Bonus - A Marathi puran poli that leaves a lump in your throat that's not easy to wash down !

ASHOK’s FIVE reasons to watch the new Marathi movie “Bonus” now streaming on Amazon Prime. This is one gem of an idyllic film that is worth dropping everything else to watch with your family and leaves you stunned with its simplicity and thoughtful with its incisive insight. Writer-director Saurabh Bhave puts together a Marathi special that focuses on the premise of enjoying the smaller things in life and in his own way setting up a contrast between the poor and the rich in the same terrain that ‘Parasite’ did.  “Bonus” is the story of Aditya who has been challenged by his grandfather to spend thirty days in a fishermen’s colony in Mumbai on a budget of five thousand rupees. How this seemingly innocuous experiment goes on to impact Aditya’s world view and leave a lasting impact on his life is what the story dwells on.

1.       Bonus gets to the point with amazing alacrity much like the quintessential Marathi film; no rambling, no unnecessary chatter – it sets up the premise from the first scene. Watch how the fact that Aditya is not just the scion of a rich family in Nashik is established; the opening scenes go on to tell you that he is finicky about his lemon tea, vegan diet and a lifestyle where he calls the shots. Mohan Agashe plays the grandfather in a short but effective role.

2.       The treatment of the film continues to be crisp as the fisherman’s colony is established in a very business-like manner – it is congested and claustrophobic but there is no hint of squalor. The people are seemingly weird but not hostile. They might be poor but there is a method to the madness. The underlying humour makes you smile as Aditya struggles with simple and basic livelihood chores as he settles into his new home. Minal as the sprightly girl next door also sets in motion a romantic track, without going into details of her family and kin. The locality boys, Francis the drunk and several other characters are so real; you are literally transported to the colony in no time.

3.       Watch Bonus for some interesting and poignant moments that make you reflect on things you take for granted. Aditya takes up employment at a shoe retail shop and is abused by the patron for not being ‘customer-friendly ‘and loses his cool in a debate over entitlement or aukaat. I am sure you will think twice about asking for the attendant to tie your laces when you visit a shoe shop next time! On the other hand, the little joys of making new friends, lending a hand here and there and being able to pull out a specific shoe box from the stack without disturbing the other boxes is sheer joy to watch.

4.       Superlative acting makes Bonus stand apart. Gashmeer Mahajan as Aditya slips into his character with amazing ease and is perfectly cast. He is uncomfortable in his life at the colony but never irritated; new to the surroundings but never displays contempt and tentative at the new eco-system he discovers but never judgmental. For most of us living our lives in the urban jungle, one bout of fever ad shivering is enough to send us running for a malaria or swine flu test and think nothing of coughing up five grand. At the colony, someone else pays for the doctor’s fees and he gulps the suspicious looking pills and is fine!

5.       Bonus sets up the contrast in society brilliantly. The chawls of Mumbai have an eco-system that is a law unto themselves. Aditya is thrown out of his job because he failed to report a theft; the actual thief is not in the picture at all; the police listen only to the owner of the shop and finally let him off and justice has been delivered. The colony is like a giant whale that sucks you up and accommodates you as one of their own, no questions asked. There is poverty but there is no theft and there is gang war but no giving up on motivation to struggle. As Minal explains to Aditya, “it is normal to try and earn your daily bread and go to sleep on an empty stomach if you can’t make money, but it is not okay if you don’t wake up next morning ready for the fight all over again”

Bonus is not just about the challenge. It is not about an unequal society and nor is it about the struggle for life. It is a simple film, often taking artistic liberties to avoid difficult details, that makes you think about the meaning of what you want in your life and leaves you with a lump in your throat that wont get washed down easily!