Dithee

Dithee (transl. Seeing) is an Indian Marathi-language drama film[3] written and directed by Sumitra Bhave under her banner Sumitra Bhave Films along with Mohan Agashe.[4] The movie is about a simple ironsmith's journey of undergoing the pain of his son's death and experiencing the non-duality of life and death. The movie was also showcased at the Cannes Film Market in 2019.[5][6] Dithee also marks the last directorial film of filmmaker Sumitra Bhave.[7]

Dithee
Directed bySumitra Bhave
Screenplay bySumitra Bhave
Story byD. B. Mokashi & Sumitra Bhave
Produced byMohan Agashe
StarringKishor Kadam
Mohan Agashe
Amruta Subhash
CinematographyDhananjay Kulkarni
Edited byMohit Takalkar
Music byParth Umrani
Score:
Saket Kanetkar
Production
company
Sumitra Bhave Films
Distributed bySony Liv
Release dates
  • September 2019 (2019-09) (Singapore South Asian International Film Festival)[1]
  • 21 May 2021 (2021-05-21) (India)[2]
CountryIndia
LanguageMarathi

The film was released on 21 May 2021 as a liv original directly on Sony Liv.[8][9] It is inspired by the story Aata Amod Sunasi Ale, penned by D.B. Mokashi.[10]

Cast

Synopsis

The film tells the story of Ramji,[13] a simple iron-smith from a small village, who is a devotee of Lord Vitthal. For years he followed the Waarkari (a devotional sect) tradition of going on a pilgrimage with thousands of other devotees. One tragic incident and his world comes crashing down. Ramji became not only sad but also angry at God.[14] The story is further built upon how this tragedy affects the family and everyone trying to make sense of the tragedy. One rainy night unfolds a tale of grief and ecstasy - where the seeming opposites just collapse and dissolve into the oneness of being. Life offers Ramji a chance to 'see' the non-duality of birth and death, and make peace with his grief.[15]

Reception

Dithee received appreciation not only from the audience but also from the critics. The Times of India gave a rating of 3.5/5 and stated "Sumitra Bhave’s swansong speaks about the coexistence of life and death". Further, it mentioned, "while the story and acting are strongholds of the film, the cinematography (by Dhananjay Kulkarni) and background score (by Saket Kanetkar) complete the film’s identity".[16]

Firstpost gave a rating of 3.5/5 and stated a positive review of the film: "Sumitra Bhave’s last film delivers an astonishingly relevant view on life and death" and added that the film "delights you with a soulful tale of mourning and celebration all at once".[17]

Subhra Gupta from The Indian Express gave 3 stars and stated "Kishore Kadam’s portrayal of Ramji is at the heart of the film".[9]

SpotboyE gave a rating of 3.5/5 and praised Kishore Kadam's performance "brilliance as a birthright".[18] Cinestaan stated Dithee as a "Visually breathtaking story of loss, grief and healing".[19]

Namrata Joshi of The Hindu states "The film operates more in the realm of ideas than action and takes viewers into the mind of a distressed soul."[10]

References
  1. Iyer, Lakshmy (31 August 2019). "Singapore South Asian International Film Festival (Sg. SAIFF) honours Bharathiraja with Lifetime Achievement Award 2019". Connected To India. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  2. "Dithee, Sumitra Bhave's final film, to premier on SonyLIV". Cinema Express. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  3. "समीक्षकांच्या कौतुकाची थाप मिळालेला 'दिठी' लवकरच प्रेक्षकांच्या भेटीला". Loksatta (in Marathi). 14 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  4. "Late Sumitra Bhave's final film 'Dithee' to drop digitally on May 21". Daiji World. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  5. "Three Marathi films chosen for Cannes Film Market". Box Office India. 2 May 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  6. Joshi, Namrata (9 April 2019). "3 Marathi films picked for Cannes Film Market". The Hindu. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  7. "Late Sumitra Bhave's Final Film 'Dithee' Drops Digitally on May 21". India West. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  8. "'Dithee', Sumitra Bhave's final film to premier on SonyLIV". The Indian Express. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  9. "Dithee movie review: The film feels timely, its questions timeless". The Indian Express. 22 May 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  10. Joshi, Namrata (19 April 2019). "'Dithee' review: Ebb and flow of loss". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  11. "New Marathi film 'Dithee' selected as best picture in 7th Kolhapur International Film festival". UNI India. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  12. "Hotel Transylvania, Broken But Beautiful Season 3, The Me You Can't See, The Green Knight: Trailers This Week". Firstpost. 18 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  13. Joshi, Namrata (19 April 2019). "'Dithee' review: Ebb and flow of loss". The Hindu. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  14. Iyengar, Shriram. "Dithee trailer: The late Sumitra Bhave's moving evocation of grief finally finds its way to audiences". Cinestaan. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  15. Scroll Staff. "'Dithee': Sumitra Bhave's final film will be streamed on SonyLiv". Scroll.in. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  16. "Dithee Review: Sumitra Bhave's swansong speaks about the coexistence of life and death". The Times Of India. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  17. "Dithee movie review: Sumitra Bhave's last film delivers an astonishingly relevant view on life and death". Firstpost. 21 May 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  18. "Dithee Review: The Film Dithers Between Life And Death, Finally Falls In The Abyss". SpotboyE. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  19. Bhalla, Sahil. "Dithee review: Visually breathtaking story of loss, grief and healing". Cinestaan. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
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