Ashi hi banwabanwi

Marathi film industry has been blessed with not only talented actors but visionary film makers too. Marathi film industry has always been more close to content driven films and considered their viewers to be intelligent. The industry was well aware that audience are not drawn to the theaters because of the star cast but rather the story and presentation. There are several hidden gems of Marathi cinema. One of them is "Ashi hi banwabanwi" which was the first film grossing ₹ 1 Cr at the box office, that too in 1980s. Though Marathi viewing audience are in love with this film, I believe it is still not recognized outside of Maharashtra.

This film revolves around 4 young men who are close friends: a store salesman, an aspiring singer, an aspiring script writer, and a medical student (who is salesman's brother). They struggle to live in a rented accommodation because of their poor financial condition. After being evicted, they find a place to stay at a bungalow wherein the homeowner is an old woman. Her only condition is that she would give the rooms on rent to married couples. Defeated by the destiny four men are forced to accept the condition but they come up with an idea. Two of them cross dress and present to the homeowner as married couples. This begins the saga of comedy, drama, struggle, and love.

This film is a cult classic. Each minute of this film is packed with entertainment. Each character is brilliantly crafted and the actors portray each character with a genuine dedication to the craft. The background music and songs are evergreen. The dialogues are the heart and soul of the film. The fans of this film can go on and on with the sequences and dialogues without a pause (me included). Despite having multiple characters in the film, none of the character appears to be rushed. Each character gets its deserved time to establish its significance.

Another aspect of this film that has been brilliantly handled is the intent of the film. Though the characters cross dress, the film never moves towards vulgarity or makes jokes about the anatomy. The cross dressed characters are treated with equal respect. The characters are never shown to be deceptive, disrespectful, or dishonest. They are portrayed as the victims of inflation and unemployment, which feels relatable and genuine. Each scene and sequence has its importance. Each minute adds to the essence of the film. Not only that even over 30 years from its original release, the story and concept of this film is still relevant and it still gets the approval from audience.

The film has definitely inspired an entire generation. We still see the dialogues and sequences from this film in the pop culture even today. The song of baby shower is still widely recognized and is a main feature of baby shower even today. Partial storyline of the first installment from Ajay Devgn starrer 'Golmaal' has been inspired for this film.

Overall, I believe 'Ashi hi banwabanwi' is an iconic and groundbreaking film that deserves more love and recognition. It must receive its 'flowers' as it deserves.