Elula Future Vision Pvt. Ltd.’s Gadad Andhar (Marathi; UA) is the story of four friends who are fond of swimming, and of their encounter with a spirit.
Rajiv (Jay Dudhane), Chinmayi (Neha Mahajan), Parag (Akash Kumbhar) and Maya (Shubhangi Tambale) are friends who are fond of swimming. One day, they go to Rajiv’s village and while swimming there, find a sunken ship. On the ship is a box. They bring the box home and are shocked to find a skeleton inside, loaded with gold jewellery. The four friends take away the jewellery and bury the skeleton behind Rajiv’s bungalow. Strange things start happening to Chinmayi after this.
Chinmayi soon murders the daughter of Rajiv’s maid servant, Kamala (Aarti Shinde). Maya’s maternal uncle (Chetan Mule) is summoned because he is a tantrik. He reveals that the ghost is of a king who had taken jal samadhi 400 years ago. His spirit had entered Chinmayi’s body. Maya’s uncle extricates the spirit from Chinmayi’s body but it soon emerges that the spirit is alive while the uncle is now dead.
Pradnyesh Ramesh Kadam, Laukeek and Chetan Mule have penned a story which is like the story of umpteen horror films made earlier. Their screenplay also offers nothing novel. There are a few chilling scenes but they are not enough. While the first half is average, the post-interval portion is rather boring. Dialogues, written by Omkar Shivde and Pradnyesh Ramesh Kadam, are ordinary.
Neha Mahajan does a fine job as Chinmayi. Jay Dudhane has a lovely physique and his performance as Rajiv is average. Shubhangi Tambale is good as Maya. Akash Kumbhar is okay in the role of Parag. Chetan Mule lends average support as Maya’s uncle. Aarti Shinde has her moments as Rajiv’s maid, Kamala. Astha Thombre is so-so as Kamala’s daughter, Soni. Others provide routine support.
Pradnyesh Ramesh Kadam’s direction is ordinary. Rohit Shyam Raut’s music is so-so and so are the lyrics which are written by Abhishek Khankar and Rohit Shyam Raut. Shafi Shaikh’s choreography is nothing to shout about. Adinath Patkar’s background music is impactful. Venkat Prasad’s camerawork is alright. The underwater scenes have been well shot by Mohamed Muha, Mona Ahmed Abbas and Yogesh R. Action and stunt scenes, choreographed by Hemant Tirale, don’t afford much thrill. Art direction (by Mayur Pawar and Nitin Borkar) is so-so. Saurabh Prabhudesai’s editing is okay.
On the whole, Gadad Andhar is too routine to do anything worthwhile at the box-office. Flop.
Released on 3-2-’23 at Plaza (daily 1 show) and other cinemas of Bombay thru August Entertainment. Publicity: fair. Opening: weak.
