Mumbai, Even as Aditya Dhar’s “Dhurandhar” dominated screens, the Marathi-language film “Tighee” has managed to carve its own space at the box office. For the movie’s debut director, Jeejivisha Kale, this success indicates that her story has successfully struck a chord with audiences.
Set in Pune, the film delves into the fractured bond between a terminally ill mother, Hemlata , and her two daughters, Swati and Sarika . The daughters reunite to care for their mother but are forced to confront their own personal demons and long-held secrets.
The film released on March 6 in 125 screens across Maharashtra, Goa, and Bengaluru, with English subtitles.
“It shows different stories can co-exist. The audience has carried the weight for me; once they know what they like, they make it their responsibility. Making a wholesome film is one thing, and for it to be received this way is another,” Kale told PTI in an interview.
The Nashik-born director said she was pleased to know that the film was watched by different age groups.
“I’m told that people have watched it thrice, seeing it with different sets of people every time. It’s something I might be able to dissect and talk about better years from now. For now, I’m grateful this is happening, I don’t want to question how and why.”
Producer Suhrud Godbole said it’s a “big deal” for them that “Tighee” has continued to sustain in theatres for 50 days alongside Dhar’s “Dhurandhar”.
“‘Dhurandhar’ came when we were in the third week. It was a good demonstration that people want to watch all kinds of cinema, like a big-budget action entertainer and an intimate film like ‘Tighee’,” Godbole said, adding that the film will be screened at the New York Indian Film Festival next month.
Kale, whose cinematic influences include acclaimed filmmakers like Sai Paranjpye, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Basu Chatterjee, and Guru Dutt and mainstream actors like Govinda and Sachin Pilgaonkar, penned the script. The screenplay and dialogues were written by Nikhil Mahajan and Prajakt Deshmukh, respectively.
Critics have praised the film for its emotionally charged narrative and the performances by the lead actors. Some have even compared the emotional resonance of “Tighee” to Shoojit Sircar’s 2015 hit “Piku”, which starred Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone in the roles of a father and daughter.
When asked about the comparisons with “Piku,” Kale said the Hindi-language film, which garnered wide acclaim for its tender portrayal of a father-daughter relationship, was never a reference point for her.
“‘Piku’ is one of my favourite films. When I watch it, I forget I’m watching a film; I watch it not to study the craft but to cry with it, with the characters and live with them. I know how scary it can be to even think of your father passing, when you have such a strong bond with him,” she said.
The director said the idea for “Tighee” emerged in early 2024 from her desire for an elder sibling, and that longing shaped the narrative structure.
“Every child watching should momentarily wish they had a sibling. The film became a form of catharsis, translating years of emotion into moments that feel raw and real,” Kale said.
With “Tighee”, the 32-year-old director also examined the emotional world of children, often overlooked in adult conflicts.
“We are all busy with our lives, we all have our traumas, but who is looking at the children? When we are looking at them, are we actually understanding them? Are we giving them that space to be their own people?
“You remember how it was to be a child and then not be understood by an adult. They don’t necessarily have the vocabulary, but their feelings are real,” Kale, who has spent hours immersed in stories like “The Little Prince”, “The Ugly Dachshund”, and “Alice in Wonderland”, said.
“Tighee” features three powerhouse actors: Bharti Achrekar, Neha Pendse, and Sonalee Kulkarni in the lead.
“They all believed in the film. In fact, Neha believed in it so much that she and her husband, Shardul decided to back the film till the very end. I was extremely privileged; all of my wishes were granted, except for the certification,” Kale added.
Despite its focus on family bonds, “Tighee” received an A certificate from the CBFC 24 hours before its release. The director said she was a bit disheartened that younger audiences are alienated.
However, she expressed gratitude to her producers Shardul Singh Bayas, Nehha Pendse Bayas, Nikhil Mahajan, Suhrud Godbole, and Swapnil Bhangale, for being the film’s strong pillars.
“We’ve gone through a lot of difficult situations to get the film out, the making of the film was comparatively easy. The fact that we even got that certificate an afternoon before is because they did not back down, and we did not accept cuts. For that, I have to thank my producers for the belief they have shown,” Kale said.
Even as the director processes the overwhelming response to her debut, she has already begun exploring new stories, a thriller-comedy and a middle-aged love story.
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