Sairat (2016)

[**** stars / *****] 

A poor boy and a rich girl from rural Maharashtra fall for each other.

 

Girl's parents just hate it, guy's folks act no different. The lovers go on the run then, forced to scratch out a new life in the Hyderabad slums. 

The plot may seem familiar, but Sairat is refreshing and real, thanks to its beautifully etched screenplay, inspired casting, and melodious Ajay-Atul soundtrack with some stunning, rousing orchestration and percussion. 

Beyond the caste disparities, this is an essential, endearing, intimate human story, and that is why the shocker ending hits hard. The innocence of the first flirtations, three boys dancing to the metal rhythm of a passing train, the harrowing discovery of forbidden love, and its disturbing aftermath, nothing seems staged.  

Director Nagraj Manjule has the uncanny gift of telling intense, believable stories of turbulence and caste divisions, grabbing the audience's attention from frame one.     

Sairat is easily the Marathi movie of the year and among the best Indian movies of the decade. 

Sairat review 

The lead pair of Akash Thosar and Rinku Rajguru make stellar debuts. Rajguru, not yet 16 during filming, delivers an astonishing performance. Ajay-Atul's songs and background score are rousing additions. 

This is finally director Nagraj Manjule's triumph of lively storytelling while keeping it all grounded and achingly believable. A heart-stealing movie experience, best seen on the big screen.