Bittersweet (2020 film)

Bittersweet
Poster
Directed by	Anant Mahadevan
Produced by	Suchhanda ChatterjeeM Shubha Shetty
Starring	Akshaya Gurav
Cinematography	Alphonse Roy
Edited by	Anant Mahadevan
Music by	Rohit Kulkarni
Release date	20 November 2020 (2020-11-20)
Country	India
Language	Marathi

Bittersweet is a 2020 Indian Marathi-language drama film directed by Anant Mahadevan. ^[1] The film premiered at the Busan International Film Festival. ^{[2] [3]}

Plot

Saguna, 22, arrives along with several sugarcane cutters to work in the sugarcane fields in Beed. She is determined to work hard and help her father repay his debt. When she misses work for three days due to menstruation, she is fined heavily. She is advised to undergo a hysterectomy so that her work doesn’t stop. She is shocked to learn that this is a commonly followed practice among sugarcane cutters. It’s a situation Suguna and her fellow women cutters can neither avoid nor escape.

Cast

• Akshaya Gurav as Saguna
• Suresh Vishwakarma as Mr Nagarkar
• Smita Tambe
• Anil Nagarkar as Karande
• Guru Thakur
• Asit Redij

Reception

A critic from Screen Daily wrote that "But while Mr Nagarkar is able to make a difference in Saguna’s life, the film ultimately paints a bleak picture for the other powerless women who depend on this gruelling work for survival". ^[4] A critic from The Times of India wrote that "So, if you are looking for a feel-good film to wash off the lockdown hangover, 'Bittersweet' may not be your best bet. But if meaningful cinema is on your agenda, Ananth Mahadevan’s film could be just what you needed". ^[5]

References

1. "Anant Mahadevan's Bittersweet bags a nomination at a film festival in Busan". The Times of India . 14 September 2020. Archived from the original on 28 May 2021. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
2. Bhattacharya, Roshmila (12 October 2020). "Young women forced to undergo hysterectomy: Ananth Mahadevan". Mumbai Mirror . Archived from the original on 25 September 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
3. Cornelious, Deborah (12 November 2020). "Interview: The 'Bittersweet' truth about sugarcane cutters". Scroll.in . Archived from the original on 20 February 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
4. Ide, Wendy (24 October 2020). "'Bittersweet': Busan Review". Screen Daily . Archived from the original on 1 July 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
5. Bhanage, Mihir (20 November 2020). "Bittersweet Movie Review : Poignant and hard-hitting, but slow-paced". The Times of India . Archived from the original on 14 July 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2023.