Aai Tuzaa Aashirwad

Sharangdev follows in the footsteps of his famous grandfather V Shantaram to make a film that is directed by his mother.

Blessed One! Appa and his wife Mai are facing bad times after they will their property to their nephews who later disown the old couple. Appa one day meets a sadhu who hands him a shriyantra which,he says,will help him get rid off all his problems. But he has to follow certain rules. And true to his words,Appa becomes a rich man.

One day,a young boy Mangesh Kadam is caught stealing. When he is brought before Appa,Mangesh pleads with him. Mai takes pity on the boy and Appa appoints him to do odd jobs around the house while he continues

his education. Mangesh grows up and one day Appa hands over the shriyantra which has the blessings of Goddess Mahalakshmi,with strict instructions to follow the rules if he wants to make it big in life. Mangesh agrees. He leaves for Mumbai in search of a job. At the bus-stand,he finds a bag with a lot of money. He locates the person,Usman Seth,and hands over the bag to him. Happy with his honesty,Usman Seth appoints him in his business of making Kolhapuri chappals. Like a true bhakt Mangesh does the pooja of the shriyantra every Friday as instructed by Appa. He prospers after Seth makes him his business partner. Mangesh gets his wife,mother,brother and sister from the village to live in the city. Usman Seth dies leaving his wife Ammi and business in Mangeshs care. Since she doesnt like to live alone,Mangesh brings Ammi to stay with his family. However,Usman Seths nephews are unhappy with the will made by their late uncle. When they learn that it is the blessings of Goddess Mahalakshmi,who Mangesh worships without fail on Fridays,they try their best to stop his poojas. Things take a bad turn and Mangesh goes bankrupt.

Sharangdev follows in the footsteps of his famous grandfather V Shantaram to make a film that is directed by his mother – V Shantarams daughter Madhura Pandit Jasraj. It is a good effort from the duo. As a first-time director,Madhura has handled the film with ease. She has even penned the story,screenplay and dialogues besides appearing in a scene – quite an achievement. Of the actors,it is Milind Gawlis performance that one notices. His growth from a young villager to a hardworking guy in a factory to a rich businessman,all the while remaining grounded,is brilliant. Arun Nalawade and Sharad Ponkshe are fantastic actors who do not need high recommendation.

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One of the highlights of the film is the song that has been rendered in the soulful voices of Pandit Jasraj and Lata Mangeshkar.

RATING : Two stars : One for Milind Gawlis performance and one for Madhura Pandit Jasrajs direction.