Film: Faster Fene
Directed by: Aditya Sarpotdar
Starring: Amey Wagh, Dilip Prabhavalkar, Parna Pethe, Girish Kulkarni, Siddharth Jadhav and Shubham More
What it's about:
One can't help but be skeptical about going to watch a film that is based/inspired by a comic book. Because Jagga Jasoos still has a fresh recall. Like JJ, Faster Fene is a film about Banesh Fene. Faster Fene (Amey Wagh) is a smart kid with great detective skills and a love for adventure. Based on a series and short stories by BR Bhagwat, Faster Fene is almost like the desi version of TinTin. In the film, while appearing for medical entrance test, Fene befriends a fellow mate who commits suicide two hours later. He is convinced it is a murder and sets out to solve it and comes across an education scam worth crores. Riding along with him on this journey are the homeless kid Bhu Bhu (Shubham More), Aboli (Parna Pethe) and Ajoba (Dilip Prabhavalkar). They all soon realise that he is messing around with very powerful people but he refuses to back down, despite threats to his life and those close to him. How Fene manages to bring down the evil Appa (Girish Kulkarni), with practically no support or help from the cops or the media, will keep you glued to the seat till the last scene.
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What's good:
Full marks to writer Kshitij Patwardhan and director Aditya Sarpotdar for making the character relevant to the current audiences. Banesh Fene is not a school kid in this adventure-thriller. He is on the threshold of being a young man with an eye for detail. Faster Fene is everything you expect from the genre. It's fast-paced, with enough drama and twists to keep you hooked. The sparring between Appa and Banesh is a delight. Appa's character is amusing and menacing at the same time and kudos to Girish Kulkarni for walking the tight rope with elan. Producer Riteish Deshmukh brings a never-seen-before scale to Marathi cinema, as far as production values are concerned. The background score is spectacular. Amey Wagh carries the film ably on his shoulders, supported by a competent supporting cast. Ambadas (Siddharth Jadhav) will have you cracking up. It's a film that a kid can enjoy, as much as an adult and very few films manage to achieve that.
What's not:
While the first half has its light fun moments, the second half gets a bit grim. Although the twists and turns in the plot keep you engrossed, one can't help but miss the drama.
What to do:
Watch it for the sheer adventure. For those who don't speak or understand Marathi, there is the universal language of cinema, and subtitles.
Ratings: ****
