For all Madhuri fans, we need no review, the trailer had us excited enough to head straight to the theatres. For others, here is some reassurance, Madhuri’s comeback and Marathi debut is apt. Warm, feel good, a family drama with enough doses of that charming smile.

Madura Sane is a mother of two living in a joint family in Pune. The opening scene has her making four variations of one vegetable to match the varied tastes of her fussy family. The following lunch table conversations help you rate the family slightly low on the progressive scale, but Madhura is not complaining just yet.

Consumed in the daily chores of a wife, mother and daughter-in-law, her mundane routine takes a twist when she chances upon her heart donor’s bucket list.

Be it Tabu in Astitva or Sri Devi in English Winglish, a female protagonist, mostly an ideal house maker set out to discover her long-forgotten true self is not something we haven’t witnessed before. While the most exciting part of ‘Bucket List’ remains Madhuri Dixit, the idea of a 50-year-old fulfilling a young girl’s incomplete wish list is also very novel.

But the writer, director chose to play it very safe (almost dull) to keep it culturally relevant. The tasks in the wish list are not adventurous but not uninteresting either. Watching Madhura break the ‘unsaid housewife rules’ to ride a Harley or go from Wine to Tequila in a night is a lot of fun! This fun is restricted though, in imagination and in screen time both.

Paying tribute to a deceased teenager or finding the purpose of her own life. The well-written light moments or the heavy drama. The coming together of two emotional journeys is where the narrative tends to lose its balance slightly. The self-realisation part is compelling, almost hammered into the narrative, killing the joy of the story naturally growing on you.

Sumeet Raghavan as Madhuri’s husband has the talent to beautifully etch out his character, making his presence inevitable, without disturbing the protagonist’s quest. The veteran cast of Vandana Gupte, Dilip Prabhavalkar, Shubha Khote and Renuka Shahane are a delightful ensemble to watch.

There is a superfluous romantic number that you wish you could forward, but then there is also a Kathak recital by the dancing queen that has her back in the game.

Despite being predictable and slightly mawkish at times, Madhuri’s Marathi debut is a pleasant, refreshing and decently entertaining watch.