Bhai : Vyakti Ki Valli

Story: Based on the life of popular humorist and writer P L Deshpande, the film revolves around his formative years leading to the making of the person the people of Maharashtra know as.

Review: To make a film on the life of a person whose work spans across mediums, a person who transcends eras with his with, humour and writing, and a person who hardly anyone in Maharashtra doesn't know, is a huge task. For Maharashtrians, Purushottam Laxman Deshpande aka Pu La Deshpande, commands a position of immense respect in their hearts. He was someone who defined happiness for many. Through his writings and observations of human nature, Pu La made people crack up. But, despite the popularity and following he enjoyed, Pu La was a simpleton in real life. An innocent character who looked at the funny side of things.


Bhaai- Vyakti Kee Valli, brings that part of his personality into focus. The film doesn't fall in the documentary, biopic or movie category. Rather, it's treatment reminds one of the home videos that were in vogue once. Through this film, director Mahesh Manjrekar brings the 1960s era alive through real people and characters from Pu la's works.


This is the first of the two-part biopic (the second part will release in February) on Pu La and it chronicles what many refer to as the 'Golden Era' of Marathi literature and culture. In doing so, the film entertains and presents instances, some known and others not so much, from it's central character's life.


If anyone deserves a big pat on the back for this film, it is the lead actor Sagar Deshmukh. As Pu La, he gets under the skin of the character and displays utmost sincerity in his portrayal. The other actors are alright and some of them even overdo it, but Sagar holds fort and he is the biggest revelation of the film. Courtesy his performance, the other shortcomings in the film can be overlooked. Some questions remain unanswered, but the next part might provide more insight into those.