Disha

'Disha' tells the tale of two families (who're also friends) living in a poor dry village. However, the poverty and lack of employment leads Soma (Raghuvir Yadav) and eventually the newly-wedded Vasant (Nana Patekar) to go to the city and search for work. Amidst their struggles in the city, we see an obsessed Parshuram (Om Puri) who's spent twelve years digging a well and his wife Hansa (Shabana Azmi) who is fed up with his obsession and struggles with raising her four children and working. Then, there's Vasant's young bride Phoolwanti (Rajshree Sawant) who alongside Hansa works for a sleazy employer in a tobacco factory. Paranjape cleverly shows the contrast between the city from the character's point of view and we feel how they are more at home in the village, how they adjust to the difficult overcrowded city and eventually how the circumstances transform them. In addition to that she brilliantly contrasts between the quiet village and the noisy city. The use of sound (and minimal background music) finely reflects this. Paranjape also gives 'Disha' a touch of comedy which is very subtle. The brown tinted colour adds to the rawness and stresses on the stifling heat that adds to both the village and city chaos. Raghuvir Yadav, Nana Patekar, Om Puri and Shabana Azmi are all seasoned actors and one wouldn't expect anything short of great performances. On that front, the actors do not disappoint at all by playing their well-written characters and they only it easier for the viewer to get involved in their lives. Editing could have been improved, especially by leaving out the first song (or cutting it shorter). It seems as though the song was there to remind the viewer that this was a Hindi film. Summing it up, 'Disha' is worth a watch for its wonderful storytelling, excellent performances and raw realism.