Though the Independence of India gifted smiles to millions of its citizens at the same time, the post-independence era witnessed a fall of royal families as they lost their lands to the government. The film ‘Vastupurush’ is a story of one such family who is affected by the fall of their forefathers and are now left only with a manor. The film shows this side parallel to the main plot which portrays the story of a mother and the hardships she faces in order to get her son admitted to a medical college in Mumbai. She believes that if her son becomes a doctor, he can serve the poor which will free them from the curse of their family.
Set in the 60s, the film captures the era beautifully on the real locations and that’s the beauty of every Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukthankar film. The story is shown from the point of view of an old Bhaskar, who’s now a renowned doctor practicing in Mumbai and after forty years he decides to visit his native place, only to find his family’s crumbled manor. How he recalls his past, and at the same time witnesses the fall of his family gradually.
Bhaskar’s uncle and elder brother (Atul Kulkarni) strongly believe that there’s a hidden treasure stored in their manor which they try to access. However, the film stands out when the only woman in the film acts sensible and opposes their belief. In a scene where an old relative, the last one from their previous generation passes away and the next day she visits one of the dealers saying to him, “No can stop one who’s gone and it will make no difference to our lives, I’ve to look out for the future.”
Vastupurush is a film that shows the hardships of a family, especially of a mother.
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