Bhaai: Vyakti Ki Valli - Poorvardh (2019)

Before he was Pu La, the writer, actor, musician and wit whom generations of Maharashtrians adored, Purushottam Laxman Deshpande was a restless, talented young man in Bombay and Pune, trying his hand at teaching, music, theatre and films. The first part of Bhaai follows those early years: his family, his love of music, his friendships with singers and artists, and his meeting with Sunitabai, the sharp, principled woman who became his wife and lifelong partner. Sagar Deshmukh plays Pu La and Irawati Harshe plays Sunitabai. Directed by Mahesh Manjrekar, the film was released in January 2019, during the centenary of Pu La's birth, and was followed a few weeks later by the second part, Uttarardh. Fans of Marathi music will enjoy the gatherings of musicians that fill the film.