Sangeet Manapmaan is worth considering if you enjoy lavish Marathi musical drama and can settle into a long, theatrical romance. Its strongest assets are the songs and performances; its slow pacing and dated period-romance conventions make it less persuasive as a tightly told film.
What is Sangeet Manapmaan about?
Directed by Subodh Bhave, this Marathi musical drama adapts Krushnaji Prabhakar Khadilkar’s play, which dates to 1911, according to Scroll. The story centers on Dhairyadhar, a soldier whose proposal is rejected by proud princess Bhamini. Chandravilas, one of Bhamini’s admirers and a rival for power, plots against him.
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The film was released theatrically on 10 January 2025, and The Times of India lists its runtime as 2 hours 45 minutes and its certification as UA. Those details are listed in the publication’s review.
How well do the songs and performances work?
The music is the film’s clearest selling point. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy composed the songs, while Santosh Mulekar is credited with the background score. The Times of India and Loksatta both praise the music, and Loksatta also commends the central performances and visual choices. Subodh Bhave, Vaidehi Parshurami and Sumeet Raghavan are among the principal cast, as listed by BookMyShow.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsEven the favorable reviews treat the songs as more than decoration: they help carry a story whose theatrical roots remain visible. But the number of songs is not consistent across coverage. The Times of India and Film Information report 14, while Loksatta refers to 18. The discrepancy is unresolved, so neither count should be treated as definitive.
Where the film’s length and pacing become a drawback
The main reservation is that the film asks its audience to spend nearly three hours with a plot and style that can feel old-fashioned. Scroll’s review says the music “supports, propels and rescues” the film, which it describes as dated as its plot. Film Information also faults the slow first half and the drama’s length, especially in light of its many songs.
That criticism is not a claim that the musical numbers fail. It is a question of balance: if the songs and performances keep you engaged, the deliberate, theatrical storytelling may be part of the appeal. If you want a brisk romance or a modern-feeling screenplay, the pacing is likely to test your patience.
Is it a faithful adaptation of the play?
It is an adaptation, not simply a filmed stage production. Loksatta credits the screenplay and expansion for the film to Shirish Deshpande and Urja Deshpande, with additional screenplay and dialogue by Prajakt Deshmukh. It describes old and new musical material being brought together and calls the film a distinctive cinematic experiment, while noting shortcomings in the action and that the result is not a complete stage-to-screen transfer.
Film Information credits Khadilkar with the original songs, Sameer Samant with lyrics, and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy with new compositions. That combination gives the film a way to connect its older theatrical source with a new screen treatment, though the reviews differ in how successfully the whole works as cinema.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Who should watch Sangeet Manapmaan?
- Consider it if Marathi musical theatre, period settings and song-led storytelling appeal to you, or if you want to see how a century-old play has been reworked for film.
- Be cautious if slow first halves, extended runtimes or conventional period-romance plots are deal-breakers.
- For a film-night decision: expect the music and cast to be the draw, rather than a consistently fast-moving screenplay.
The critical case is therefore mixed rather than unanimous: the songs and acting have clear advocates, while pacing and the old-fashioned plot drew substantial reservations. The best reason to watch is an appetite for a long, theatrical musical—not the expectation of a brisk romance.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
- 2 DVD Set, 4 Hours 20 Minutes
- Features the Great Modern Masters of Indian Music
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