Natsamrat

Mahesh Manjrekar's 2016 Marathi film is adapted from Kusumagraj's play of the same name. Nana Patekar plays an ageing Shakespearean actor who has left the stage. He transfers his property to his children and plans to live with them; it soon emerges that none of them wants him. King Lear stands behind the play and the film does not hide it. That a man who played kings on stage lives the same story in his own life is the central irony. Patekar's performance is pitched high, a choice that comes from the theatre tradition and that feels excessive in some scenes. Natsamrat is a canonical text in Marathi theatre, and the play's hold on audiences carries into the film. It drew large audiences in Maharashtra. Who it's for: those interested in the Marathi theatre tradition and in family drama about old age. Who it's not for: viewers who want restrained acting; the emotional pitch stays high throughout and is never lowered.