Pachadlela(2004) is a Marathi horror-comedy directed by Mahesh Kothare and stars Bharat Jadhav, Shreyas Talpade, Laxmikant Berde, Vandana Gupte, Dilip Prabhawalkar in lead role. The movie revolves around three friends working in a bank who get posted to a village. They are put up in a wada(palace) by the bank. But according to the villagers, the spirits of the previous owner, his son and his trusted aide still haunt the house. The movie was released on May 7, 2004 and was praised by the Marathi audience for story and performance.
The movie begins with two friends Sameer (Abhiram Bhadkamkar) and Bharat (Bharat Jadhav) who arrive at Osadwadi, a small village. The station and the people around are eerie. Bharat is already scared as the duo make way to a bungalow where their third friend Ravi (Shreyas Talpade) has already settled in. They are working in a bank and have been transferred to this village branch. Any new transferees that arrive are routinely made to stay in a bungalow (wada), till they find alternate arrangements. The wada was incidentally mortgaged to the bank. Many transferees had left the job and left the village due to strange incidences happening in the wada.
According to villagers the wada is haunted by the ghost of Inamdar (Dilip Prabhawalkar), who suffered a heart attack and died in the wada. A ghost of Durga (Vandana Gupte) is also seen near a well close to the wada. Durga is Manisha's (Ashwini Kulkarni) mother who died by falling in the well when Manisha was just a kid.
At the bank, Sameer falls for Sunayna (Neelam Shirke) whose family specializes in driving away ghosts, performing planchets etc. While Bharat falls for Soundarya (Megha Ghadge), a danseuse (tamashe-wali) who comes to open an account with the bank. After few days, the trio meet police inspector Mahesh Jadhav (Mahesh Kothare) at a restaurant who tells them that Durga's death was not an accident. In fact, she was pushed by someone from behind when she was drawing water from the well. The story flashbacks to 16 years ago.The Inamdar (Dilip Prabhawalkar) was a rich man who owned the wada. He stayed with his mentally deranged son, Babya (Babanrao) (Ameya Hunaswadkar) and his trusted aide Kirkire (Vijay Chavan). Inamdar planned his son's wedding in a village far away from theirs. The fact that Babya was not of a sound mind was concealed from the girl's parents and the wedding was fixed at the Temple of Narsobachi Wadi. But during the wedding, Durga, who was an old friend of the girl's mother, tells everyone that that Babya was mentally deranged. The marriage was broken off and the irate crowd attacked the trio in which Kirkire was killed. Babya is later sent to a mental Hospital where he commits suicide and this results in the Inamdar getting a fatal heart attack. But before his death he swore that he would come back from the dead and take revenge on Durga and would not allow Durga's daughter Manisha to get married or let any auspicious event happen in Durga's house. A few years pass by and Durga too dies suddenly by slipping and falling into the well in her compound. It was rumoured that the ghost of the Inamdar pushed her into the well. Durga's daughter is brought up by Manisha's aunt and uncle as their own daughter.
The three friends after returning to the wada make fun of Inamdar, Babya and Kirkire in front of their portraits. Ravi is already in love with Manisha, who he has met in the city before. He is excited to come to the village of his sweetheart. He is a non-believer in ghosts and hence is very comfortable in the wada. Sameer is a little skeptical, yet uncomfortable with the place. Bharat happens to be of Manushya Gan as per his horoscope and it is believed that any person with Manushya Gan is highly susceptible to ghosts. He gets possessed once during their drinking binge and Sameer freaks out. Sameer seeks Sunayna's help in driving away spirits. She takes him to her brother who is a fraud tantric named Vetale Guruji (Laxmikant Berde). Ravi talks of his intentions of marrying Manisha and the evil spirits of the wada are stirred. They want to stop this and they find Bharat an easy prey. Bharat gets possessed by the three ghosts of the wada one after the other all with an intention to stop the marriage from happening. And to top it all the ghost of Durga too possesses Bharat to make this marriage happen.
But on the day of the engagement Bharat gets possessed by the spirit of Kirkire and tell Ravi's family that Manisha is manglik. Hearing this there is argument between the two families and the engagement is stopped. Ravi blames Bharat for breaking his engagement. Bharat is possessed by the three ghosts of wada. Fearing that Bharat is mentally unstable Ravi sends Bharat to a mental hospital, much to the discontent of Sameer. Manisha and Ravi plan to run away from home and marry in a temple with the help of Sunayna and Vetale Guruji. On the day of their planned marriage Bharat harasses the hospital staff and is sent back to the wada. Ravi's manager tells him to go to the mental hospital to fetch Bharat. Due to this Ravi is unable to meet Manisha. Angered, Manisha goes to the wada to meet Ravi. At the wada Bharat is already present.
Taking the advantage of this situation, the spirits of the wada plan to kill Manisha through Bharat. Durga wants to save her daughter also through Bharat. Manisha is trapped inside the wada alone with Bharat and the situation boils down to a mind-boggling climax.
Cast
- Bharat - Bharat Jadhav
- Sameer - Abhiram Bhadkamkar
- Ravi - Shreyas Talpade
- Inamdar - Dilip Prabhawalkar
- Durga - Vandana Gupte
- Kirkire - Vijay Chavan
- Vetale Guruji - Laxmikant Berde
- Soundarya - Megha Ghadge
- Sunayna - Neelam Shirke
- Manisha - Ashwini Kulkarni
- Babya - Ameya Hunaswadkar
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