An epic retelling of an interesting chapter from Maratha history

Following Farzand and Fatteshikast, Digpal Lanjekar’s to start with two motion pictures in the series of films devoted to the bravery of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the Maratha military, the writer-director returns with a bang in the third movie of the series – Pawankhind.

The film, which was delayed owing to the pandemic, is based mostly on one of the most famous incidents from Maratha background – the Struggle of Pavan Khind. At the outset, the makers make it clear that this is not a entire documentation of the battle, its prelude or aftermath, but a cinematic recreation meant to showcase the bravery of the Marathas concerned in this struggle. So, there are cinematic liberties taken in this retelling, but the crux of the tale is maintained.

The tale about the Fight of Pavan Khind (earlier regarded as Ghod Khind) and the bravery shown by Bajiprabhu Deshpande and the Bandal army of 600 from the Siddhi Masud and the troopers of the Adilshahi Sultanate is very well recognized across Maharashtra. The result – Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s successful escape from Panhalgad to Vishalgad. But, does Lanjekar triumph in recreating this essential chapter from Marathi heritage on monitor? Completely!

Pawankhind is a comprehensive cinematic experience that is in good shape for the huge display. The film is formidable in trying to discover this story in two and a fifty percent hours, but it largely succeeds in producing the right develop up and atmosphere that prospects to a amazing climax. From laying out the rationale and the people associated in it, to the siege of Panhala by Siddhi Jauhar, the escape approach and the precise fight, Pawankhind lays out all its playing cards in front you chronologically, even though inducing a dose of record, drama and even comedian relief in in between. The film does not miss out on out on offering because of credit score to the the greater part of the generals who assisted Shivaji Maharaj realise his aspiration of Swarajya.

As for the actors, it’s not an easy task to provide some of the most properly –known names from the Marathi film and Television field 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 specified his ideal 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. A further noteworthy general performance that stands out is that of Ajinkya Nanaware as Shiva Kashid, the gentleman who resembled Shivaji Maharaj and sacrificed himself for his king. The scenes involving Ajinkya and Chinmay are bound to carry tears to your eyes.

Though Pawankhind excels in storytelling, the technical factors, while great, could have been superior. The background rating overpowers dialogues in some vital scenes, and the action choreography in some scenes fails to make the reduce. Nonetheless, all reported and finished, the total group has performed its best to make this a major display experience. Possibly with a larger spending budget, these factors can be ironed out in the subsequent movies of Lanjekar’s collection.

For now, Pawankhind is a good watch, and at the cinemas only.