Tanhaji review.. Historical depiction or excessive cinematic liberty?

The trailer, the zooming shots and the get up of the leads definitely attracted the moviebuff in me. So there I was, witnessing the drama unfold in 3D with Marathi voice over.

The 3D experience was somewhat enriching. Somewhat because some scenes made you feel like you are actually there. The javelin thrown seemed like it would actually pierce me! But with speedy scenes like fighting sequences, the picture turned hazy. The animated animals seemed too poor in quality.

The film is well paced and doesn\’t get boring at any point in time. The get up of all the characters was done well and seemed authentic. Ajay Devgn, producer and the lead, has done justice to his character of Tanaji Malusare. Ajay usually does justice to as such action based characters, and this film isn\’t any exception either. Saif Ali Khan has done wonders with his potrayal of the fierce and cruel Udaybhan Rathod. No one other than these two has much of a screen time or space. Marathi voice over has been done exceedingly well, beyond my expectations. Even the songs have been well made in Marathi by Ajay Atul. Music by Ajay Atul, Sachet Parampara and Mehul Vyas is endearing to the ears. Story writing and screenplay has been achieved well by Prakash Kapadia and Om Raut. Om Raut who was associated with a marathi film on Lokmanya Tilak, has also directed this film.

Although there is a huge list of disclaimers at the start, I personally think that historical events like these should not be fabricated for box office gains and melodrama. Some depictions which are doubtful, are listed below :–

1. Things like having a jumbo cannon, that could fire from one fort to another.

2. Tanhaji masquerading as a monk to drive home a point to his then friend and present king Shivaji and lecturing him in front of his mother and the whole durbar.

3. Killing Udaybhan by tying him to the cannon and pushing him off the cliff.

4. Tanaji himself going to the fort, risking his life, to know the fort architecture, although it was once under the reign of Marathas.

Nevertheless, this one\’s definitely worth a watch, to witness the wit, determination and dedication of the people of the times, for their motherland.