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<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{EngvarB|date=September 2013}}<br />
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{{Infobox film<br />
| name = Welcome to Sajjanpur<br />
| image = mahadevkasajjanpur.jpg<br />
| caption = Movie Poster for ''Welcome to Sajjanpur''<br />
| director = [[Shyam Benegal]]<br />
| producer = [[Ronnie Screwvala]]<br />Chetan Motiwalla<br />
| writer = [[Shyam Benegal]]<br />Ashok Mishra<br />
| starring = [[Shreyas Talpade]]<br />[[Amrita Rao]]<br />[[Kunal Kapoor (actor, born 1977)|Kunal Kapoor]]<br />[[Ravi Kishan]] <br /> [[Ravi Jhankal]]<br />
| music = [[Shantanu Moitra]]<br />
| cinematography = [[Rajan Kothari]]<br />
| editing = Aseem Sinha<br />
| studio = [[IX Faces Pictures]]<br>[[UTV Motion Pictures#UTV Spotboy|UTV Spotboy]]<br>UTV Bindass<br />
| distributor = [[UTV Motion Pictures]]<br />
| released = 19 September 2008<br />
| runtime = 134 mins<br />
| country = [[India]]<br />
| language = [[Hindi]], [[Awadhi]]<br />
| budget = {{INRConvert|90|m}}<br />
| gross = {{INRConvert|147|m}}<br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''''Welcome to Sajjanpur''''' is a 2008 Indian [[Hindi]] [[comedy film]] directed by [[Shyam Benegal]] and starring [[Shreyas Talpade]] and [[Amrita Rao]] in the lead roles. The film is by noted [[Parallel cinema]] director, Shyam Benegal, marking his return to comedy after filming ''[[Charandas Chor]]'' (1975). Even though Benegal is responsible for other films in the parallel cinema genre, this film was one of his mainstream Bollywood films. It was a remake of the 1977 film ''[[Palkon Ki Chhaon Mein]]''. The film was both critically and commercially successful.<br />
<br />
== Plot ==<br />
<br />
Mahadev ([[Shreyas Talpade]]) is an unemployed graduate with a Bachelor of Arts from [[Satna]] college who lives with his mother, is forced to make a living writing letters for the uneducated people of his village. His real ambition is to become a novel writer. Through his humble occupation, Mahadev has the potential to impact numerous lives. The movie is a satirical, but warm-hearted portrait of life in rural India. He realizes this passion when an aunt of his wants him to write a letter to her son who has treated his mother with disrespect and the letter seemed to have worked. This made her aunt tell the villagers what an amazing writer he truly was. Initially the village folk would come to his home to get their letters written but his mother did not approve of it so he decided to set up a small work space near the post office.<br />
<br />
Among Mahadev's customers are:<br />
* Mahadev's childhood crush and second grade classmate Kamla who eventually became a school dropout because of her seizures ([[Amrita Rao]]) is desperate for communication from her husband Bansi Ram ([[Kunal Kapoor (actor, born 1977)|Kunal Kapoor]]), who works as a labourer at a dockyard in [[Mumbai]]. In the letters to her husband, a jealous Mahadev writes the opposite of the loving messages Kamla wants to convey, while faking what her husband has written to her.<br />
* A hurried mother ([[Ila Arun]]) who wants to get her ill-starred daughter, Vindhya ([[Divya Dutta]]) married.<br />
* A landlord whose wife is a candidate for the village Sarpanch, and who wants all her political rivals eliminated from the race.<br />
* A eunuch Munni who is contesting the elections for the village Sarpanch but fears the threats from the landlord.<br />
* A love-lorn compounder, Ram Kumar ([[Ravi Kishan]]), who is crazy about the widowed daughter-in-law Shobha Rani ([[Rajeshwari Sachdev]]) of a retired army soldier.<br />
<br />
Mahadev manages to get his friend engaged, police protection for Munni, and almost kisses Kamla before they are interrupted. However Munni is killed after winning the election by the opposition, and he learns a shocking truth about Kamla's husband who used to sell his blood so he could earn a reasonable amount of money. It soon turns out that the story was a fictional novel written by the real Mahadev, but it is mostly based on his own experiences. Though it turns out that some of the villagers didn't exactly have happy endings, Mahadev sorts out his mistakes and accomplishes his long-held dream of writing a novel.<br />
<br />
As Mahadev, under pseudo name Sukhdev, reveals that Munnibai became a successful politician, becoming an MLA, or a Member of the State Legislature, with high connections and powerful people surrounding her. It is also revealed that Kamla and Bansi are happy in small house in Mumbai, who come to visit Sajjanpur every Diwali. In midst of all these good news, Mahadev notes that Ram Kumar and Shobha Rani were lynched because members of their community opposed a widow getting remarried. Mahadev also notes that he married the ill-starred Vindhya after wooing her by writing 40 letters. While most people consider an ill-starred person to be a great misfortune, Mahadev notes that he became successful due to his marriage, as he paid down his farm land mortgage, built a wonderful house and realised his dream of writing a novel.<br />
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== Cast ==<br />
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}<br />
* [[Shreyas Talpade]] as Mahadev Kushwaha<br />
* [[Amrita Rao]] as Kamla Kumbharan, Claypot maker<br />
* [[Ravi Kishan]] as Ram Kumar<br />
* [[Kunal Kapoor (actor, born 1977)|Kunal Kapoor]] as Bansi Ram<br />
* [[Ravi Jhankal]] as Munnibai Mukhanni ,Transgender<br />
* [[Yashpal Sharma (actor)|Yashpal Sharma]] as Ramsingh<br />
* [[Rajeshwari Sachdev]] as Shobha Rani, Ramkumar's Love Interest<br />
* [[Divya Dutta]] as Vindhya<br />
* [[Ila Arun]] as Ramsakhi Pannawali<br />
* [[Lalit Mohan Tiwari]] as Subedar Singh, Father-in law of Shobha Rani<br />
* [[Rajit Kapur]] as Collector<br />
* Mangala Kenkare as Mahadev's Mother <br />
* [[Vineeta Malik]] (Kamla's mother-in-law)<br />
* [[Daya Shankar Pandey]] as Chidamiram Naga Sapera<br />
* [[Sri Vallabh Vyas]] as Ramavtar Tyagi School Teacher of Mahadev and Kamla<br />
* [[Preeti Nigam]] as Jamuna Bai<br />
{{div col end}}<br />
<br />
== Soundtrack ==<br />
Music of the film is by [[Shantanu Moitra]]. The music was released on 5 September 2008.,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indiafm.com/movies/audiolisting/13810/index.html|title=''Welcome to Sajjanpur'' Songs Listing}}</ref> there are a total of seven songs in the soundtrack including one remix.<br />
<br />
* "Sitaram Sitaram" - [[Krishnakumar Kunnath|KK]]<br />
* "Ek Meetha Marz De Ke" - [[Madhushree]], [[Mohit Chauhan]]<br />
* "Bheeni Bheeni Mehki Mehki" - KK, [[Shreya Ghoshal]]<br />
* "Dildara Dildara" - [[Sunidhi Chauhan]], [[Sonu Nigam]]<br />
* "Aadmi Azaad Hai" - [[Kailash Kher]]<br />
* "Munni Ki Baari" - Ajay Jhingran<br />
* "Sitaram Sitaram" (remix) - KK<br />
<br />
== Reception ==<br />
Upon its release, the film received positive reviews and became a sleeper hit at the box office. An ''[[Indiatimes]]'' review said, "Shyam Benegal has always been accredited as a mesmerizing storyteller known for making 'meaningful' cinema. This time he also caters to commercial consumers, coming up with his most 'entertaining' attempt, by far."<ref>[http://movies.indiatimes.com/Moviereview/3501730.cms Welcome to Sajjanpur - Review] ''[[The Times of India]]'', 19 September 2008.</ref><br />
<br />
Khalid Mohamed of [[Hindustan Times]] gave the film a 3 out of 5 stars, and stated "''Sajjanpur'' is different, it has a conscience, and merits a ticket from those who have one too".<ref>{{Cite web|date=2008-09-19|title=Review: Welcome to Sajjanpur|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/movie-reviews/review-welcome-to-sajjanpur/story-Qf5cXupZj3Df41eMWZEhkN.html|access-date=2021-08-18|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref> [[The Times of India|Times of India]] gave the film 3 out of 5 stars and stated, "It's simple, uncomplicated storytelling leaves a smile on your face".<ref>{{Citation|title=Welcome to Sajjanpur Movie Review {3/5}: Critic Review of Welcome to Sajjanpur by Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/movie-reviews/welcome-to-sajjanpur/movie-review/3504306.cms|access-date=2021-08-18}}</ref> The [[The Economic Times|Economic Times]] stated, "Shyam Benegal has always been accredited as a mesmerizing storyteller known for making 'meaningful' cinema. This time he also caters to commercial consumers, coming up with his most 'entertaining' attempt, by far".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Malani|first=Gaurav|title=Welcome to Sajjanpur: Movie Review|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/media/entertainment/welcome-to-sajjanpur-movie-review/articleshow/3514526.cms?from=mdr|access-date=2021-08-18}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Awards and nominations==<br />
* [[Amrita Rao]] - Winner, [[Stardust Best Actress Award]]<br />
*[[Ashok Mishra]] - Winner, [[Mirchi Music Award for Upcoming Lyricist of The Year]]<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mar 29|first=Bella Jaisinghani / TNN /|last2=2009|last3=Ist|first3=03:16|title=Jodhaa Akbar rocks music awards {{!}} India News - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/jodhaa-akbar-rocks-music-awards/articleshow/4329081.cms|access-date=2021-08-18|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}<br />
<br />
== External links ==<br />
* {{Official website|http://www.welcometosajjanpur.com/}}<br />
* {{IMDb title|1221139|Welcome to Sajjanpur}}<br />
* Sen, Meheli (2011) "Vernacular Modernities and Fitful Globalities in Shyam Benegal’s Cinematic Provinces", in: manycinemas 1, 8-22, [http://www.manycinemas.org/mc01sen.htm/ Online], [http://www.manycinemas.org/mc01sen.html?file=tl_files/manycinemas/theme/issues/issue_1/pdf/manycinemas-issue1-04-Vernacular-Modernities-and-Fitful-Globalities.pdf pdf-version]<br />
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{{Shyam Benegal}}<br />
{{Authority control}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Welcome To Sajjanpur}}<br />
[[Category:2008 films]]<br />
[[Category:2000s Hindi-language films]]<br />
[[Category:Films directed by Shyam Benegal]]<br />
[[Category:Indian comedy films]]<br />
[[Category:Indian films]]<br />
[[Category:UTV Motion Pictures films]]<br />
[[Category:Indian film remakes]]<br />
[[Category:2008 comedy films]]<br />
[[Category:Hindi-language comedy films]]</div>imported>Billyatthewheels