Karkhanisanchi Waari review: The Amey Wagh-starrer is a humorous take on a dysfunctional family

Filmmaker Mangesh Joshi made a spectacular debut with the award-winning Marathi movie Lathe Joshi (2018). Starring Chittaranjan Giri, the film was an utterly realistic take on the consequences of machines replacing human beings and was presented in a creative manner.

But for his sophomore film Karkhanisanchi Waari (2021), Joshi has gone down a different path and chosen a different genre, delivering a film loaded with humour.

Karkhanisanchi Waari is about a large dysfunctional joint family in Pune in Maharashtra. The patriarch, Purushottam Karkhanis (Pradeep Velankar), dies of an illness. In keeping with his last wish, his ashes need to be immersed at different places, including the Chandrabhaga at Pandharpur, deemed a holy river. Purushottam has also left a sealed envelope which can only be opened after his ashes are immersed as per his instructions.

Purushottam's son (Amey Wagh), the old man's brothers (Mohan Agashe, Pradeep Joshi and Ajit Abhyankar) and sister (Geetanjali Kulkarni) set out together in a car to Pandharpur. His widow (Vandana Gupte) stays back home because tradition forbids women from undertaking the journey.

Apart from ensuring that they reach their destination soon and safe, the son has to deal with a serious issue pertaining to his girlfriend (Mrunmayee Deshpande).

Immersing the ashes of a dead person is usually an emotional moment for any family. But Karkhanisanchi Waari tackles a different angle of this event. The film looks at the funny side of the process in a dysfunctional family filled with unusual characters. On the outside, this might look like a closely knit family, but the members all bear grudges against one another and have their own vested interests.

For example, one of the three brothers of Purushottam is eccentric and a strict follower of customs. Another, who has arrived from the US, has a very different outlook and is an atheist. The third suffers from memory lapses. Their sister has remained unmarried of her own accord and has her own secret. The son is a college dropout who is often berated for being unemployed.

Karkhanisanchi Waari doesn’t jump the gun on the humour. The film takes the funny path gradually as the trip gets under way. At the same time, the filmmaker has taken care to see that the humour does not appear insensitive at any point. The humour is subtle, situational and, above all, natural.

The film is not just about the humour though. The basic tale is a serious one with each character going through some internal turmoil. That and the fact that this is a road-trip movie may lead you to expect a philosophical end. If you do, the final part is certain to take you by surprise.

The movie is rich visually, thanks to the camerawork of Archana Borhade, who has written the story and also produced the film.

Karkhanisanchi Waari depends a great deal on the performances of the cast as the film is character-driven. Amey Wagh is funny and troubled at the same time. The scene where he has an angry outburst is proof of his talent. Mohan Agashe displays his eccentricity with an undercurrent of humour.

Geetanjali Kulkarni performs her part seemingly effortlessly. Pradeep Joshi and Ajit Abhyankar also shine with their supporting acts. Mrunmayee Deshpande is natural as a determined young lady. Vandana Gupte does a fine job too, but her subplot featuring another woman seems dubious.

As a viewer, you do wonder about the age gaps among the characters. For instance, Wagh appears too young to be the son of the eldest of four brothers and a sister. Similar is the case with the age gap between Kulkarni and her three surviving brothers. But leaving these casting issues aside, Karkhanisanchi Waari is a worthy follow-up to Lathe Joshi.

Karkhanisanchi Waari is now available on SonyLIV.