Juna Furniture

Juna Furniture is a 2024 Indian Marathi-language drama film written and directed by Mahesh Manjrekar, who is featured in the leading role. Other cast included Medha Manjrekar, Bhushan Pradhan, Anusha Dandekar, Sameer Dharmadhikari, Sachin Khedekar, and Upendra Limaye in pivotal roles. It is produced by Yatin Jadhav under the banner of Skylink Entertainment.

The film was theatrically released on 26 April 2024 and grossed over inr 60000000 at the box office, become the fourth highest grossing Marathi film of the year. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, praised for its portrayal of human emotions, resilience, and societal concerns, particularly regarding the neglect of senior citizens and criticised for illogical elements and a slight drag in the plot post-interval.

Plot
Once upon a time, there lived Govind Pathak, a senior citizen. His son, Abhay, a prominent IAS officer, tied the knot with Avni, a woman from a wealthy family. Abhay's career soared as he was appointed as the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister. To secure his father's future, Abhay invested Govind's retirement savings and managed his financial transactions. However, Govind often found himself in need, having to repeatedly ask Abhay for money. One fateful day, when Govind urgently needed Abhay's help due to his mother's deteriorating health, Abhay was preoccupied with an anniversary celebration. Despite Govind's attempts to reach out, the message went unanswered until it was too late. Tired of His sons ignorance, Govind decides to file a case against his son demanding the sum of money he had spent for his sons future till now. The movie then shows how Govind fights the case gaining support for other senior citizens but also angering some other people.

Cast

 * Mahesh Manjrekar as Govind Shridhar Pathak
 * Medha Manjrekar as Suhasini Pathak
 * Bhushan Pradhan as Abhay Govind Pathak
 * Anusha Dandekar as Avni Abhay Pathak
 * Sameer Dharmadhikari as Sameer Joshi, Abhay's father-in-law
 * Sachin Khedekar as Sessions Judge
 * Shivaji Satam as Magistrate
 * Sharad Ponkshe as Advocate
 * Upendra Limaye as Prakash Dagdu Bhope alias Pakya bhai
 * Girish Oak as Adovocate Bapat
 * Ramdas Sawant as Ramdas Sawant
 * Makarand Anaspure as Chief Minister
 * Onkar Bhojane as Bandya
 * Shrirang Deshmukh as Deshmukh
 * Prem Dharmadhikari as Vinya
 * Shridhar Limaye as Dr. Joshi
 * Vijay Nikam as Adovocate Dinkar Pandit
 * Alka Parab as Manda Gawde
 * Dhananjay Mandrekar as Dr. Veerendra Sharma
 * Rajesh Bhosale as Vada Pav stall owner

Production
Mahesh Manjrekar conceived the idea for nearly 12 years ago, drawing from a deeply personal space following the loss of his mother. This contemplation led him to explore the plight of abandoned senior citizens in India, a topic close to his heart. Originally planned as a Hindi film, Manjrekar encountered delays in production due to casting and other logistical challenges. However, producer Yatin Jadhav's enthusiasm for the project prompted Manjrekar to pivot to Marathi cinema, allowing for a quicker turnaround. With no actor available on short notice, Manjrekar took on the central role himself, marking his first lead role in his own directorial venture.

Release
The teaser of the film was launched at Aaji Ajoba Udhyan at Shivaji Park, Mumbai, where Salim Khan was attended the event. The film was theatrically released on 26 April 2024.

Critical reception
Kalpeshraj Kubal of The Times of India rated 3.5 stars out of 5 stars and wrote "Juna Furniture is a story of human emotions, resilience and a societal concern that is prominently seen today." Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in called it "A simplistic crusade against the neglect of senior citizens." Priyanka Kulkarni of Sakal awarded 3.5 rating out of 5, the reviewer is praised the film's music and cinematography, acknowledging its excellence. However, she also found aspects of the film are illogical. Sanjay Ghaware of Lokmat rated 3.5 stars out of 5 stars, noted the mix of poignant and humorous dialogues and praise the gripping first half, though acknowledging a slight drag in the plot post-interval, which eventually recovers.

Box office
The film collected inr 4000000 on its opening day and grossed over inr 12000000 in three days. The film has earned inr 40000000 in the first week. The film stands at inr 57500000 in five days. On the next day film earned inr 60000000 mark. The film crossed inr 127800000 mark after fourth weekend. It netted inr 11.21 on 33th day.The film crossed inr 14 on 42 day.