Sachin Pilgaonkar, known for his illustrious career spanning over five decades as an actor, director, and singer in Hindi and Marathi cinema, is starting a new chapter this year. He is presenting the Marathi film ‘Sthal’, produced by Dhun Productions and written and directed by Jayant Digambar Somalkar. The film is set to release theatrically on March 7 to commemorate International Women’s Day.

Sthal (A Match) explores the tradition of arranged marriages in rural India, where the relentless pursuit of a girl’s marriage overshadows the very sustenance of life. It is narrated from the perspective of a young girl, Savita, highlighting patriarchy, colorism and social evil deeply rooted in society.

The debut feature of Jayant Digambar Somalkar, who previously co-wrote and co–directed the acclaimed web series ‘Guilty Minds’  premiered at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the NETPAC Award for the Best Asia Pacific Film. It has since been screened at 29 major film festivals and has garnered over 16 awards, creating a buzz in the film industry.

The film shot in Jayant’s native village, Dongargaon in the Chandrapur District of Maharashtra, features an ensemble cast of first-time actors from the village starring Nandini Chikte as the protagonist Savita along with Taranath Khiratkar, Sangita Sonekar, Suyog Dhawas, Sandip Somalkar, Sandip Parkhi, Swati Ulmale, Gauri Badki & Mansi Pawar.

First look teaser out now https://youtu.be/OKemqwecS3k?si=tnNjQOPgLYJdC2Rw

The film is produced by Dhun, a production company co-founded by Karan Grover, Shefali Bhushan, Jayant Digambar Somalkar & Riga Malhotra.

Synopsis:

In a village in the Vidarbha region of India, a determined young girl, Savita, yearns for education and a brighter future. However, as her farmer parents anxiously struggle to find a suitable match for her, societal expectations place immense pressure on her to prioritize marriage over personal aspirations. Being dark-complexioned and short in height, Savita is seen as an added ‘burden’ on her parents and ‘marrying her off’, as difficult as finding fair price for their crop. Facing countless rejections from potential suitors, she must navigate a world where the pursuit of marriage overshadows the very sustenance of life. Shot on real locations with real people from the village, all non-actors, ‘A Match’ is the director’s debut feature film that explores the tradition of arranged marriages in rural India while highlighting patriarchy, colorism and social evil deeply rooted in society.

Director’s Biography:

Born in a village in the Vidarbha region of India, Jayant Somalkar is an engineering graduate, but his creative bent of mind made him veer towards filmmaking. His debut short film, ‘Iyatta- Class,’ showed at many film festivals and won many awards. He has co-written and co-directed the critically acclaimed Amazon Prime Video Original Series ‘Guilty Minds’. ‘A Match’ marks the director’s debut feature, showcasing his talent for storytelling and commitment to presenting social issues in an authentic and compassionate manner.

Director’s statement:

Coming from a humble rural background, I have been fascinated by grassroot level stories that are socially relevant and affect the lives of common people. Sthal (A Match) is one such. Through this film, my goal as a director is to bring out the realities faced by young women like Savita, who are almost sacrificed in the urgency for getting them “married off”. The film delves into themes of patriarchy, colorism, and societal pressures.

Being the youngest of 4 siblings, I saw my sisters going through this as I grew up. The idea for this particular film crystallized when I accompanied my cousin for one such ‘Match’ meeting.

To capture the authenticity and rawness, I chose to shoot on real locations with real people from the village as cast, all non-actors. By doing so, I sought to create an immersive experience and allow viewers to connect with the characters at a more emotional level. I was lucky to fulfill the dream of shooting in my own village, in fact in the very house where I was actually born. I could also include my extended family, some as cast and others in production roles. The pride they felt, seeing one of their own, bring a crew to the village and shoot a film, is for me, indescribable. The visual aesthetic of the film reflects the stark reality of rural India, capturing the beauty of the landscape as also the harshness of everyday life. The use of the traditional folk music makes the viewer connect to the events in a more experiential way while the western, brings the characters’ dreams alive surrealistically.  Through this film, I hope to spark conversations around the tradition of arranged marriage, gender inequality, and the pressing need for change.

About Dhun Production Company:

‘Dhun’ also means passion and that is exactly what brought the four partners behind Dhun together. Karan Grover with his expertise in content marketing and music, Shefali Bhushan and Jayant Somalkar with their strengths as storytellers and Riga Malhotra with her love for the movies are an eclectic mix with complementary skills who are in this business because they love the art behind it. They have been putting their minds, hearts and resources together to create meaningful and thought provoking stories that make a difference to people’s lives. Together they have produced the feature film ‘Jugni’ and the shorts ‘Iyatta’ and ‘Tambur’ that have traveled to several film festivals and won awards apart from being loved by viewers and critics alike. ‘Sthal’ is their first Marathi feature film.