviour of white collars and politicians on the common man. During one session in vidhan sabha, Arun Sarnaik as the chief minister, whose mental and physical health is disturbed by an anonymous phone call warning him of a conspiracy to dislodge him. The vultures in Jivajirao’s party, including ministers played by Madhukar Toradmal and Shriram Lagoo, swoop down on him after a bout of stress-induced illness. They advise Jivajirao to “take it easy”, but he ignores the unsubtle hints and instead plays his own game of thrones, working the phone lines to pit one cabinet minister against the other.

Cast

Music

The movie became quite famous for the song "Ushakkal hota hota". The song was based on poem written by poet Suresh Bhat. The music was composed by Hridaynath Mangeshkar. The song is fiery as well as heart touching. It showed the misery of common man in a corrupt social and political environment.[6]

Accolades

References

  1. ^ Ramnath, Nandini (26 September 2017). "Classics revisited: 'Sinhasan' is Marathi cinema's own game of thrones". Scroll.in. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  2. ^ "Video: "'सिंहासन' चित्रपट वेदना देणारा"; सुप्रिया सुळेंचं वक्तव्य, म्हणाल्या, "४४ वर्षांनंतरही..."". Loksatta (in Marathi). 12 April 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  3. ^ तांबे, सुनिल (13 April 2023). "Sinhasan Marathi Movie : 'सिंहासन सिनेमाची ४४ वर्षे'". Max Maharashtra (in Marathi). Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Chaos Magazine - Dr Jabbar Patel". Retrieved 16 October 2011.
  5. ^ "Chaos Magazine - Dr Jabbar Patel". Retrieved 16 October 2011.
  6. ^ "उषःकाल होता होता…सुरेश भटांची नवचैतन्य निर्माण करणारी कविता". Mahaedu News. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  7. ^ a b Deshpande, Rekha (2014). Marathi Chitrapatsrushticha Samgra Itihas (in Marathi) (1st ed.). Maharashtra: Ministry of Cultural Affairs (Maharashtra).{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)