'Adkitta' review: Sai Tamhankar navigates parenthood, trust and tangled ties

Balancing a career with family responsibilities is no longer easy in today's fast-paced life. The Marathi film "Adkitta," now streaming on ZEE5, takes up this theme in its own way. Its title matches the story closely, as its characters get caught in a tangle of relationships, responsibilities, trust and emotions.

At the heart of the story is a question: is the mother who gives birth to a child greater, or the one who raises it? Alongside this, the film brings out a mother's guilt, the pain of losing a child, and the emotional turmoil of parenthood. The story revolves around three characters: Gautam (Siddharth Chandekar), Kasturi (Sakhi Gokhale) and Mangal (Sai Tamhankar).

The film opens with Kasturi and Gautam, a working couple who are independent in their thinking, focused on their careers and living away from their hometown. At a party, Kasturi learns she is going to become a mother, and this marks a major turning point in their lives. In her eighth month of pregnancy, Kasturi faces a crisis: she is carrying twins, but one of them dies before birth, and both Kasturi and the surviving child's lives are then endangered. After the doctors' efforts, both survive, and Kasturi gives birth to a son who is named Omkar.

The real test for Kasturi and Gautam begins only after Omkar's birth. Balancing career and parenthood, the couple grapples with several questions, and while managing their work responsibilities they have to bring in outside help to care for the child. This is how Mangal enters their lives to look after Omkar. Her presence is initially a big support for Kasturi and Gautam, but gradually their trust in and dependence on her grow, and a closeness also begins to develop between Omkar and Mangal.

From here, the story does not stay limited to parenthood. How much should one trust an outsider in the house, is there a limit to depending on someone, and what happens to relationships if that limit is crossed -- the film carries these questions forward. What sets the story apart is that there is more to Mangal's character than what is visible at first. A major tragedy in her past life has shaped her nature: after losing her son, she is broken, and her husband also leaves her, yet she pulls herself together and tries to start life afresh.

An important aspect of the film is its portrayal of a mother's emotions, whether it is the guilt in the mind of a new mother or the pain of a mother who has lost a child; the film presents these feelings seriously. Though Mangal and Kasturi are in very different circumstances, both are tied to the feeling of motherhood, so Mangal's growing closeness with Omkar unsettles Kasturi, and the atmosphere at home begins to change.

The film is directed by Ashutosh Nikhil Parandhkar, in his debut as a director. The film has no major twists or scenes of continuous shocks, yet the story keeps the audience engaged as it unfolds slowly. Sai Tamhankar plays Mangal, a woman in need of money who is kind-hearted and sensitive, and who does not lose her humanity even after facing the most painful moment of her life. Siddharth Chandekar plays Gautam, a husband who supports his wife, believes in equality between men and women, and tries to maintain balance at home after the child's birth. Sakhi Gokhale, through Kasturi, brings out several emotions of a new mother's mind.

The film also makes good use of music; the songs are calm and emotional and help convey the mood of the story. After an incident, Kasturi and Gautam decide to install CCTV cameras at home to keep an eye on Mangal, following which Gautam keeps watch on her for about a month. This raises the question of whether the trust placed in a person entrusted with a child's care still holds. As the film moves towards its end, the tangle of relationships deepens further, and the story eventually takes a turn different from what is expected.

"Adkitta" will not appeal to every viewer; it is not a film meant for grand entertainment or constant thrills. But it is certainly a film that honestly portrays human emotions, motherhood, a mother's guilt, the pain of losing a child, trust, and insecurity in relationships. Those looking for a story that shows the emotions of human relationships while avoiding big twists and over-drama can give "Adkitta" a chance.