Katyar Kaljat Ghusali (film)
Katyar Kaljat Ghusali (transl. A dagger through the heart) is a 2015 Indian Marathi-language epic musical drama film based on a play by the same name. Directed by Subodh Bhave, the film stars Sachin Pilgaonkar, Shankar Mahadevan, and Subodh Bhave in lead roles. The film marks the directorial debut for Bhave, and the theatrical acting debut for Shankar Mahadevan. The original play, written by Purushottam Darvhekar, premiered in 1967 in Mumbai, where Hindustani classical vocalist Vasantrao Deshpande played one of the protagonists. In 2010, the play was relaunched with protagonists essayed by Rahul Deshpande, grandson of Vasantrao Deshpande and singer Mahesh Kale. The film’s music is composed by Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, and retained some of the songs from the original play composed by Jitendra Abhisheki.
The film is selected as one of the 26 films to be screened in Goa at 46th International Film Festival of India.[2] The movie is also being considered for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO) Fellini medal.[3]
Set during the British Raj era, Pandit Bhanu Shankar Shastri (Shankar Mahadevan) is an Indian classical singer living in the princely state of Vishrampur with his daughter Uma Shastri (Mrunmayee Deshpande). During one of his shows at Miraj, Shastri meets another classical singer Khansaheb Aftab Hussain Bareliwale (Sachin Pilgaonkar) and requests him to visit Vishrampur. On Dasara festival, the Maharaja of the state arranges an annual singing competition with the winner to be given the status of royal singer, Haveli (Mansion), and a “Katyar” (dagger). The Maharaja proclaims that the state would pardon one murder if committed by the royal singer with this dagger in self-defense. Shastri is challenged by Khansaheb but wins the competition.
Unable to defeat Shastri for fourteen consecutive years, Khansaheb is often humiliated by his wife Nabila (Sakshi Tanwar) and villagers. He survives a suicide attempt but confronts his hatred towards Bhanu Shankar Shastri. Then Nabila (Sakshi Tanwar) gives poision to Shastri which makes him unable to sing, but he can talk. In the following annual competition, Shastri leaves the stage without singing thus making Khansaheb the winner and the royal singer. Khansaheb moves to the haveli with his daughter Zareena (Amruta Khanvilkar) and Shastri leaves the village without informing anyone.
One of Shastri’s pupils, Sadashiv (Subodh Bhave), arrives at the haveli to learn music but is disappointed with Shastri’s disappearance. Sadashiv meets Khansaheb who, on listening Sadashiv’s Shastri-like singing, throws him out of the haveli. Sadashiv, with the help of Zareena, locates Uma and learns the truth about Shastri’s renunciation of music and Nabila’s attempt to poison Shastri to enable Khansaheb win the competition. Sadashiv attempts to murder Khansaheb but Zarena dissuades him and requests him to challenge Khansaheb in the annual competition. Sadashiv then starts learning music from Uma through Shastri’s book and Gramophone records. Later, Sadashiv and Uma locate Shastri in another village and bring him home. Shastri asks Sadashiv to learn from Khansaheb, but knowing Sadashiv’s Shastri-like singing style, Khansaheb rejects him as a pupil. Sadashiv then starts learning from Khansaheb in disguise, but gets caught. Sadashiv, when challenged by Khansaheb to out-do him, loses and becomes Khansaheb’s slave. As Khansaheb’s slave, he cannot sing without Khansaheb’s permission. Zareena sees the unfairness in this arrangement and blackmails Khansaab into returning Sadashiv’s voice by threatening to expose him in the court. Khansaheb thus releases Sadashiv from his services.
