Review: LATHE JOSHI

Gharche Loka Mast Aahet,

Joshibua Kadhi Shikteel?

2.5 stars

CBFC RATING: U

Pravah Productions and Dawn Studios

Producers: Sonali Joshi, Mangesh Joshi

Writer/Director: Mangesh Joshi

Stars: Chittaranjan Giri, Ashwini Giri, Om Bhutkar,

Seva Chauhan

Story:

After working for 35 years, Joshi is laid off from the factory.

The reason, automation. His wife has a thriving catering

business and his son repairs computers and machines and

they tell him to relax. But Joshi, who excels at the Lathe

machine wants nothing but to continue working. Can he

compete with modernisation?

Review:

The Joshi family lives in a dilapidated wada (old style home),

and they seem to be delightful simply because somewhere the

audience knows someone like the characters occupying the

house, or have been in similar domestic situations, like the

Joshi family.

‘Will someone give me tea today?’ complains the granny, who

wears the dark glasses that eye surgery patients wear.

Before you can say, ‘Old people never have the patience,’ the

on screen granny (played brilliantly by Seva Chauhan, has

already ranted five times about how she’s being ignored and that

no one cares… When the daughter in law brings the tea, the

granny is upset because the grandson Dinu (nicely done by

Om Bhutkar) has teased her about acidity and her old age.

Dinu’s mother (Ashwini Giri, terrific in her role) gently rebukes

him, ‘Why do you tease her! She’s already cranky enough!’

The granny hears the word cranky and now refuses what we

now know is the third cup of tea! She drinks it, of course, but we

are waiting for Lathe Joshi who has said nothing since the

beginning of the film, to tell his family that he has lost his job.

He cannot because his wife is busy cooking and finishing the

order for the day...And you realise, that he is not about to tell

his family that he has no job, because his factory unit has been

sold and the company has opted for automation.

The film is as slow paced as can get. Very old world, like Lathe

Joshi himself. He has little to say but he observes everyone and

everything. He doesn’t belong to the world where his wife watches

cooking channels on TV, wants to keep up with the Joneses

because she’s catering to their parties and events; his mother

wants nirvana, will not chant the mantras, but just counts the beads

as the recorded machine chants continuously, she cannot see,

but will hear her favorite TV show on channel 788; the son who

repairs computer, but knows how to charge more than the cost

because he wants to make money. Joshi cannot adapt to this world.

He looks at his colleagues who have accepted their fate, and is

determined to change his. The film has been shot with love.

Written with love too. There are blatant brand endorsements too.

But this is a film that goes nowhere and the solution offered is

too easy a way out. Cinema needs to infuse hope, this doesn't.

Watch it on a Sunday on TV.

(you should read the ghastly changes toi made and posted!)