Yek Number

Presenting the ideology of a political party seems to be the flavour of the season for Marathi filmmakers ahead of the upcoming state elections. After the recent Dharmaveer 2, which highlighted the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena’s side, Yek Number presents the ideology of Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. It’s not a biopic but unfolds through the story of a young man and his quest for love. Yek Number is written and executed as an entertainer.

The story begins in a village called Sadhanpur. Pratap (Dhairya Gholap) is the hero of this story. He is in love with Pinky (Sayli Patil) who lives in the village and Pratap is ready to do anything for her. Pinky is a fan of Raj Thackeray and is influenced by his thoughts. “If you really love me, bring Raj Saheb to our village,” Pinky tells Pratap. To do that, Pratap reaches Mumbai to meet Raj Thackeray. On the other hand, another plot develops where it’s shown that Thackeray is on the radar of terrorists. Determined to meet Thackeray at any cost, Pratap joins a street theater group in Mumbai which is working to profess the ideals of Thackeray’s party across the state. Does Pratap finally meet Thackeray? What exactly is the connection of terrorists in this situation? These answers, along with the answer to Pratap-Pinky's love story, unfold in Yek Number.

The cinema is a mix of rural and urban elements, and the premise is interesting. However, the movie does not have much momentum till the interval. After the interval, the movie picks up some pace and turns interesting towards the end. Two completely different tracks are presented in a parallel manner and the real fun lies in the post-intermission struggle which the makers have shown well onscreen. There are elements of propaganda in the film, but it manages to stay on its original track, largely, making Yek Number an interesting watch.