Pathlaag

Pathlaag
DVD cover
Directed by	Raja Paranjape
Screenplay by	G. D. Madgulkar
Based on	Asha Parat Yete by Jayant Deokule
Produced by	Raja Paranjape
Starring	Kashinath Ghanekar Bhavana
Cinematography	Datta Gorle
Music by	Datta Davjekar
Production company	Shripad Chitra
Release date	1964 (1964)
Running time	123 minutes[1]
Country	India
Language	Marathi

Pathlaag (transl. The Chase) is a 1964 Indian Marathi-language thriller film produced and directed by Raja Paranjape. It is an adaptation of the Jayant Deokule novel Asha Parat Yete (Asha comes back). The film stars Kashinath Ghanekar and Bhavana. It was a commercial success, and won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Marathi and Maharashtra State Film Award for Best Actor for Ghanekar. The film was later remade in Tamil as Idhaya Kamalam (1965) and in Hindi as Mera Saaya (1966).

Plot

When Balasaheb Panse, a renowned Indian lawyer goes abroad, he receives a telegram informing him of the sudden death of his wife Asha. After she has been cremated and he is still in mourning, a woman arrested as a member of a criminal gang by the police claims to be Asha. She keeps telling Panse intimate details about their lives, expresses surprise that anyone could have thought her dead and implores him to have her released, causing a major emotional dilemma for Panse. Eventually, the second woman is revealed as indeed his wife, while the woman who died was her hitherto unmentioned twin sister.

Cast

• Kashinath Ghanekar as Balasaheb Panse^[1]
• Bhavana as Asha and Nisha/Raina ^[1]

Production

Pathlaag is based on Jayant Deokule's novel Asha Parat Yete.^[2] It was produced and directed by Raja Paranjape under Shripad Chitra,^[3] and the screenplay was written by G. D. Madgulkar. The cinematography was handled by Datta Gorle. Kashinath Ghanekar and Bhavana made their acting debuts with this film.^[1]

Soundtrack

The music was composed by Datta Davjekar, and screenwriter Madgulkar also served as lyricist.^[1] There are only two songs in the film: "Ya Dolyanchi Don Pakhare" and "Nako Marus Hak", both sung by Asha Bhosle.^[4] The former attained popularity.^[5]

Release and reception

Pathlaag became a commercial success, and won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Marathi.^[3] The film was later remade in Tamil as Idhaya Kamalam (1965)^[6] and in Hindi as Mera Saaya (1966).^[5] Despite its success, Pathlaag failed to set a trend of more detective films being made in Marathi.^[7]

References

1. Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1998, p. 381.
2. Goble, Alan, ed. (2011). The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. Walter de Gruyter. pp. 125, 904. ISBN 978-1-85739-229-6.
3. "12th National Film Awards". International Film Festival of India. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
4. "Pathlag Mar". Gaana. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
5. Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1998, p. 382.
6. Guy, Randor (3 August 2013). "Idhaya Kamalam (1965)". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
7. Narwekar, Sanjit; Kul, Raghuvir; Samant, D. B. (1995). Marathi Cinema: in retrospect. Maharashtra Film, Stage & Cultural Development Corporation. p. 104.

Bibliography

• Rajadhyaksha, Ashish; Willemen, Paul (1998) [1994]. Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema. British Film Institute and Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-563579-5.

External links

• Pathlaag at IMDb