Devrai - Marathi Film By Sumitra Bhave & Sunil Sukthankar

The Hyderabad Film Club is screening a Marathi film, 'Devrai' ('Sacred Grove') at Sarathi Studios on the 21st of March, at 6:30pm.

Directed by Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukhtankar, the film stars Atul Kulkarni, Sonali Kulkarni, Devika Daftardar, Tushar Dalvi, Amruta Subhash, Rajesh More, Mohan Agashe and child actor Ashwin Chitale, and lasts for 117 minutes.

Shesh's (Atul Kulkarni) past is haunted by the fragmented memories of his near ones. He is a man who dwells almost entirely in an imaginary world, and he dramatizes that inwardness as though nobody is watching. His journey of recovery begins with his struggle to get out of the mental condition, the struggle of the people around him, and his only hope, his sister Seena (Sonali Kulkarni), who tries to bring new meaning into his life.

Circumstances throughout his life result in Shesh withdrawing completely into his world. He becomes increasingly paranoid, and starts to link every incident with a sacred grove in the forest. It becomes increasingly difficult for him to separate reality and imagination, and when he combines both and gives it a human character called ‘Devrai', he gets lost in it. Finally, brought to the city after a sudden violent attack, he is diagnosed as suffering from schizophrenia.

The film swept popular awards for best film, director, actor and actress at the Star Screen Awards in the Marathi films category. The movie also won the technical excellence award at the International Film Festival in Kerala and the special jury award at the Mumbai International Film Festival for Atul's performance. The film has won over 16 awards to date, including the National Award.

Entry to the film screening is free for members of the Hyderabad Film Club. Please contact Bh S S Prakash Reddy at 2373-0841 for further details.