Yugandhar Creations’ Daah (Marathi; meaning ‘Burning’) is the story of a girl who faces rejection because she is not the biological child of her parents.
Disha (Sayali Sanjeev) lives with her parents, Dr. Sane (Girish Oak) and Anagha Sane (Radhika Vidyasagar). She is studying to be a doctor. Sameer Bhosale (Surhud Wardekar) studies in the same college. Disha and Sameer fall in love with each other. Like Disha’s parents, Sameer’s parents — Dr. Bhosale (Yatin Karyekar) and Smita Bhosale (Uma Sardeshmukh) — are also happy with the liaison. Their marriage is fixed but Sameer goes to the USA after becoming a doctor and before the marriage can be solemnised.
During Sameer’s absence from India, Dr. Sane tells his wife that Disha is not their biological daughter. Dr. Sane had picked up an orphan and let her pass off as their daughter when Anagha had had a miscarriage due to a road accident. A shocked Anagha reveals this to Sameer’s mother, Smita Bhosale, who decides to call off the marriage. When Disha learns the truth about her being an adopted child, she is crestfallen. Since her marriage has been called off, she leaves her home and settles down in a village, taking care of the sick and providing them medical attention.
How Sameer resolves the issue on his return from the USA forms the crux of the latter part of the drama.
Dr. Satish (Atul) Sonone has written a story which has some emotional drama but which has little by way of freshness or novelty. Besides, the angle of Sameer’s mother calling off the marriage merely because Disha’s caste (by birth) is unknown, doesn’t go down too well with the audience of today. The screenplay, written by Unman Bankar and Kaustubh Sawarkar, is quite routine and unconvincing. Dialogues (by Yogesh Gavas and Kaustubh Sawarkar) are nice.
Sayali Sanjeev does a fine job as Disha. Surhud Wardekar is alright as Sameer Bhosale. Girish Oak acts ably as Dr. Sane. Radhika Vidyasagar leaves a mark as Anagha Sane. Yatin Karyekar has his moments as Dr. Bhosale. Uma Sardeshmukh makes her presence felt in the role of Smita Bhosale. Kishor Chaugule lends decent support as Namdev mama.
Malhar Ganesh’s direction is okay. Praful Swapnil’s music is quite nice. The party song is entertaining. Lyrics (Mandar Cholkar and Tejas Ranade) are appropriate. Subodh R. Aarekar’s choreography is fair. Aniket K.’s cinematography is of a fine standard. Harshad Vaity’s editing is quite sharp.
On the whole, Daah is too ordinary a fare to make a mark at the box-office.
Released on 14-2-’20 at Palace (daily 1 show) and other cinemas of Bombay by Yugandhar Creations. Publicity & opening: poor.