Popular reviews

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  Review by rischka ★★★ 2

  social issues drama is admirable on many levels. actress smita patil clearly felt passionately about bringing a feminist voice that was lacking in indian cinema. here she plays a middle class woman determined to have a career, even if it means sacrificing her family life (and it does of course). she is able to do this because of her class and because her husband, a lawyer, agrees. an early scene where he describes defending a rape case by smearing the reputation of the female accuser sets the tone. with a degree in social work, patil takes a job as superintendent of an institution that 'rehabilitates' society's outcasts: women who have flouted the patriarchy by refusing or running away from arranged…

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  Review by CinemaShadow ★★★★½ 2

  Directed by Jabbar Patel, Umbartha tells the story of a sociologist (Smita Patil) of lower-middle-class origins who is stuck in a marriagee to an upper-class lawyer (Girish Karnad). She accepts a position as superintendent of a rescue center for battered women, where she encounters the outcasts of a male-dominated society: sexually abused and abandoned women, prostitutes, the insane, the suicidal. She not only feels a sense of responsibility toward these women but finds herself enmeshed for the first time in a community. A strong political and feminist statement.

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  Review by Lencho of the Apes ★★★ 3

  Feminist drama about a social worker trying to institute reforms at a rehabilitation camp for wayward women; the deck is so much stacked against her that it's as though she's (John Lydon quote) "fighting a losing battle forever."

  Well-meaning platitudes are a good place to start, I suppose, especially if the culture isn't providing anything else that focuses on these issues, but the movie's shortcomings were frustrating to me. (I'll go into detail if anybody really wants to micro-analyze.) Baby steps...

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  Review by SoniYEAH ★★★★

  i know the term “coming of age” is used for more youth-centric movies, but in many ways, umbartha is a coming of age movie for an unsatisfied upper middle class housewife who gets to step outside of her bubble to see the world in all its patriarchal ethos, at the cost of her family life— but in the end, the film also makes us question if living a happy family life in such a messed up world even worth it. even beyond its feminist themes, patel does some subtle commentary on classism- how the economically superior (like sulabha’s mother in law and the chairwoman of the ashram) exploit the lower income marginalised classes under the façade of aiding them, and…

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  Review by Saira ★★★★★

  Wow! Truly a feminist film and a masterpiece! Instant favorite of mine...Song are lovely and represent the emotions beautifully, especially "Chand Matala Matala"

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  Review by Atharva Lokhande ★★★

  There are certain issues but it's astonishing that Jabbar Patel made Umbartha that has such bleakness, as well as feminine and forbidden themes(even homosexuality) in an era when the Marathi Industry was busy producing mindless comedies (some of which I enjoyed though) and silly melodramas. Absolutely loved the songs, three of which sung by Lata Mangeshkar.
  Smita Patil is outstanding! It is unfortunate that she died so young.

  Ugich swapnaant saawalyaanchi

  Kashaas kelisa arjawe tu

  Diles ka prem tu kunaala

  Tujhyaach je antaraat ahe.

  Sunya sunya maifilit maajhya

  Tujhech mi geet gaat ahe

  Ajunahi waatate mala ki

  Ajunahi chaandraat ahe.

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  Review by sayalishelke98 ★★★★★

  A Marathi movie so, so ahead of it’s time! Smita Patil is truly one of the greatest actresses of all time and this performance is proof. This film depicts themes of love, sexuality, infidelity, and most importantly, purpose. While homosexuality is shown as something that can be “fixed” through psychiatric care, it was overall handled well considering the movie released in the early 80s. The deep rooted corruption in institutions that are supposed to be helping society’s most vulnerable is depicted very well through all the subplots. Incredible movie and absolutely iconic songs!

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  Review by adsreviews ★★★★

  this movie was wayyyyy ahead of its time. i was surprised to see them explicitly show a lesbian couple and call them lesbians out loud too. Marathi cinema has always been so underrated. Love love loveeee smita patil ofcourse. That's mother.

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  Review by adichandorkar ★★★★½

  Umbartha is a triumph. A film way ahead of its time, for its depiction of feminism, sexuality, of themes that would be seldom explored in Indian films even today

  Smita Patil, every movie I watch of you I am more in awe of your talents and mourn your untimely loss all the more. A magnificent understated performance

  A brilliant soundtrack too, 4 all-time songs

  I understand that their solution for homosexuality was sadly psychiatric care but it is still a brave statement for India in the 80s for it to be acknowledged and treated with relative sensitivity

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  Review by Camus_ Nair ★★★★

  “Aren’t you being a little romantic?”

  The truth is this is not about a woman coming alive as a feminist icon as much as it is about her shedding the romantic trappings of life as it must be and understanding the hard edge of compromise.

  But of course compromise is worth it if it exposes the hollowness of what you once had (and the exposes the muddy uneven swamp that is social service).

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  Review by masti

  maybe shouldn’t have watched this w my father 🥲