Gallit gondhal

Gallit Gondhal : Its been a long time since I've laughed so much for a Marathi movie. Anaspure is on a killing spree with his wisecracks at every second line. The film makes me laugh especially because the place where i work relates so much with what is depicted in the movie.
The movie is about politics at the village level and the story of a village youth(Anaspure) who is in the middle of it all. The small scuffles and the game of one upmanship between the two village leaders and how the youth takes advantage of that is funny but the truth is that this is what really happens here in Maharashtra and I can vouch for that.

Hell! the other day they even put up posters to wish the local leaders kid on his birthday, and one can see the extravagant marriage processions by the Ahmednagar Highway, they have camels to carry the children (yes camels as in humps) and elephants and a Chariot for the groom with live DJ (jeez they would have loved this in the Mahabharata) and the long procession dancing wildly by the roadside. Alternatively there may be a lezim troupe accompanied by Dhols and trumpets. All this I am told, is done only to show off power and wealth with an aspiration to a political career. For the same reason they move about in flashy high end SUVs with paan stains on the seats.

Here achievements are measured by what company a person keeps. The locals talk about those successful people who are close to some leader.

A special mention has to be made here about that phenomenon called Banners. In this state no social event can be called an event until it is proclaimed by at least ten banners by the roadside. The events have also to be thanked for later by ten other banners and the main idea behind the banner is that no one be left out. The thin glossy banner carries the egos of several burly people who stare out lovingly but whom the local people often point out to as the murderer of someone or the other.

There is a lot of business here in loudspeakers, lighting systems, DJ's and especially banner making. The best business still remains at the top of the food chain, in politics.