Dombivli Fast (2005)
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Warning: Contain Spoilers
A lower-middle age house in the Mumbai Suburb of Dombivli, an alarm rings in the morning, the household goes into a frenzy of activities where the man of the house, Madhav Shreedhar Apte gets ready for work, goes to work travelling in the Mumbai Locals, works and then comes back in the evening, feeds his young daughter and then goes to sleep. The next morning the same routine starts again, and the next morning.
The Marathi movie “Dombivli Fast” (DF)starts with the above routine scene about a middle class home but ends with the most under-rated climax of all, simple yet hard-hitting.
Madhav Apte is a common man with strong principles. He has strong values and he does not believe in bending any rules for anybody, even when the future of his children is involved. He fights with people around when he sees injustice and corruption, which include his colleagues, his boss, the shop keepers, man who delivers water in a water tanker, school principal and even his wife. His principals and his behavior is a cause of fights between his wife and him. She is tired of only preaching of changing the world but not doing anything about it.
He is pushed to a corner by everybody who finds his policy of righted ness too difficult to handle and one day he snaps. He goes on a rampage trying to do right, everything that goes against his principal and then starts a mayhem on the street of Mumbai, ultimately ending in a tragic climax.
The story is very similar to Michael Douglas’s starrer “Falling Down” but DF stands out because of good acting and brilliant direction. There are many characters in the movie but the three main characters are Madhav Apte, His wife and a police Inspector.
Madhav Apte who is frustrated by the system and the people around. His wife. Alka who is initially frustrated by her husband’s behavior toward the system and is ready to change to fit into the world and later when she is worried about her husband being shot by the police. The Police Inspector, Subhas Anasphure who is again frustrated by the system but understands that he is the system. The story moves forward through the eyes of these three characters where each reflects and questions their own belief and principles.
Madhav Apte tries to do whatever he sees wrong but is surprised to see that the very people he tries to help are the people who are pulling him down. A telling scene is when he tries to help an old couple in a hospital and to his horror finds that the couple do not approve of his threatening ways even though he is right.
The police meanwhile are clueless and try to stop his rampage. The rest of the story is how Madhav Apte meets his end and in turn trying to correct everything that is wrong with the world.
Directed by Nishikant Kamat makes his directorial debut with this movie. He is the same person who wrote the screenplay for Neha Dupia’s skin flick “Julie”. He handles the thriller very well. The directors excels in the movie. He also has written the screenplay for the movie. He is also directing Madhavan in the Tamil flick “Evano Oruvan” which is a remake of Dombivli Fast set in Chennai. Nishikant Kamat made TV serials before he directed films.
Shilpa Tulaskar plays Alka Apte, Madhav Apte’s wife. She is a veteran of Marathi Movies and has acted in many Marathi movies and serials and plays. She gives a good performance of a frustrated wife. The transformation into a scared woman whose husband is on a rampage is also worth watching, Madhav Apte is the main protagonist of the film but Alka is the one who entices him to go on a rampage. She had to really be the nagging wife and she does excel in that.
Sandesh Jadhav is the Police inspector Subas Anasphure who is after Madhav Apte. I haven’t seen him in any movie and it seems he was very active on the Marathi theatre scene. He has a deep voice which commands authority and is so perfect in the role. He understands that whatever Madhav Apte is doing is the correct action but illegal and is tied to the system. He does not want to make Madhav Apte a martyr but hopes that people do make him one. Sandesh Jadhav has played his part very well.
Finally coming to the main character, Madhav Apte, played by Sandeep Kulkarni. I really had to find who Sandeep Kulkarni was before watching the movie and there is no info available about him on the internet. Sandeep Kulkarni has acted in quite a number of plays, serials and movies. He had played a doctor in “Shwaas” Here he plays the frustrated Madhav Apte who is strong on his principles but his friends, family and colleague always want to deter him from the path. Looking at the movie, it is difficult to imagine any other actor in Marathi cinema who could have done the same role. Watch him talking to the deaf and dumb boy on the footpath venting out his frustration. It was brilliant.
Dombivli Fast can be described as a sober version of Sunny Deol’s “Ghayal” without the happy ending and Sunny Deol’s he-manism. One is forced to look at himself after seeing the movie. It does not dwell into stuff like country and love for the country which normally happens in most of these movies but at the very structure of morality on which any society is based. Madhav Apte, his wife or the inspector looks at morality in their own way and according to their convenience,
The inspector also accepts bribe and is not shown as a righteous one. When he asks his wife would she had managed to run the house on his salary, she answers a flat “No”. They both know that it is wrong but carry on for luxuries rather than basic survival.
The politicians, the shopkeeper, the school principal wants to earn more not for survival but for the luxuries of life.
The most telling scene of the movie which summarizes the whole movie is the climax when Madhav Apte is shot in the train. An injured Madhav Apte asks the Inspector
Ayushya gela ithe Chaavtya seat var basun, jara khidki var basu?
(Whole Life I spent on the fourth seat, can i seat on the window seat for sometime. )
Those few words of Madhav Apte tells the story of middle class Indian. What each Indian has is what he terms the fourth seat, means to just scrap through life. What he desires is the Windows seat, a chance to live a better life without compromising on their principle.
The movie forces you to reflect back on us and as the inspector said to look hard at our self in the mirror to answer a simple question
Is Madhav apte really guilty?
Rating: 9/10
Tags: Marathi, Medium
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
wow Faltu.. brilliant comeback post !!!
Saw this film subtitled sometime back. Was itching to review it but didn’t (marathi not being my mother tongue), was waiting for someone to do the honours.
Guys, yes it is a mustttttttt watch. Pretty good stylish film. Brilliant editing. (Chaitanya- kahaan hai tu ???)
Faltu – my fav scene is the one in which he beats up the shop with the cricket bat and then demands 2 ruppees !!! Classic
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hav read n heard so much about the film. havent managed to catch it yet. really sometime u feel liek doing the same what madhav apte did.
N nishikant kamat…what transition…from julie to DF….dont underestimate anyone.
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Thx fultufaltu for an amazing review…I watched this movie a year ago n was blown away by the quality and direction…
…marathi film industry is churning some amazing movies in the near past…if u get chance plzz checkout these movies.
1)Dahavi-pha (Abt life of students in SSC)
2)Golmaal(marathi….totally hilarious…not the typical comedy we find in marathi movies)
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Kartik
Thanks. I had to download the movie and I was searching it for a long time. I also wanted to see “limited manuski” (Limited Humanity) but haven’t yet got a chance yet. Its a brilliant movie, i must agree.
My fav scene is hwhen he talks to the deaf and dumb boy on the street and talking to himself. In the end he asks god to releive him of the world. Excellent dialog delivery!
Phoenixnu
Julie to DF, a big jump indeed. and the screenplay are so vastly different.
Anand
I have seen Dahavi Pha and its review is on my agenda. I have to see it again to refresh my memory. Golmaal i have it but haven’t seen it for some unknown reason. Now that you mentioned it, I will see it.
-Punds
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This movie rocks! Nishikant rulz! It’s so well acted. Brilliantly edited and the sound desing is quite exceptional. A must watch on the big screen.
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Brilliant movie!
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F2F/KK : where can I get DF with subtitles? any place online? also the films Anand mentions Golmaal, Dahavi Pha, Limited Manuski etc……
thx for the post,
K3
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Just to add in the list, “Uttarayan” is a must watch too. Based on Jayawant Dalwi’s novel, though the book is far intense than the movie IMO, but nonetheless a worth watch for Nina Kulkarni and Shivaji Satam.
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This one rocks….
I saw it at IFFLA last year!
The director Nishikant is a sweet sweet guy.
This is a take on FALLING DOWN & influenced by Oliver Stone’s style.
A must see for everyone.
The editing is really superb.
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been wanting to watch this too.. i’m guessing festival rounds are done so am hoping it releases soon..
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It won’t release internationally. It’s completed it Indian theatrical run long enough. Nishi has moved on to its Tamil re-make with Madhavan, and in mid-April he is going to start shooting his next film.
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is there some site i can download this film… wud really like to watch it after this great review… or anyway to access a dvd with subtitles…
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Damn it sounds very interesting. Any desi stores carry the DVD in OC or LA region?
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Punds bhai…awesome review..lots of passion in it. Good job!!!
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No OM, no desi stores have it. I have a subtitled copy that Nishikant gave me. It’s pretty good quality. All PFC LA/OC people can get together one day and we can have a little private screening of our own.
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Vijay fantastic idea. yes we should do the privtae screening ASAP. Subtitles or no subtitles…remember i am a Marathi? lol!!!!
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I thought ur Telugu.
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can we have this private screening during the IFFLA weekend please? or at least leave the copy with oz/OM..? :D
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haha me from Hyderabad….but …
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Striker saale tu East Coast se fest ke liye aa raha hai ki Dombivli Fast dekhne?
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abbe yaar, after hours mein dekh loonga.. koi gal nahi.. tum log apna plan banao.. agar DF meri kismat mein likha hai, tho apni mulaqat hogi…
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K3 – dunno about abroad. but it is easily available at mosts DVD shops in mumbai.
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Brilliant Film!! last year’s MAMI par dekhi thi…FAN-FUK-TASTIC FILM!!!
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Great post Faltu!!
I am game for the private screening…Kaon sa theater book karoon?? :-?
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Jo bhi phokat mein milenga, book kar de.
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Actually ek hai, Fullerton mein. Oz Talkies. Wahan daaru bhi milta hai.
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@ Vijay
“Oz Talkies. Wahan daaru bhi milta hai.”
ROFLMAO…actually couch and Blanket bhi….and early morning spiced up masala tea, best to cure your hang-over
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I saw this movies yesterday after reading F2F comments. Its really a wonderful movies, the treatment was very near to reality,all the characters were looking like real. No bodies was giving feel that he is acting. Actually script and direction was superb and so natural that made every actor as real characters. I wonder why this film can not be dubbed in Hindi for a mass audience other than marathi speaking people. Marathi is not my mother toungue but i understood the essence of the movies. I understand the visual language. My heatiest congratulations to Nishikant that he has made such a superb movies which should be a insipiration to so called big mouth producers and director as well as their camp’s sssstttttaaaaarrrrssss.
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Hi Full2faltu,
As a maharashtrian & a mumbaikar it
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My first Marathi movie!!!
And, I loved it.
CC pointed out that the movie was predictable, and it was.
But, predictability works in this film because it isn’t about the events, but about the character struggle of a good person who has had enough.
What brings a good person to the breaking point?
How much monotony can a person bear?
Who is allowed to judge good, bad, and evil.
I loved the simplicity of this film, and its ability to be quiet but carry a big cricket stick.
My favourite scene? (spoiler alert!)
The one in which the police are questioning Alka.
Shot from a dark room looking into the lit living room, most of the screen is black.
After the police leave, Alka enters the dark room , closing the door to the lit room behind her, leaving her in darkness.
This, and a couple of other scenes, left me wondering if Nishikant Kamat had a backround in theatre direction, as some scenes were staged in ways that seemed more theatre driven than what we usually see on the screen.
A quick google search netted no information…
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Sorry Striker, we had the PFC LA/OC screening without you.
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don’t forget the amazing dialogue delivery done on the street where the actor talks in terms on an application to God. That one blew me away.
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For me the best touch was the fact that the only person Madhav Apte can really talk to in the whole film is the kid drawing on the roadside…and he turns out to be deaf! I found that to be the most memorable part of the film.
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vijay, yeh tune achcha nahi kiya x( just you wait one nimit til i get bheemboy bheemboy on your kundi (trans: ass) and have patiamma give you one of her judoooo CHOPS! haiiii-ya! b-( i mean what i mean.
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Here is a link to the trailer of the Tamil version, Evano Oruvan: http://sifymax.com/bbhome/max_newpopup_new.php?f=EavanoOruvan_11apr07-128k.wmv&site=kollywood
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looks good… trailer doesn’t give too much away, which is always nice..
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yes I have watched this movie on theatre day it got released was really a good movie. Do watch the movie call Devaki, Aga Bai Araycha, Savarkhed Ek Gaav – (This film is having good music score)Not only Mrs.Raut.
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please send me address where dvd available in karnataka
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saw this last week. the subtitles dont do justice to some of the dialogues. it was a great watch and some of the scenes shake you up.
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ekdam jhakkass…
marathi mansa jagaaa ho.
when saw this film i am really happy, because not yet i m seeing the marathi film like this.
i saw me in madhav apte attitude.
not that much angry but fight for justice.
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Can anybody send me Dombivali Fast dialogues?
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