Punha Shivajiraje Bhosale review: Despite the noble intentions, the film falters due to weak script
In India, 1,12,000 farmers committed suicide between 2014 and 2023. And 1,246 farmers in Maharashtra committed suicide in the first half of 2025. Their incapacity to pay back their loan to money lenders is the primary cause of their suicide. Despite the rising epidemic of farmer suicide, we rarely hear about it in our media, with the exception of one article and a two-minute report on television, or perhaps we have all gotten so numb to farmer suicide that we no longer care. So, with socio-political drama 'Punha Shivajiraje Bhosale', acclaimed writer-director Mahesh Manjrekar has taken it upon himself to remind us all of the grim reality of farmers' suicide and our complete apathy towards farmers.
However, despite his sincere attempts, it turns out to be average movie that doesn't live up to the high expectations, particularly in light of the excellent teaser and trailer. The film appeared better on paper and in theory than it did on the big screen. Let's take an example where you are asked to speak or give a speech on a topic that is very important to you in five minutes. However, because you have so little time, you end up diluting the very topic you want to shed light on instead of giving a powerful speech. 'Punha Shivajiraje Bhosale' by Mahesh Manjrekar, in my opinion, is a prime illustration of this. Even though it lasts more than two hours and forty minutes, he ultimately dilutes the very subject he wishes to raise awareness of. And the poor writing is the primary cause of it. Although it's not unbearable film, but it's quite obvious that the end result could have been much better.
A struggling farmer named Eknath (Prithvip Pratap), overwhelmed by debt and betrayal, commits suicide at the start of the movie. His little, fiercely determined daughter Rakhma (Trisha Thosar), whose world is destroyed, is shocked by this terrible event. Rakhma's frantic plea for justice stirs the spirit of the state's venerated founder, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (Siddharth Bodake). When Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj returns, he discovers that in order to bring justice to Rakhma and numerous other young boys and girls who lost their father to suicide, he must battle widespread corruption, greed, and the systematic exploitation of the common man and poor farmers by politician Popate (Vikram Gaikwad), police (Sayaji Shinde), and strong goon Usman (Siddharth Jadhav), who will stop at nothing to take their land.
Rather than a more realistic and bold approach and his ability to capture the essence of the situation and portray it with authenticity, which makes his films (Vaastav, Astitva, Kaksparsh, and Natsamrat are prime examples of his craftsmanship in showing the essence of the situation in a realistic way) stand out from other films, Mahesh Manjrekar chose a more filmy and masala action approach to tell the story of the farmers' struggle, which dilutes the very essence of the film's premise and its goal. As long as the final product is both enjoyable and conveys the intended message, there is, of course, nothing wrong with using a filmy masala storytelling style to shed light on a significant societal issue. And this is where seasoned director Mahesh Manjrekar falters. Even though 'Punha Shivajiraje Bhosale' was made with good intentions, it ends up being a mediocre socio-political drama that is neither serious enough due to the weak narrative that occasionally fails to keep you engaged and feel the pain of farmers who have no choice but to commit suicide nor entertaining enough to overlook the needless over-the-top filmmaking style with numerous poorly choreographed action scenes.
Mahesh Manjrekar, who also wrote the screenplay and story, falls short of creating a compelling plot that adds anything novel to the genre and falters in the process of producing a masala action movie that also emphasises the hardships faced by farmers for decades as a result of corruption in all government agencies and powerful politicians. The film regresses to narrative ease each time it appears to do something intriguing. Certain scenes are overly drawn out. This movie plays like a list of clichés; it uses strategies we've seen work better elsewhere so forcefully that it almost becomes numbing. Some individuals don't mind familiarity, but they won't if it seems like all they can hear is the echo. However, there are a few passages that stand out, particularly in the second half following the arrival of Usman, a strong, and frightning goon portrayed masterfully by Siddharth Jadhav. The two confrontation sequences between corrupt politician Popate and Tatya (Shshank Shende) are also engaging.
Siddharth Bodke has captured Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's fury and anguish after witnessing the tragedy of Maharashtra's farmers. Vikram Gaikwad also stands out for displaying the arrogance of a dishonest politician who enjoys hurting the lives of poor farmers and seizing their property. Trisha Thosar, who received the National Award for Best Child Actor for her part in Naal 2 (2023), has also managed to tug at your emotions by depicting the anguish of a girl who has lost her parents and how she gradually gains confidence after meeting Chhatrapati Shivajiraje. In their brief screen time, Sayaji Shinde, Mangesh Desai, Nityashree Dnyanlaxmi, Vijay Nikam, Rohit Mane, and Prithvip Pratap have all performed admirably.
This film's duration demands too much of its audience while offering them too little in return. Additionally, even though the tempo is quick, the cutting of some sequences is ridiculous in order to fit an incredible amount of plot into two hours and forty minutes.
Overall, 'Punha Shivajiraje Bhosale' suffers from poor writing despite the good intentions.
Cast: Siddharth Bodke, Treesha Thosar, Sanchi Bhoyar, Siddharth Jadhav, Sayaji Shinde
Writer: Mahesh Manjrekar
Director: Mahesh Manjrekar
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