Watch Samaantar

Samaantar, a Marathi language film from 2009, is a character study that follows the life of a successful businessman named Keshav Vaze. Directed by Amol Palekar, the movie is based on a story by Sandhya Gokhale, who also wrote the screenplay. The film is set in Mumbai, India, and opens with Keshav (played by Makrand Deshpande) attending a charity event. Keshav is a wealthy man who has built his empire from scratch, but he seems to be dissatisfied with his life. He is aloof, distant from his family, and suffering from an undiagnosed health condition. Despite his success, Keshav is haunted by his past and the choices he made that have led him to this point.

Enter Paro (played by Radhika Apte), a young woman from Keshav's past. Paro is now a successful theatre actor, but she and Keshav were once childhood friends. Their paths diverged when Keshav's father disapproved of their friendship because Paro was from a lower caste. This incident had a profound impact on Keshav, and he has been carrying the weight of his father's prejudices ever since.

Keshav is initially reluctant to reconnect with Paro, but he eventually agrees to meet her. Their first meeting is awkward, and there is clearly a lot of unresolved tension between them. Over time, however, they begin to open up to each other, and Keshav starts to confide in Paro about his past and his present struggles.

Throughout the film, we get glimpses of Keshav's life outside of his interactions with Paro. We see his strained relationships with his wife, daughter, and son, and we learn about the sacrifices he made to build his business. We also see Keshav's interactions with Raghav (played by Rishi Deshpande), a young man with Down syndrome who works at Keshav's office. Raghav becomes a kind of confidant for Keshav, and their scenes together are some of the most poignant in the film.

Samaantar is a slow-paced movie that relies heavily on its characters to drive the story forward. The film's strength lies in its ability to create complex, nuanced characters who feel like real people. Makrand Deshpande's performance as Keshav is particularly impressive. He conveys a lot of emotion with very little dialogue, and his portrayal of a man struggling with regret and self-doubt is incredibly convincing.

Radhika Apte is also excellent as Paro. Her character is warm and empathetic, but she is also grappling with her own emotional baggage. The chemistry between Apte and Deshpande is palpable, and their scenes together are the heart of the film.

The movie is well-shot, with a muted color palette that matches the somber tone of the story. The soundtrack is also effective, with sparse, haunting melodies that underscore the melancholy mood of the film.

Overall, Samaantar is a thoughtful, well-acted character study that explores themes of regret, forgiveness, and the weight of the past. While it may not be to everyone's taste, those who appreciate slow-burning dramas with strong performances will find a lot to admire in this film.

Samaantar is a 2009 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 45 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.2.