Tighee

Tighee
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Jeejivisha Kale
Written by	Jeejivisha Kale Screenplay: Nikhil Mahajan Prajakt Deshmukh
Produced by	Nikhil Mahajan Suhrud Godbole Nehha Pendse Bayas Swapnil Bhangale Shardul Singh Bayas
Starring	Bharati Achrekar Nehha Pendse Bayas Sonalee Kulkarni
Cinematography	Milind Jog
Edited by	Nikhil Mahajan Hrishikesh Petwe
Music by	Advait Nemlekar Nilesh Moharir
Production companies	Coquelicot Pictures Supri Advertising and Entertainment
Release dates	January 2026 (2026-01) (PIFF) 6 March 2026 (2026-03-06) (India)
Running time	107 minutes
Country	India
Language	Marathi

Tighee (transl. Three Women) is a 2026 Indian Marathi-language drama film directed by Jeejivisha Kale in her directorial debut. Produced by Coquelicot Pictures and Supri Advertising and Entertainment, the film stars Bharati Achrekar, Nehha Pendse Bayas and Sonalee Kulkarni in the titular lead roles. The film explores the complex relationship between a mother and her two daughters, addressing themes of familial trauma, abuse, sacrifice and reconciliation.

The film is released on 6 March 2026, coinciding with International Women's Day. Upon release, it received a highly positive response from critics and audiences.

Plot

Hemlata Ranade, an elderly woman living in Pune, is in the final stage of cancer. She has two daughters, Swati and Sarika. Swati, the elder daughter, lives in Mumbai with her husband, Malhar, who is burdened by debt. Having borrowed ₹20 lakh from her employer, Swati is repeatedly sexually harassed by him, who exploits her financial vulnerability. Sarika, meanwhile, has remained in Pune to care for their ailing mother and hopes to launch a startup with her longtime friend, Gandharva.

As Hemlata's health deteriorates, the sisters reunite, bringing unresolved tensions and old wounds to the surface. Swati struggles to disclose the abuse she is experiencing at work, while Malhar's attempts to improve their financial circumstances prove unsuccessful. Sarika resents having sacrificed her career to care for their mother. The sisters also continue to question the disappearance of their father, whom Hemlata had always claimed died in an accident. As Hemlata prepares to leave her home and move into a hospice for her final days, long-buried family secrets begin to emerge.

While rewatching her wedding video, Swati notices her aged father in the footage and confronts Hemlata. Hemlata finally reveals that he had attempted to sexually abuse their daughters during their childhood, prompting her to separate from him and raise them as a single mother. She also reveals that she is aware of the abuse Swati is suffering at the hands of her employer. Hemlata urges Swati to leave her job and report her employer to the authorities.

The revelations deeply affect both sisters, but they eventually reconcile with their mother. Hemlata dies peacefully the following day. After performing her last rites, Swati resigns from her job, while Sarika secures a deal with an investor for her startup. The sisters then travel to a remote village in Konkan to immerse their mother's ashes, where their now elderly father lives alone, unaware of Hemlata's death.

Cast

• Bharati Achrekar as Hemlata Ranade
  • Mrinmayee Godbole as young Hemlata
• Nehha Pendse Bayas as Swati Karnik
• Sonalee Kulkarni as Sarika Ranade
• Nipun Dharmadhikari as Gandharva
• Pushkaraj Chirputkar as Malhar Karnik
• Jaimini Pathak as Swati's boss
• Sanjay Mone as Madhusudan Ranade
  • Suvrat Joshi as young Madhusudan Ranade
• Siddharth Menon as Sarika's friend

Production

The film was shot within 20 days.

Soundtrack

Track list

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Singer(s)	Length
1.	"Sharada Sarita"	Jitendra Joshi	Nilesh Moharir	Priyanka Barve	3:15
2.	"Haas Jarashi"	Jitendra Joshi	Advait Nemlekar	Sonu Nigam	3:03
3.	"Paanha"	Jitendra Joshi	Advait Nemlekar	Sharayu Date	2:31
4.	"Paanha Punha"	Jitendra Joshi	Advait Nemlekar	Sharayu Date	7:56
Total length:					16:45

Release

The film was selected for the competition section of the 24th Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) in 2026, where it was the only film in the Marathi competition directed by a woman. The first teaser was released on 17 January 2026. The film was theatrically released on 6 March 2026 across 125 screens in Maharashtra, Goa and Bengaluru, with English subtitles. It was later selected as the closing film of the New York Indian Film Festival and was screened at the Goa Marathi Film Festival in August 2026. The film was released for streaming on ZEE5 on 15 May 2026.

Reception

Critical response

Rahul Desai of The Hollywood Reporter remarked, "But there’s a sense that, despite the specificity of its social fabric, it refuses to alienate the average viewer." Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and stated, "kind of film, revolving around complex, relatable human emotions, that we need more of: the end-note is perhaps most conflicting, leaving us to question our feelings." Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in observed, "An elephant in the room – a shocking secret – has driven a wedge between Hemalata and Swati. This sensitively handled passage boosts Tighee’s credibility as one of the acutely observed films about childhood trauma and its echoes into adulthood." Anub George of The Times of India rated the film 4 out of 5 stars and praised its performances, writing, "The masterfully written story is given wings by the flawless performances from the three leading ladies. Each essay their roles to perfection, with nuances that will have you tearing up in many scenes." Sakshi Salil Chavan of Outlook India rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, noting, "The film’s unpredictability carries anxiety, hope and anger, cascading through its screenplay at once."

Sreeju Sudhakaran of Rediff rated the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and called it a "must watch", adding, "Its premise may feel familiar, both cinematically and in real life, but the emotional authenticity elevates it." Reshma Raikwar of Loksatta praised the film's screenplay, performances and emotional depth, particularly highlighting Bharati Achrekar, Sonalee Kulkarni and Nehha Pendse, as well as Adwait Nemlekar's music and Milind Jog's cinematography. She described the film as sincere and heartfelt. Santosh Bhingarde of Sakal gave the film 3 out of 5 stars and praised Jog's cinematography. He noted that the first half progresses slowly, but the narrative gains momentum in the second half and becomes more emotionally engaging, describing the film as a sensitive and emotional story with a fluid yet slow-paced narrative. Aashna Nadkarni of Mashable India rated the film 4 out of 5 stars and praised its direction and performances, stating, "Frankly, the movie felt like a fresh breath. A huge kudos to the director and writers for bringing the story so rooted in reality, and not to mention the actors who leave you emotional with their performances."

Srushti Pathak of Social Ketchup described the film as being focused on its characters' emotional journeys, stating, "Tighee is less about plot twists and more about emotional discovery. By the time the story reaches its final turn, the film has quietly built a space where the audience is not just watching these women but feeling alongside them." Sameer Ahire of Movie Talkies rated the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and noted, "There are so many things that you can instantly relate to, and the big reveal in the pre-climax portion works as a huge shocking element." Keyur Seta of The Common Man Speaks gave the film 4 out of 5 stars and praised Kale's direction, wrote, "Kale has presented the drama in a new-age manner. She has displayed maturity in her first feature film itself." Trupti Gaikwad of Navarashtra observed, "This movie seems to be about understanding not only motherhood but also women. But even so, the movie does not seem to support cold feminism anywhere."

Reviewer Keerti Kadam gave the film 4 out of 5 stars and praised Kale's direction and the film's editing, stating, "The director’s sincerity is evident from the beginning, and she keeps the narrative simple yet effective, ably supported by crisp editing." Subhash K. Jha gave the film 4 out of 5 stars, highlighting, "The sequence where the mother tells her daughters she won’t allow them to be defiled a second time is the moment where Tighee acquires its status as a remarkable film." Critic Baradwaj Rangan praised the film's visual presentation and editing, writing, "Tighee is also a beautifully staged film, with evocative camerawork and super-smooth (and at times, very sharp) editing. So much of Tighee works so well that the minor imperfections begin to look like the minor flaws we see in otherwise good people."

Accolades

Awards	Year	Category	Recipient	Result	Ref
New York Indian Film Festival	2026	Best Debut Film	Jeejivisha Kale	Nominated
		Best Actress	Bharati Achrekar	Nominated
		Best Screenplay	Nikhil Mahajan, Prajakt Deshmukh	Won
National Indian Film Festival of Australia	2026	Best Indie Feature	Tighee (Motherhood)	Won

External links

• Tighee at IMDb