Natasamrat: Asa Nat Hone Nahi

By Nishad Kanhere

HOUSTON: Thanks to Houston Marathi Mandal for arranging a screening of this wonderful movie “Natasamrat – Asa Nat hone nahi” for its Houston audience which was recently released in India.

Nearly 550+ enthusiast Houstonians experienced the screening of this movie at AMC Dunvale on Sunday, January 31, at 1 PM. Everyone were amused and satisfied with the smooth check-in and overall arrangement for the movie by Houston Marathi Mandal volunteers. Barricades were placed with the movie posters for the convenience of the attendees to form a queue to avoid the chaos during check-in process. Sankranti vaan was given to the HMM members at the front desk who could not make it to the Makar Sankranti event on January 16.

Inspite of so many obstacles before this movie screening HMM team proved the saying “The Show must go on”.

Event started sharp at 1 PM. HMM president Megha Ozarker welcomed everyone and introduced 2016 committee with a short video clip. The video clip of the Vastu progress and 2017 BMM convention invitation video clips were presented following that.

Natsamrat (The Emperor of Theater) is a 2016 Marathi language film featuring Nana Patekar in the leading role. It is directed by Mahesh Manjrekar and produced by Nana Patekar and Vishwas Joshi under the banner of Great Maratha Entertainment, Gajanan Chitra and Fincraft Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. The film was officially released in India on Jan 1, to popular and critical acclaim while recording biggest opening in Marathi cinema.

The film is a tragedy about a veteran theatre actor named Ganpat “Appa” Belwalkar (Nana Patekar) who has been an acclaimed theater actor during his day, garnering fame and fortune acting in plays based on various works, especially William Shakespeare’s. He bequeaths all of his wealth to his children. Appa never keeps anything to himself & express his views very frankly. He doesn’t mind adding expletives while expressing his views. Only his close friend Ram & his wife are able to understand his nature. His daughter-in-law Neha & son doesn’t seem to appreciate his frank nature, which at times becomes embarrassing to them when they have guests or their daughter hurls expletives in school. The high point in their relationship comes when their granddaughter performs a folk dance taught by Appa, which is not appreciated by his daughter-in-law Neha. An argument follows between them when they return home & Neha slaps her daughter. Next day Neha proposes to part their ways by moving out, a ploy in which she anticipates Appa to grant them their space. Appa see’s through her plan and decides to move out, while passing on a comment to his son “The whole world is a stage & unfortunately my son my part is a sad one.”

Chowpaty Chat and Kurrywala restaurant, were the HMM sponsors for the event, for providing the food items at a discounted rate before and after the event for the HMM members on showing their membership cards.

Everyone enjoyed the movie and the hospitality by HMM volunteers. This was a sold out event and due to overwhelming response by the Marathi crowd in Houston, HMM decided to go with its 2nd screening on February 21, at 2 PM.

The details and online ticketing will be available on the HMM website. For the photos and the videos of the event please visit: www.hmmhouston.org