Star
Cast:
Manoj
Bajpayee,
Santosh
Juvekar,
Ipshita
Chakraborty
Singh
Director:
Devashish
Makhija
Available
On:
SonyLIV
Language:
Hindi,
Marathi
Duration:
133
minutes
Story:
Written
and
directed
by
Devashish
Makhija,
Bhonsle
follows
a
retired
Mumbai
cop
who
befriends
a
North
Indian
girl
and
her
brother,
while
the
local
politicians
try
to
get
rid
of
the
migrants.
Review:
Bhonsle
addresses
one
of
the
biggest
debates
of
all
times
in
Mumbai,
insider
verses
outsider,
with
the
backdrop
of
one
of
the
biggest
celebration
in
the
city,
the
Ganesh
festival.
While
the
story
raises
many
big
questions
about
the
city,
migrants
and
political
agendas,
it
also
manages
to
simply
be
about
a
beautiful
selfless
relationship
between
a
lonely
old
man
and
his
new
neighbours,
a
pair
of
siblings.
At
the
beginning
of
the
film,
Manoj
Bajpayee's
character
Bhonsle
is
ending
the
most
meaningful
and
longest
relationship
in
his
life.
As
the
city
gears
up
for
the
biggest
festival
of
all
time,
Ganesh
Chaturti,
Bhonsleleaves
his
life
behind
as
he
hands
over
his
uniform
and
retires
reluctantly.
Bhonsle
is
a
man
of
a
few
words,
he
rarely
interacts
with
anyone
in
his
chawl,
and
chooses
to
stay
away
from
the
fighting
and
confrontations
between
the
Maharashtrians
and
the
migrants.
Manoj
Bajpayee
As
Bhonsle
The
only
constant
in
his
life
is
his
everyday
routine,
without
which
his
job
starts
to
eat
up
his
mind.
From
steady
habits
like
washing
clothes,
cooking
and
feeding
his
dog,
he
goes
to
living
in
the
dark
along
with
pests,
going
days
without
proper
food.
At
some
point
of
time,
Bhonsle
himself
dreams
of
dying
alone
in
the
2x2
Ki
Kholi
without
a
soul
to
talk
to.
However,
he
hasn't
given
up
hope
and
often
takes
chai
in
a
thermos
bottle
for
his
superiors,
hoping
that
they
will
help
him
out
in
getting
his
service
extended.
What
brings
a
change
in
his
life
is
his
new
North
Indian
migrant
neighbours,
who
just
like
him,
want
to
make
a
living
and
stay
away
for
the
chawl's
politics.
They
soon
develop
a
neighbourly
bond
as
the
siblings,
Sita
(played
by
Ipshita
Chakraborty
Singh)
and
Lalu
(played
by
Virat
Vaibhav)
begin
to
take
care
of
him
when
nobody
else
does.
Their
new-found
companionship
after
years
of
quiet
gets
Bhonsle
to
finally
walk
down
the
stairs
and
speak
up
during
the
local
goon
Vilas'
(played
by
Santosh
Juvekar)
political
outburst.
Santosh
Juvekar
As
Vilas
Directed
by
Devashish
Makhija,
he
also
co-wrote
the
film
along
with
Sharanya
Rajgopal
and
Mirat
Trivedi.
The
screenplay
manages
to
speak
volumes
with
the
cultural
influence
of
the
city
and
the
people,
whether
insiders
or
outsider.
The
Ganesh
festival
in
the
backdrop
functions
as
an
apt
metaphor.
A
scene
in
the
film
shows
Bajpayee
walking
unrecognisable
and
lost
among
a
crowd
like
many
others.
The
slow-paced
drama
hits
hard
with
its
music,
performances
and
cinematography.
Ipshita
Chakraborty
Singh
As
Sita
Manoj
Bajpayee
is
unbelievable
as
the
60-year-old
man,
he
hardly
speaks,
but
his
grunts
and
intimidating
stares
are
enough
for
the
entire
chawl
to
leave
him
alone.
His
body
language,
until
the
last
minute
of
the
film
will
put
you
in
awe
of
the
actor's
skills.
Similarly,
Ipshita
Chakraborty
Singh
and
Virat
Vaibhav
are
exceptional
in
the
little
but
crucial
part
that
they
play.
On
the
other
hand,
Santosh
Juvekar
will
make
you
hate
him
just
five
minutes
into
the
film,
but
you
soon
realise
that
very
much
like
the
migrants
that
is
againt,
he
too
is
trying
to
make
it
in
an
over
crowded
city.
Overall,
Bhonsle
is
grey
and
grim
much
like
the
current
world,
but
it
asks
the
right
questions
and
makes
you
hope
for
the
better.
However,
Bhonsle
by
no
means
will
hand
you
the
hope,
it
will
rather
make
sure
you
find
it
deep
within,
only
as
you
struggle
to
answer
those
questions.