The movie is a tell tale historical recollection of textile mills which was once the lifeline of Mumbai working class. Once upon a time 58 textile mills dominated the central suburbs of mumbai stretching from Lalbagh, Byculla, Parel, Dadar, Wadala, Sewri, etc. More than 5 lakh workers thronged the mills to the shrill sirens. In a way there is a semblence of biographical reference to Datta Samant who was rebel leader by large without political affliation to any mainstream party. He was called as the Doctor by many of his comrades. How the textile mill strike in 1982 crippled the workers and gave way to greed of mill owners to encash on the prime real estate instead of bothering to run the industry providing employment and livelihood to millions.
The plot of the film revolves around Anna who is the head of the Dhuri family. He opts for voluntary retirement with the hope that all his dues will be settled by the mill owners, but alas his gratuity amount is not settled by the management. He struggles to meet the ends of the family with only one of the three sons Mohan ( Vineet Kumar ) working in pvt co operative bank, he is carried away by cricket and its nuances so much so that he is addicted to the transister forever, another son Baba ( Ankush Chowdhry ) is a struggling writer with a hope that one day his story would be recognised and he would make it big in the field of theatre. Naru is the third son who is bought up with carefree attitude, he enters into the local chawl dadagiri for sake of protecting his friends and family from persecution. How he branches out into the shady underworld of supari killer, which he regrets in midst of the storyline is very well picturised.
Strong matriach role is played by Seema Biswas as AAI of the family, she undergoes the struggle of a homemaker remarkably well. Manju plays the role of a daughter who witnesses the family struggling to meet their end. How she battles her own destiny is the very interesting to watch and enjoy. This movie is a definite watch for a family to indirectly impart sex education to their grown up children. There is interesting story too weaved around Kashmira shah and Satish Kaushik. This subject is so very well weaved into the plot, hats off to the original writer who was an ex mill worker turned journalist who conceived the play Adhantar.
This movie of Mahesh Manjrekar is inspired from the play Adhantar and Jayant wrote the screenplay and it took them 3 solid years to find a producer for the movie itself speaks of the triumph of all the souls who were betrayed and buried in the hope of settlement from the mill owners.The movie is a definite watch for all the movie goers who like to watch a classic tell tale story with commercial tinges.
The hues of the mill environs created almost resembles the times of 50 and 60’s when Datta Samant was emerging. It is nostalgic for me in particular since my father too was very active in trade union associated with all the likes George Fernadez, B.D.Jatti, Virandra Patil, etc but in Petroleum field working in Burmah Shell. He had to quit during the strike in 1960 rather than compromise with the management owning responsibility rather than accepting a promotion as foremen as a bribe. He had to move out the fabulous Shell colony residence which is situated in Chembur, I have seen the struggle in the chawls of Kurla having personally experienced it too with Zode and family.
One would at present conviniently, forget the chawl and textile mill life or yore, of Mumbai in the days of Mega Malls and apartments which dot the skyline of central mumbai , kudos to Mahesh Manjrekar in bringing out the stark reality of mill workers struggle. Textile workers dressed up the nation, but they were stripped to the core. City of gold is virtually a tribute to these unhearlded mill workers of Mumbai. It is not only a watch for mumbaites but all citizens of the country. I would rate the movie 5/5 for the passionate depiction of fate of the mill workers of mumbai. I am sure this film will win awards galore.
The plot of the film revolves around Anna who is the head of the Dhuri family. He opts for voluntary retirement with the hope that all his dues will be settled by the mill owners, but alas his gratuity amount is not settled by the management. He struggles to meet the ends of the family with only one of the three sons Mohan ( Vineet Kumar ) working in pvt co operative bank, he is carried away by cricket and its nuances so much so that he is addicted to the transister forever, another son Baba ( Ankush Chowdhry ) is a struggling writer with a hope that one day his story would be recognised and he would make it big in the field of theatre. Naru is the third son who is bought up with carefree attitude, he enters into the local chawl dadagiri for sake of protecting his friends and family from persecution. How he branches out into the shady underworld of supari killer, which he regrets in midst of the storyline is very well picturised.
Strong matriach role is played by Seema Biswas as AAI of the family, she undergoes the struggle of a homemaker remarkably well. Manju plays the role of a daughter who witnesses the family struggling to meet their end. How she battles her own destiny is the very interesting to watch and enjoy. This movie is a definite watch for a family to indirectly impart sex education to their grown up children. There is interesting story too weaved around Kashmira shah and Satish Kaushik. This subject is so very well weaved into the plot, hats off to the original writer who was an ex mill worker turned journalist who conceived the play Adhantar.
This movie of Mahesh Manjrekar is inspired from the play Adhantar and Jayant wrote the screenplay and it took them 3 solid years to find a producer for the movie itself speaks of the triumph of all the souls who were betrayed and buried in the hope of settlement from the mill owners.The movie is a definite watch for all the movie goers who like to watch a classic tell tale story with commercial tinges.
The hues of the mill environs created almost resembles the times of 50 and 60’s when Datta Samant was emerging. It is nostalgic for me in particular since my father too was very active in trade union associated with all the likes George Fernadez, B.D.Jatti, Virandra Patil, etc but in Petroleum field working in Burmah Shell. He had to quit during the strike in 1960 rather than compromise with the management owning responsibility rather than accepting a promotion as foremen as a bribe. He had to move out the fabulous Shell colony residence which is situated in Chembur, I have seen the struggle in the chawls of Kurla having personally experienced it too with Zode and family.
One would at present conviniently, forget the chawl and textile mill life or yore, of Mumbai in the days of Mega Malls and apartments which dot the skyline of central mumbai , kudos to Mahesh Manjrekar in bringing out the stark reality of mill workers struggle. Textile workers dressed up the nation, but they were stripped to the core. City of gold is virtually a tribute to these unhearlded mill workers of Mumbai. It is not only a watch for mumbaites but all citizens of the country. I would rate the movie 5/5 for the passionate depiction of fate of the mill workers of mumbai. I am sure this film will win awards galore.
This movie is a lesson for the IT workers too in a scuttle manner, don t fall prey to unionism, which can destroy the very fabric of employment generating industry. And the pitfalls of huge property currently in possession of IT industry can be aptly compared to the yester years Textile mills. The movie is heart wrenching and violent in some portions.
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