Godavari Marathi Film Review: The River As A Metaphor Of Life Itself

Cast: Jitendra Joshi, Vikram Gokhale, Neena Kulkarni, Gauri Nalavade, Priyadarshan Jadhav, Sanjay Mone, Mohit Takalkar, Saniya Bhandare
Director: Nikhil Mahajan

Set in present-day Nashik, on the banks of the river Godavari, this is not only a story of a family that is valiantly coping with crisis (one after another) - but also the story of a once glorious holy river that is also fighting for its own survival, as filth and consequences of religious practices deplete its purity and depth.

Underlining it all is the anchor of the belief that grants the characters the strength to cope with catastrophic circumstances - be it the floods caused by torrential rain over a swollen river or the flood of tears that rush forth following expected and untimely deaths.

Jitendra Joshi, co-producer and the lead actor is, in fact, paying tribute to actor/director Nishikant Kamat (Mumbai Meri Jaan, Force, Drishyam, Dombivli Fast) who died at the age of 50 due to liver cirrhosis.

So while there's a spiritual level in the narrative, there's also a metaphysical exploration of life, alienation, anger, loss, and death.

Nishikant, (no prizes for guessing why he is named so/ played by Joshi) who collects the rent of several properties(owned by his family) along the banks of the river Godavari, feels powerless while expressing his angst regarding issues that he has with his family. He has moved out of the family home, leaving his wife (an outstanding Gauri Nalawade), daughter (Saniya Bhandare), ageing parents (Neena Kulkarni, Sanjay Mone), and ailing (from Dementia) bedridden grandfather (Vikram Gokhale) behind, as he tries to come to terms with a turbulent anger he can't seem to let go of.

That annoyance and scorn also shows-up in his behaviour toward his tenants. His daughter Sarita and his friend Kaasav (Mohit Takalkar) are the only ones able to unleash some tenderness from within him.

Then come some life-changing events and everything he appears to be working towards becomes meaningless.

The pace of Godavari the film is slow and contemplative, moving much like a river heavily laden with sediment and trash. It's basically a metaphor for the turbulent thoughts that are slowly and steadily eating away at Nishi's thought processes.

Joshi makes Nishi's mental agony seem life-like and immediately palpable.

His time spent by the river he scorns seems contradictory but it also exemplifies the pull the river has over inhabitants by its banks and how that aspect shapes their existence.

Scriptwriters Prajakta Deshmukh and Nikhil Mahajan formulate this character study with nuance and depth.

The soundtrack mashes up western and Indian melodies in an effort to make the clash of ideologies more vivid.

With visual metaphors aplenty, the narrative might seem like a drag...but once you are able to connect the dots you are bound to experience a profound sense of kinship - with the lead character and his alienating ways.

Godavari definitely is not a run-of-the-mill film. It requires an audience willing to immerse itself in the reflections of the self, vis-à-vis the world around us. Give it a watch!