Coffee Ani Barach Kahi

Movie Review : Coffee Ani Barach Kahi

Language : Marathi

Director : Prakash Kunte

Genre : Romantic Comedy

Starring : Prarthana Behere, Vaibhav Tatwawadi, Neha Mahajan, 

Released April 2015

My Rating : 6 out of 10

Just a few years ago, I realized to my absolute delight that, Marathi movies are once again watchable. Now it’s also possible to experience some of the Marathi movies in a theater in Bay Area, thanks to efforts of groups like Maharashtra Mandal, Swar Sudha, and Marathi Cinema Bay Area who organized screening of this movie as perhaps their first effort.

There is no such thing as a plot in this movie. Jaai (Prarthana Behere) is a software engineer, from an upper class family, in Pune. Nishad (Vaibhav Tatwawadi) is also a software engineer, and also from an upper class family, in Pune. They also work in the same office in Pune, and are also mutually attracted to each other, but haven’t been able to express it to each other. As the movie opens, we know that Nishad has invited Jaai for coffee and is going to propose to her. Coincidentally, Jaai’s parents arrange for her to meet a prospective groom on the same day, putting Nishad’s plan in jeopardy. Rest of the movie slowly makes a very uneventful progress towards the predictable conclusion via various flashbacks.

If that sounds like a very plain movie, then because it is a plain movie. Not much happens in the movie as it does a whole lot of talking going exactly nowhere.

In spite of this glaring flaw, it still manages to entertain us because of strengths in many other departments. The acting is on the spot, by everyone involved. Prarthana Behere has the main role and makes the most impression. The atmosphere is clean and fresh with posh surroundings, progressive parents, likeable characters and a complete lack of worldly problems. Editing is smooth and the movie in general is strong on production qualities. The main strength, in my opinion, is the dialogues, which I presume to be written by Aditi Moghe, who is mentioned as the writer. They are smart, funny and thankfully not too cheesy.

The song “tu asatis tar”, is nice on the ears, sung by Sanjeev Abhyankar, and has beautiful poetry penned by none other than Mangesh Padgaonkar. At the same time, I also have to point out that the Urdu couplets used in the movie had many mistakes. It’s good that someone in the team likes Urdu poetry enough to use it, but these mistakes ruin the usage. I am not claiming my reviews are widely read, but just in case, I want to offer my consulting services absolutely free of charge to anyone who wants to use Urdu poetry in their work to ensure correct words, appropriate context, proper pronunciation and anything related. I mean it. 

Coming back to the review. All these niceties prevent the movie from boring us. It remains fun. But in the end, these wrappings are unable to hide the truth that the candy is bland. There is not even a modicum of tension or conflict. The problem faced by the characters is simply superfluous. Everyone is just too nice. I suspect the filmmakers wanted to keep things realistic. I know, we don’t need to see another Amrish Puri not letting go of Kajol’s hand till Shahrukh’s train reaches a certain precise speed etc etc. I get that. But this story is too much of a straight line.

Generally the genre “Romantic Comedy” suffers in the comedy department, and offers cliches in the romance part trying to somehow make it work. Here, the comedy part works really well, and the romance part falls flat on its face. If that’s OK with you, absolutely watch the movie for a light hearted fun of around one and half hours. It’s perfectly OK for kids. The young generation might even enjoy the movie more.