2024 • Musical Drama

Amaltash

Amaltash (2024) is an Indian musical love story produced by Darshan Productions and directed by Suhas Desale. Set in the music-filled lanes of Pune, the film follows Rahul - a gifted musician who has stopped singing - and Keerthi, an NRI woman whose return to India quietly turns into a song neither of them planned to write. Winner of three honours across Filmfare Marathi, Maharashtra Times and Zee Gaurav, with eleven nominations overall.

3 Awards Won
The Story of Amaltash Background
Synopsis

The Story of Amaltash

Amaltash is a soulful Marathi musical romance set in the old wadas, quiet courtyards, and music-filled lanes of Pune. Written and directed by Suhas Desale, the film tells the story of Rahul Watve, a talented musician who once dreamed of a life shaped by music but slowly distanced himself from singing after personal heartbreak and loss. Living a quiet, routine life while helping run his family’s instrument shop, Rahul avoids the spotlight he once belonged to.

His world begins to change when he meets Keerthi Potdar, an NRI singer who returns to Pune to care for her ageing grandmother. What starts as a simple meeting over music gradually turns into a deeply emotional connection built through shared silences, melodies, and understanding.

With gentle storytelling, heartfelt performances, and soulful music, Amaltash explores themes of love, grief, healing, and rediscovery. The film beautifully captures the emotional rhythm of everyday Indian life, where feelings are often expressed not through words, but through music, memories, and quiet moments of connection.

The Ensemble

Cast & Crew

Main Cast
  • Rahul Watve Rahul Deshpande
  • Keerthi Potdar Pallavi Paranjape
  • Ajju Pratibha Padhye
  • Deepti Deepti Mate
  • Dimple Trisha Kunte
Key Crew
  • Director Suhas Desale
  • Writers Suhas Desale, Mayuresh Wagh
  • Producer Mugdha Shrikant Desai
  • Cinematography Rushi Tambe
  • Music Bhushan Mate
  • Editing Suhas Desale
Amaltaash Soundtrack Background
Music

Songs & Original Soundtrack

The Amaltash Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the second love story inside the film. Composed and arranged by Bhushan Mate and released on 23 February 2024, the album spans 22 tracks across Marathi classical, contemporary acoustic and unplugged registers. Lead vocals are by Rahul Deshpande, with Pallavi Paranjape, Deepti Mate and Atul Raninga. The signature track Sarale Saare, a poem by the late Marathi poet Shanta Shelke set to a composition by Rahul Deshpande, won Best Lyrics and Best Playback Singer Male at the Filmfare Marathi Awards 2024.

Featured Tracks

01 Sarale Saare
Rahul Deshpande • Shanta Shelke
02 Trusha
Vocal • 04:49
03 Amaltash (Title Track)
Theme • 04:05
04 You Liberate Me
English vocal • 04:04
05 Lori
Lullaby • 04:22
06 Sarale Saare (Unplugged)
Acoustic • 03:03
07 Sing Along
Ensemble • 02:23
08 I Feel Like My Farm
Vocal • 03:25
Production

Behind the Scenes of Amaltash

Amaltash is a debut feature, and it carries the patient, careful weight of one. Developed over several years of writing, music workshops and casting under the Darshan Production Pvt. Ltd. banner with a focused, indie-spirited crew - here is the journey behind the love story.

1

From Idea to Screenplay

Director Suhas Desale and co-writer Mayuresh Wagh built the screenplay around a simple question: what does it feel like when music returns to a life that had let it go? Early drafts placed the story in different cities before Pune was chosen, both for its musical heritage and because it could carry the film's mood without needing to explain itself.

2

Casting the Voice

Casting Rahul Watve was the longest decision in pre-production. Desale was clear that the actor playing him had to genuinely sing — not lip-sync, not perform at a level the audience could feel. Marathi classical vocalist Rahul Deshpande agreed to make his lead acting debut for the film, and much of the soundtrack was recorded with him performing live to picture.

3

Finding Keerthi

Pallavi Paranjape brings warmth and an authentic non-resident inflection to Keerthi. Reviewers have noted how her presence shifts the camera's whole rhythm — a quiet performance that lets Rahul's silence land.

4

The Music Workshop

Composer Bhushan Mate built the score in close conversation with Rahul Deshpande. Several tracks including the title song Amaltash and the unplugged version of Sarale Saare were written, recorded and re-arranged across multiple sessions, with the team treating the soundtrack as a co-author of the screenplay.

5

Honouring Shanta Shelke

Setting a poem by the late Marathi poet Lt. Shanta Shelke as the film's signature song was a deliberate act of cultural inheritance. Sarale Saare connects Amaltash to a long Marathi tradition where literature, classical music and cinema speak to one another.

6

Shooting in Pune

The film was shot largely on location across Pune's older neighbourhoods. Cinematographer Rushi Tambe favoured natural light and lived-in interiors, and the editing — also by Suhas Desale — was paced around the songs rather than the other way around.

7

The Premiere & Award Run

Amaltash released theatrically on 8 March 2024. Word-of-mouth carried it across festivals and screenings, and by 2025 it had collected 11 Filmfare Marathi nominations and wins across Filmfare Marathi, Maharashtra Times and Zee Gaurav.

Accolades

Awards &
Recognition

Amaltash has been widely recognized for its soulful storytelling, technical brilliance, and musical excellence across major industry platforms.

Filmfare Marathi Awards

  • Best Film (Critics)

    Winner: Amaltash

  • Best Lyrics

    Winner: Lt. Shanta Shelke for “Sarale Saare”

  • Best Playback Singer Male

    Winner: Rahul Deshpande for “Sarale Saare”

Maharashtra Times Awards

  • Best Playback Singer Male

    Winner: Rahul Deshpande for “Sarale Saare”

  • Best Music

    Winner: Bhushan Mate

Zee Gaurav

  • Best Screenplay

    Winner: Suhas Desale, Mayuresh Wagh

  • Best Editing

    Winner: Suhas Desale

  • Best Playback Singer Male

    Winner: Rahul Deshpande for “Sarale Saare”

  • Best Background Score

    Winner: Bhushan Mate

  • Best Newcomer

    Winner: Suhas Desale

Critical Praise

Reviews & Reactions

“A breeze of freshness that makes you pause, breathe in, process and move on.”

The Times of India — Mihir Bhanage

“Refreshing and heartfelt cinematic experience.”

Maharashtra Times — Kalpeshraj Kubal

“A sweet and simple flick… the conversations and music give a lovely déjà vu of Before Sunrise and Begin Again.”

Fenil Seta Review

“Beautiful screenplay, cinematography and music.”

Reddit Audience Reaction

“Simple, realistic… beautiful and musical heart touching movie.”

Reddit Audience Review

Where to Watch Amaltash Online

Amaltash (2024) is available to stream on Plex and select regional digital platforms. The full soundtrack by Bhushan Mate is on every major music service worldwide. Streaming availability varies by country — check JustWatch India, or your region's JustWatch listing if you're outside India.