Narbachi Wadi 2013

Comedy

Runtime

120 mins

Language

Marathi

Directed by

Aditya Sarpotdar

Made by

Film Farm Indian Pvt. Ltd

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Narbachi Wadi Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Narbachi Wadi (2013). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

In a quiet Konkan village set in 1946, a middle‑aged cultivator named Naroba Dilip Prabhavalkar tends his coconut grove alongside his young grandson, Srujan Watve. The village’s powerful landlord, Rangarao Khot, is a flirtatious and ruthless figure who stops his palanquin to chase a passing woman—only to discover that the woman is a trans person. Shocked and oddly entranced, he wanders toward Naroba’s grove, mesmerized by its beauty and decides to prepare it for a grand tamasha that very night. Naroba, who had long tended the grove, refuses to surrender what his father had saved for him after it was given by the landlord’s own predecessor for saving a life during a hunting trip. The tension escalates as the landlord threatens to kill Naroba to seal the transfer of ownership.

That night, when the landlord’s crooks attempt to invade Naroba’s home, a band of armed dacoits intervenes. Their leader—whom Naroba once nursed back to health—recognizes him, and swears to shield him from the landlord’s machinations. The leader warns the landlord to back off or face public humiliation in the village. Crushed by humiliation and fear, the landlord staggers to his bedroom and dies the next morning from an alcohol overdose, leaving the grove in jeopardy but Naroba still in possession.

The story leaps forward by about twenty years. Malhar, the landlord’s son who is also played by Rangarao Khot, takes charge and schemes to lure Naroba into a contract that would pass the grove to him after Naroba’s death. To make the deal look favorable, he promises a monthly stipend of ₹150 for as long as Naroba lives. Naroba, who seems frail but remains robust, outlives the landlord’s expectations by months, living about six months after signing. As time goes on, the landlord’s finances strain and his health declines further. Naroba remarks that he would rather die, but that Yama won’t come for him. In a moment of desperation, the landlord offers a bottle of rat poison, which Naroba drinks in the hope of dying. When the landlord returns the next day to take him to a funeral, he is shocked to find Naroba alive and dies of the shock.

Ultimately, the contract stipulates that Naroba will retain ownership of the grove upon his death. In the epilogue, eight years later, Naroba shares a frame with his great‑grandson, Krishna, and uses that moment to deliver a hard‑won moral: greed is dangerous and can turn a person into an ogre. He reflects on the fates of the two men who died while trying to seize his land—one by force, one by strategy—and underscores that true dignity lies in resisting the temptations of grasping wealth.

Narbachi Wadi Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of Narbachi Wadi (2013) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Naroba tends his grove with his grandson

In 1946, a quiet Konkan village is defined by Naroba’s careful cultivation of his coconut grove. He works alongside his young grandson, teaching him the rhythms of the land. Their peaceful routine establishes the grove as the heart of their small world, just as the looming threat from the landlord begins to stir.

1946 Konkan village

Rangarao plots a tamasha at the grove

Rangarao Khot, the powerful landlord, stops his palanquin near Naroba’s grove and glimpses a passing woman who is actually a trans person. Shock turns to a disturbing fascination as he decides to stage a grand tamasha on the grove that very night. His plan marks the first overt challenge to Naroba’s stewardship of the land.

1946 (night) Near Naroba’s grove, Konkan

Naroba resists the transfer of his land

Naroba refuses to surrender the grove to the landlord, insisting the land was saved through his father’s gift and is now his by rightful inheritance. The landlord threatens to kill him to seal the transfer, heightening the danger around the grove. The tension sets the stage for a confrontation that could escalate into violence.

1946 Naroba’s grove

A battle at night and unlikely protection

That night, the landlord’s crooks invade Naroba’s home, but a band of armed dacoits bursts in to defend him. Their leader—whom Naroba once nursed back to health—recognizes the danger and vows to shield him from the landlord’s machinations. The intruders warn Rangarao that humiliation in public will follow if he persists.

1946 (night) Naroba’s home/grove vicinity

Humiliated, the landlord dies the next morning

Crushed by humiliation and fear, Rangarao staggers to his bedroom and dies the next morning from an alcohol overdose. The immediate threat to Naroba’s ownership recedes, but the grove’s fate remains uncertain. The death marks the end of one era and the quiet beginning of another.

1946 (next morning) Landlord’s residence, nearby village

Two decades pass and Malhar comes to power

The story jumps forward about twenty years. Malhar, Rangarao’s son, steps into the throne of the landlord’s affairs and hatches a plan to sweep Naroba’s grove into his control. He begins to maneuver behind the scenes, seeking a legal route to ownership through a favorable contract.

about twenty years later Village near the grove

A contract is proposed; Naroba signs

Malhar offers a contract promising to pass the grove to him after Naroba’s death, in exchange for a monthly stipend of ₹150 for Naroba’s lifetime. Naroba, though frail by appearance, remains stubborn and robust enough to sign the deal that binds his fate. The contract places the terms of ownership into the hands of Malhar while preserving a financial lifeline for Naroba.

shortly after the twenty-year jump Naroba’s home

The long shadow of Malhar’s finances

As years pass, Malhar’s finances strain and his own health declines. Naroba notes with a mix of irony and resignation that Yama won’t come for him, implying a wary confidence in outlasting the pressure. The grove remains a focal point of contested wealth and power.

in the years that followed Village and grove vicinity

Desperation leads to a poisoned gambit

In a moment of desperation, Malhar offers Naroba a bottle of rat poison, hoping to end the struggle in one final stroke. Naroba drinks it in the faint hope of dying, seeking release from the mounting pressure. The act foreshadows the fragile line between life and leverage that governs their agreement.

soon after the signing Naroba’s home

Naroba survives; the landlord dies in shock

When Malhar returns the next day to take Naroba to a funeral, he is stunned to find Naroba alive. The shock proves too much, and the landlord dies on the spot. The immediate threat to Naroba eases, but the power dynamics in the grove remain unsettled.

the day after the poisoning incident Naroba’s home

The contract endures: ownership after death

The contract stipulates that Naroba will retain ownership of the grove upon his death, ensuring the land remains in his line even as time passes. This outcome shifts the locus of power away from Malhar and toward the idea of rightful inheritance. The grove survives the attempts to seize it through force and strategy alike.

upon Naroba’s death Grove and Naroba’s lineage

Eight years later: a frame and a hard-won moral

Eight years later, Naroba shares a frame with his great-grandson Krishna and delivers a hard-won moral: greed is dangerous and can turn a person into an ogre. He recalls the fates of the two men who died while trying to seize his land—one by force, one by strategy. He concludes that true dignity lies in resisting the temptations of wealth.

eight years later Naroba’s home, with family

Narbachi Wadi Characters

Explore all characters from Narbachi Wadi (2013). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Naroba

A sturdy middle‑aged cultivator who tends the coconut grove and the family’s fate. He remains principled and protective of his grandson, resisting coercion and violence with quiet resolve. His endurance and ethics anchor the story, making him the moral center as greed threatens his livelihood.

🌾 Farmer 🛡️ Principled 👨‍🌾 Family‑centered

Rangarao Khot / Malhari Khot

A powerful, flirtatious landlord whose wealth and charm mask ruthlessness. He initiates the conflict by trying to force Naroba’s grove into a sham contract, and his fear‑driven downfall exposes the corrupt price of power.

👔 Landlord 🧭 Manipulative 🗡️ Ruthless

Malhar

The landlord’s son, Malhar, is a calculating player in the long game to claim the grove. He embodies a newer, more strategic but equally merciless approach to seizing property and wealth.

💼 Heir 🪙 Ambitious 🗝️ Calculating

Narbachi Wadi Settings

Learn where and when Narbachi Wadi (2013) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Time period

1946

Set in 1946, in the last year before India’s independence, the village preserves feudal power structures and agrarian tensions. Landlords wield influence while tenants seek security for their livelihoods, a dynamic that drives the central conflict. The post‑war era background accentuates the clash between old authority and emerging ideas of dignity and resistance.

Location

Konkan village, Maharashtra, India

A quiet rural setting along the Konkan coast where coconut groves and small farms anchor daily life. Naroba's grove sits at the heart of the community, around which power and pride swirl. The landscape reflects mid-20th‑century rural India, where land, lineage, and social hierarchy shape every decision.

🏞️ Rural 🌊 Konkan coast 🏘️ Village life

Narbachi Wadi Themes

Discover the main themes in Narbachi Wadi (2013). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

💰

Greed and Power

Greed drives the landlord to threaten Naroba’s grove, and later to try coercive contracts to seize the land for wealth and status. The pursuit of ownership corrupts judgment, leading to manipulation, humiliation, and fatal risks. The story culminates in a stark moral: unchecked greed can turn even a respected figure into an ogre.

🛡️

Dignity and Resistance

Naroba embodies restraint and steadfastness in the face of coercion. He chooses to defend what his family saved rather than surrender to pressure or violence. The elder’s moral compass and quiet resilience stand in opposition to the landlord’s schemes, offering a model of honor under strain.

🌳

Land, Community, and Legacy

The coconut grove represents more than land; it is a shared heritage and a living memory of the past. The struggle over ownership tests community bonds, yet Naroba’s eventual retention of the grove preserves a legacy for future generations. The ending underscores that true dignity lies in safeguarding communal spaces from the corrosive lure of wealth.

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Narbachi Wadi Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of Narbachi Wadi (2013). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In the emerald‑draped hills of 1940s Konkan, a sprawling wadi bursts with coconut palms, banana clusters, betel and areca nuts. The verdant grove is more than a patch of land—it is a living repository of family memory, a place where the rhythm of the seasons syncs with the quiet pulse of a village untouched by modern haste. The atmosphere is warm and fragrant, humming with the simple, enduring cadence of rural life.

At the heart of this sanctuary is Narba, a gentle steward whose devotion to the wadi is rooted in an inheritance passed down through generations. He tends the trees with patient hands, sharing the shade and stories with his curious grandson. Their bond mirrors the grove’s own continuity, a tender thread linking past to future, and Narba’s reverence for his ancestors’ legacy shapes every decision he makes.

The tranquil world is subtly unsettled by the presence of Rangarao, a local landlord whose aspirations extend beyond the ordinary. His keen interest in the wadi hints at a clash of values: the unspoken tension between a community’s respect for heritage and a desire for expansion. Though his motives remain understated, the mere suggestion of his intent introduces a ripple of unease that begins to stir the still waters of the grove.

The film’s tone balances lyrical nostalgia with an undercurrent of looming conflict, inviting viewers to linger over the scent of fresh leaves while anticipating how devotion will meet ambition. It paints a portrait of a man anchored in tradition, a land that embodies his identity, and the quiet strength required to protect what has been lovingly cultivated across time.