Movie Review – Lalbaug Parel (Mills to Malls – A Journey Which was)
Mumbai, the second most densely populated city in the world is popularly known as the Town of Opportunities and Testimonials. A city for dream and dream merchants. A city where everything is possible quick money, fast life, fast break-offs and even faster running hours of life. Dar Motion Pictures working in synergy using the leading director Mahesh Manjrekar have captivated one's heart from the audiences across Maharashtra in their recently released Marathi film 'Lalbaug Parel'.
Three decades ago the mills in Mumbai held the track record of actively contributing towards Mumbai's financial revenue. However, today these same mills happen to be replaced with aristocratic malls and multiplexes over the city. The script showcases the transition of mills to malls witnessed in our very own country's financial capital Mumbai. The plot involves the story of a mill workers family (Dhuri) who struggle when the karta of the home Anna (Shashank Shende) loses his job as mill worker leaving the entire clan under severe mental turmoil.
Anna's wife (Seema Biswas) provides a mediator by giving her best support and prompt focus on every member of the household by ensuring that nobody disturbs their happy home. The eldest son of the family Baba (Ankush Choudhary) is really a writer struggling to produce their own identity using the power of written words. Deep down the line it is clearly evident that Baba is really worried about the wellness of the whole family. Mohan (Vinit Kumar) second eldest of the family seems to be more enthusiastic about the sport of cricket. Naru (Karan Patel) third eldest holds the reputation for being the bhai of his neighborhood while the youngest of the family Manju (Veena Jamkar) is determined to guide a much better lifestyle to aid her along with the family by working in the beauty parlor.
The movie clearly depicts those funds isn't everything but money could make everything. Money can speak all languages and can cross all barriers. It's not the money but the insufficient money that serves to be the main of all evil for people in mills workers as well as their family staying in "Laxmi Cottage". Movie shows how poverty provokes a lady to sleep along with other men to support their family and just how the men head to the world of crime for the lure of cash.
In an attempt to have his sister Manju got married to a descent family Naru Dhuri goes to the extent of committing murder as a swap of cash. When all is lost in the battles of life the only real ray of hope the mill workers have comes from their union leaders including Arvind Rane (Sachin Khedekar), Govind (Vinay Apte) and Dr. Abba Sawant (Vaibhav Mangle). Rather than getting solace from their leaders in these turbulent times it is seen that the truth is destiny turns out to be cruel leaving both union leaders as well as the mill workers totally despondent and marked by low spirits. The nexus between your mill owners and politicians is rightly depicted within the movie. The key focus throughout the movie revolves around Dhuri family, Naru and Speedbraker (Siddharth Jadhav).
Both, Jayant Pawar and Mahesh Manjrekar have been instrumental in keeping the audience involved way up to the end by showcasing the kids from the mill workers family from real-life within this movie. Good work by the whole team for portraying the bitter reality witnessed throughout the 1982 mill workers strike within the big bad city Mumbai.
The strong script of "Lalbaug Parel" is indeed a testimony the common masses will likely be influenced while taking them with the transition journey from mills to malls which indeed is a voyage of discovery. It's bound to set the folks thinking "Is life always fair ultimately?" Well, the audience should get the better answer only after they watch the film.