Gharat Ganpati marks the debut of Nikita Dutta (of Kabir Singh fame; has also worked in TV) in Marathi cinema. It is the story of the Gharat family celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi in their ancestral house in Konkan, Maharashtra and what happens when their son gets his Delhi-based female friend to witness the festivities. The plot is interesting and it’s a joy to see a joint family setup in a film after ages. There are a lot of funny and emotional scenes that keep the interest going. However, the conflicts could have been solved in a more dramatic and cinematic manner. Also, one can’t help but draw parallels with films like Kapoor & Sons, Ventilator etc. Nikita Dutta is mentioned before others in the opening credits and she has a superb screen presence. Performance-wise, she’s first-rate. Bhushan Pradhan (Ketan) looks dashing and does a good job as the male lead. The rest of the supporting cast – Ajinkya Deo (Sharad), Ashwini Bhave (Ahilya), Sanjay Mone (Bhau), Shubhangi Latkar (Bhau’s wife Sunanda), Sushma Deshpande (Mai), Dr Sharad Bhutadiya (Appa), Rajasi Bhave (Neha), etc – also do well. The cinematography is stunning. Konkan has never been depicted so beautifully. All in all, Gharat Ganpati is a decent family entertainer.
My rating – *** out of 5!