Har Har Mahadev HD Released

 

There’s no dearth of interesting instances in Maratha history that can be turned into grand onscreen experiences. Over the last few years, there’s been a slew of films of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the establishment of the Hindavi Swarajya – Farzand, Fatteshikast, Pawankhind, Sarsenapati Hambirrao, to name a few. Har Har Mahadev joins this list with a star cast that boasts of names like Subodh Bhave, Sharad Kelkar, Amruta Khanvilkar, Sayali Sanjeev and more. But does it bring anything new or different to the table other than what has already been explored in similar films before? Well, yes, and no.

This is the second film this year that brings the story of the Battle of Pawankhind to the screen. While Digpal Lanjekar’s Pawankhind focussed almost entirely on what led to the battle, and the battle itself, director Abhijeet Deshpande takes a different route for Har Har Mahadev. The film starts by touching upon the rule of Watandars and the petty feuds between them. On one hand, there’s the brave warrior of Hirdas Maval, Bajiprabhu Deshpande, who is torn between loyalty and his moral conscience, trying to balance the two but unable to succeed. On the other hand, it is the young Shivaji Bhosale, a king in the making, who wants to unite the people of his region and fight the Adilshahi tyranny to establish Hindavi Swarajya.

Har Har Mahadev establishes its premise effectively in the first 20 mins and builds up the story of the bond between Shivaji Maharaj and Bajiprabhu Deshpande. The story of how Bajiprabhu Deshpande, initially not so keen on joining forces with Shivaji Maharaj, becomes a trusted aide and loyal warrior in the Maratha army forms the first half of the film. This angle has not been explored before and so it makes for an interesting watch.

However, the second half, which comprises the Siege of Panhala by Siddhi Jauhar, Shivaji Maharaj’s escape from Panhala and the Battle of Pawankhind, is pretty much a repeat of what has been seen earlier. Where Har Har Mahadev scores slightly better is in the action choreography and thumping background music during the battle scenes.

Three major things work against this grand film – lack of novelty (especially post-interval), a rushed mid-patch and an extended climax, and average VFX. There are scenes that stand out, especially those with Subodh Bhave and Sharad Kelkar together. Both actors have delivered what’s expected, although a bit of polishing for Kelkar’s Marathi diction would’ve taken his performance a notch higher. The supporting cast has little to nothing to do in the film. Sayali Sanjeev, Hardeek Joshi and Amruta Khanvilkar still make the most of their limited screen time.