There are some movies that you plan to watch and then there are some that you simply put on because you have heard about it or simply because you don’t find anything else interesting so you decide to give the movie a try. And if you do not like it, you are mentally prepared to stroll through the channels again.
Ananya is one such discovery that I made while strolling through OTT. All I knew about this movie was that it’s a story about a girl who loses both her hands in an accident. When my sister and I decided to watch it, I was not in the mood for a gloomy story. So, the decision to continue watching this movie was to be made in the first 15-minutes.
From the very beginning, we were glued to it. Ananya is a well-written and well-directed film. It will break your heart time and again. You will want to be by Ananya’s side during tough times but still, the movie doesn’t over-dramatise her agony. It tells the story in a way where you relate it with the many incidents you might have watched in your life, and if not, this feels like the one happening to someone close to you.
ANANYA MARATHI MOVIE STORY
Ananya is a bright girl and her father’s only hope. Though her elder brother, Dhananjay is an MBA, he is jobless. While Ananya is still studying, her father finds her a suitable groom, Shekhar Sarpotdar from a well-to-do family. Ananya and her brother are not very convinced but say yes to marriage. Dhananjay gets convinced as soon as Shekhar’s father promises him a job in the company. Ananya’s father is convinced due to an old family rivalry and this marriage is supposed to work as his ego-satisfaction.
As Ananya and Shekhar start meeting and going out, they meet with an accident in which Ananya loses both her hands. After the accident, as expected, Shekhar and his family call off the wedding. Ananya, though is still struggling to come to terms with new ways of life, she immediately accepts the fact that Shekhar has abandoned her and is never returning. On the other hand, her father and brother try hard to make things work.
As Ananya’s family fails to understand the signs and signals Shekhar’s family frequently sends their way, Shekhar’s father finally clearly tells them they do not wish to take this forward and that their son has already moved out of the country. This leads to Ananya’s family taking out their frustration on her, making her feel abandoned and lonely once again.
One day, while her family is out and she is locked in her own house, another life-threatening incident takes place where Ananya learns that she can do a lot without her hands. She then decides to use her legs to carry out her daily tasks. But to do so, legs need strength, hell lot of it. This is when she starts to take formal training by joining an NGO that trains people with physical disabilities. Ananya then gets back to studies and becomes CA. What unfolds later is just a beautiful twist to this story, especially the last few scenes that make your heart smile.
WHAT’S SPECIAL ABOUT ANANYA?
Women Power! No, I am not talking only about Ananya here. The other two ladies, Priyanka and Rama Deshpande played by Rucha Apte and Renuka Daftardar are beautifully written, well-executed, well-placed in the movie, and very well played by these women.
When grief weighs down Ananya’s family, these two women stand by her. From sponging her to giving her a new life, they become her compass that helps her walk in the right direction. No matter how tough you are, there are some fights you cannot fight alone. To include these characters in the story that come from out of the family was an incredible idea.
Then, there are a few scenes that make this film stand out. After Ananya becomes dependent and she has to be even fed, we are frequently shown how eating has also become a struggle for her. Not because she cannot eat by herself now but because the ones who are feeding her are more invested in their own lives. So, in the middle of feeding her, they get busy on a phone call or do not reach on time to feed her where she is seen patiently waiting at the dining table. These minute details of dependency give you goosebumps. You thank God for this well-functioning body of yours.
Similarly, the ball dance at the end or the cycle scene where Ananya is seen riding her bicycle again is what makes this film worth-watching.
LET’S TALK ABOUT THE PERFORMANCES
Hruta Durgule, who played Ananya, has delivered a balanced performance. Again, no over-dramatisation of grief or glamourising of strength. She has given only what was rightfully needed for this character. The transformation before and after the accident and later, after she finds herself again, wasn’t drastic or extreme. This balancing of transformation is also portrayed well by Hruta on the screen.
In other noteworthy performances, I would like to mention Suvrat Joshi here. Other characters either had strong negative or positive shades. But, if I am putting it in the right words, Suvrat’s character, Dhananjay had emotional fluctuations. His frustrations and constant swinging between negative and positive has been wonderfully managed by him. From being a caring elder brother, to selfishness, and then lastly, realising his mistake and breaking down – all of the shades of this character are put forth really well by Suvrat.
Talking about the performances, if you have watched Dil Dosti Duniyadari, you must be aware that Rucha Apte had played Suvrat Joshi’s sister, Pihu in the serial. But here, they are playing characters who are romantically interested in each other. The beauty of their performances is that even though in the beginning you find it a bit difficult to digest this, within a few minutes of the movie, you forget Sujay and Pihu as these two actors make these new characters believable and realistic. Full marks to both of them.
The only track I thought could have turned out much better is of Ameya Wagh. When this charming guy is introduced as a stalker, you cannot help but question whether everyone involved wants Ananya to say yes to this guy only because she has a physical disability. Later, he becomes the guy every girl dreams of but still, this character does not have a strong footing in the story. Only if this could have been avoided, there would have been no downside to Ananya.
The Digital Popcorn 