Shaala - All that Good?

Spent an afternoon watching a Marathi film called Shaala. This was one film that I wanted to love, but could barely manage to like. I somehow survived it till the last shot, then turned off the TV and wondered about all the unnecessary praise showered on the film. I say unnecessary because here was one story that had the potential, but was let down by the direction and screenplay. Yes I know the film has won a National Award. I’d lost faith in them after the royally-wooden Arjun Rampal got one for Rock On! But Jogwa reinstated my trust. Now this year, there was Vidya Balan and Girish Kulkarni on one hand, and this film on the other. I don’t know what to say!

Set against the 1975 emergency backdrop, Shaala tells the story of Mukund Joshi (Anshuman Joshi), a standard IX student, who is smitten by Shirodkar (Ketaki Mategaonkar). How cute (for a documentary!). But to drag it into a two and a half hour ordeal is preposterous. That should explain the snail-paced narrative. I waited and waited for the story to move, but alas! This is where my biggest disappointment with the film lies. Not that I have a problem with sluggish scripts. The director wanted to the audience to refresh their school memories. At the given pace, daydreaming and nostalgia were quite a handful!

The saving grace for the movie is the top-notch performances put in by the entire cast (Exception: a miscast Amruta Khanvilkar). Joshi, his friends, Shirodkar, all the teachers and the Principal are very likeable. However, many characters are not completely developed and lack homogeneity, which could have been avoided considering the leisurely pace at which the movie progresses. Also, the cinematography is spectacular. On the whole, an average film that could have been better. Much better.