Doghi
| Doghi | |
|---|---|
 Doghi poster | |
| Directed by | Sumitra Bhave, Sunil Sukthankar |
| Written by | Sumitra Bhave (also dialogue) |
| Screenplay by | Sumitra Bhave |
| Story by | Sumitra Bhave |
| Produced by | NFDC, Doordarshan |
| Starring | Renuka Daftadar, Sonali Kulkarni, Uttara Baokar, Sadashiv Amrapurkar, Madhu Kambikar, Suryakant Mandhare |
| Cinematography | Charudatta Dukhande |
| Edited by | Sumitra Bhave, Sunil Sukthankar |
| Music by | Anand Modak, Namdeo Dhondo Mahanor (lyrics) |
Running time | 141 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Marathi |
Doghi ('Two Sisters') is a 1995 Indian Marathi film directed by filmmaker duo Sumitra Bhave–Sunil Sukthankar and produced by National Film Development Corporation of India in association with Doordarshan. The film won three awards at the 43rd National Film Awards in 1995; the Best Film on Other Social Issues, the Best Female Playback Singer, and a Special Mention for Uttara Baokar and nine awards including the Best Film at 32nd Maharashtra State Film Awards in 1996.[1]
Plot
The elder of the two sisters, Gauri (Renuka Daftadar), is getting married and there is festivity in the household. Elders in the village advise her to visit a temple before groom arrives and so she is accompanied by her younger sister Krishna (Sonali Kulkarni) and uncle (Sadashiv Amrapurkar). While on their way back, uncle notices in the newspaper that groom's family had met with a fatal accident while coming to the village. Gauri and Krishna's father (Suryakant Mandhare) is paralysed after the shocking news. The villagers shun Gauri as an ill omen. Soon, the family starts facing financial troubles so they attempt to till their piece of infertile land to get some money. When nothing works out, their mother (Uttara Baokar) requests uncle to take Gauri to Mumbai for a job. Initially hesitant uncle agrees to the persuasion but requests mother not to ask any further questions about Gauri's whereabouts in the future.
Uncle puts Gauri into prostitution and she starts sending money to her family every month. Things get better for the family and uncle finds a groom for Krishna, a young idealist Shesh Waghmare (Abhay Kulkarni) working with an NGO. Gauri visits the village for Krishna's marriage but their mother does not allow her to take part in any activities because of Gauri's unfortunate marriage incident and her way of earning money. When Krishna gets to know about this, she questions their mother and convinces her to accept Gauri. When Gauri decides to leave marriage and village, Shesh's activist friend Nivrutti Kamble (Sunil Sukthankar) proposes her for marriage, in spite of knowing her past. Gauri stays back in the village, never to return to her life as a prostitute in Mumbai.
Cast
- Renuka Daftadar as Gauri
- Sonali Kulkarni as Krishna
- Uttara Baokar as mother
- Suryakant Mandhare as father
- Sadashiv Amrapurkar as uncle
- Madhu Kambikar as aunty
- Abhay Kulkarni as Shesh Waghmare
- Sunil Sukthankar as Nivrutti Kamble
Production
The film marked the directorial feature film debut for Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukthankar. While working on a short film Bai (1985), Sukthankar joined Bhave as an assistant. Later, they worked on several short films together.[2] After watching one of their short film Chakori (1992),[3] the National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC) invited Bhave and Sukthankar to make Doghi.[4] The film was eventually produced by NFDC in association with Doordarshan.[5] The director Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni worked as an assistant director for the film.[6]
Reception and awards
The film received wide critical acclaim and won several awards. It won three awards at the 43rd National Film Awards in 1995. The film was awarded the Best Film on Other Social Issues "for its depiction of poverty-stricken rural family consisting of two young sisters" and depicting "the agony of survival in a tradition bound hostile society and their subsequent liberation". Anjali Marathe was awarded the Best Female Playback Singer "for her melodious and heart rendering song ["Bhui Bhegalali Khol"] expressing the aridness of life" and Uttara Baokar won a Special Mention "for her sensitive portrayal of the agony of a mother in the midst of poverty and honour".[1]
The film won nine awards including the Best Film at 32nd Maharashtra State Film Awards in 1996. It was awarded Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Script, Best Story, Best Music, Best Songs, Best Female Playback Singer, and Best Art Director. Bhave and Sukthankar were awarded as the Best Director at the 1997 Kalnirnay Award. Sonali Kulkarni won the Best Actress Award at the Filmfare Marathi Awards and the film was awarded the Grand Jury Prize at Cinema Delle Donne Italy in 1996.[5][7]
References
- ^ a b "43rd National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. p. 16–17, 36–37, 82–83. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
- ^ "First Among Equals". HDFC Imperia. November 2014. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
- ^ "Muestra de cine independiente indio" [Indian independent cinema shows] (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 July 2016.
- ^ "संवाद: श्रीमती सुमित्रा भावे व श्री. सुनील सुकथनकर" [Interview: Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukthankar] (in Marathi). Maayboli. 23 July 2009. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
- ^ a b "Doghi@Cinemas of India". NFDC. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
- "Doghi@NFDC". NFDC. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
- ^ "Faces of the future". India Today. 16 January 2009. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
- ^ "Sonali Kulkarni's take on life to be unveiled today". The Indian Express. Mumbai. 2 March 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2017.