Film: Chhodo Kal Ki Baatein
Produced: Sai Prasad Media
Directed: Pramod Gajanan Joshi
Cast; Anupam Kher, Sachin Khedekar, Mrinal Kulkarni.
Rating: 
Chhodo Sab Kuch & Dekho Film Today
This is not only the story of an IT professional Aditya Pradhan (Sachin Khedekar), but each and everyone around us, who is in some way or the other leading a life, where he is not able to come to terms with himself. All the time he is fighting one or the other demons, which seems to be disturbing his life pattern at some given time. Pramod Gajanan Joshi who has also written the story as well as directing it has been successful to quite a good extent in bringing home the fact that life if not lived in present can never bring a future of your choice. An automobile engineer with a creative blend of mind after having tried his hand at directing 3 Marathi films, this debut in Hindi is indeed quite promising and an achievement of sorts.
Initially the film does tend to confuse you a bit, because in the process of establishing the unique problem of Aditya, it gets a tad too lengthy, and virtually gets on your nerves. But once the problem becomes evident and you start relating, the plot takes a twist. At his wits end and on the verge of virtually collapsing, Aditya comes across a person “Benaam Kumar”, i.e. a person without a name, who sort of drops out of Blue as a Divine intervention to take the hero out his extreme dilemma.
To speak about the dilemma, the story begins with Aditya Pradhan a self centric, workaholic, short tempered person, who has been leading a totally one track life. He bags this big contract on Saturday, whose deal he is suppose to sign on Monday. In the process he forgets to attend the Arrangetram ceremony of his daughter, as a result of which he becomes a victim of his wife and daughter’s wrath and displeasure. Now with guilt conscious he just goes binge drinking with his friend Mohan (Atul Parchure) and conks out. Now he wakes up on a Sunday morning, which never seems to end and keeps on recurring again and again with the same set of characters and same set of activities in chronological order, driving him to near insanity. Not being able to comprehend as to what and why it was happening to him lies the crux of the story.
At this point the Benaam Kumar (Anupam Kher) enters his life in a most mysterious way and makes him understand the value of “TODAY”, in one’s life! His only answer to all the problems: No Yesterday, No Tomorrow – “Mujhe Toh Sirf Aaj Ka Pata Hain”. Post interval you start connecting with the main protagonists issue yourself. The Sunday which never wanted to end ultimately heralds the Sunrays of Monday morning as Aditya wakes up, after having survived the demons and understanding the essence of life, which has to be lived every moment of its existence and cherished. A must watch for an entertaining experience of an ethereal kind!!!
Anupam Kher as blind Benaam Kumar essays the role of a guide, mentor or healer whatever you may like to say, with effortless ease and gives a brilliant flawless performance. He lends that essence of divinity which is required of the character. Only an artiste of his maturity and caliber could give credence to this enigmatic persona. Sachin Khedekar has once again proved that for an actor there are no boundaries. He has to just live the role and that’s what he has done. And he is very ably supported by some lovely cameos by Mrinal Kulkarni as Sakshi Pradhan, Anjan Shrivastava as Shuklaji, Vijay Patkar as Dhobi, Suresh Menon as RDX , Kishore Pradhan as a Doctor, and Atul Parchure as Mohan his friend in need at the crucial time. Being a content driven drama, there is hardly any scope for music but the background score and effects are certainly adding to the narrative. Camera work is okay but editing could have been bit more tight and precise.
A must watch for an entertaining experience of an ethereal kind!!!
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