Paani review: Extraordinary tale of an ordinary man

Despite plentiful water resources, India faces a major water crisis today. Lack of knowledge about water conservation, increasing deforestation and corruption, especially among government officials who siphon off funds meant for water reservoirs, are some of the reasons. 

But there are also many enterprising people who are working hard to overcome this crisis. Paani, directed by popular actor Addinath Kothare, is the story of one such man.

Based on the life of Hanumant Kendre, the film recounts his struggle to bring water to his drought-affected village, Nagderwadi. Kothare has not only directed the film, but also acted in this neo-realistic drama.

Dejected that his marriage has been called off because of the water scarcity in his village, Hanumant takes it upon himself to change this situation. His elder brother, played by Subodh Bhave, works with the government in the Jal Yukt Shivar (water conservation) scheme. With his help, they bring the scheme to the village. But for the scheme to be implemented, the entire village has to come together and work unitedly. This is where Hanumant’s struggle begins.

There are many who don’t want this to happen. Once the village gets access to water, politicians can’t seek votes in the name of providing free water with tankers. One such politician is played by Kishore Kadam. Though he has a small role, Kadam makes his presence felt with his superb performance.

Kothare, son of prolific filmmaker Mahesh Kothare, deserves praise for taking up such a challenging subject for his directorial debut instead of a more commercially viable plot. His style of direction is also very different from his father's. From the first frame, where we see an out-of-focus woman walking barefoot with pots of water on her head, we know Addinath has set out to do something different. And this is not some amatuerish attempt either.

The film is set in 2000 and 2001, but instead of hammering it constantly to generate nostalgia, the director shows the time period subtly, like in the dressing style of people. Hanumant, for instance, is always dressed in oversized shirts, a fashion back then.

Kothare also shines as Hanumant in the film, showing great restraint in the emotional scenes. His scenes with Rucha Vaidya will bring a smile to your face. Bhave is also in fine form as Hanumant's elder brother. All the supporting artistes play their parts brilliantly. 

Kothare has also edited the film and done a skilful job of it. The film moves at a steady pace and keeps the viewer's interest alive all through. The credit for this should also go to screenwriter Nitin Dixit, who also worked as creative director on the film. Despite being a social drama based on a true story, Paani is never preachy.

The film has already won the award for Best Feature on Environmental Conservation at the 66th National Film Awards.

Paani was screened at the 18th Third Eye Asian Film Festival at Mumbai's Ravindra Natya Mandir on 1 March 2020.