April 20, 2006
Water: Special Sreening
We have 25 passes (one pass admits 2 people) for a special screening of Fox Searchlight's WATER. The screening is scheduled for 7:30 PM at the Uptown Palladium in Birmingham, MI next Wednesday, April 26th. The director of the film Deepa Mehta will also be present for a Q&A session after the film.
Since we have a limited number of passes, only one pass will be given per person on a first-come-first-served basis.
Collect your pass from Vidur on Saturday, April 2-5pm
ISA Office, 4302 Michigan Union
If there are still some passes left, they will be handed out on Tuesday 5-7pm,
Mujo Cafe, Duderstadt Center, North Campus
Summary:
WATER, which opened the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival, marks Deepa Mehta's third feature in her elemental trilogy following the acclaimed FIRE and EARTH. Every bit as controversial as Mehta's previous projects, production on WATER was shut down in India in 2000 following violent protests and riots by Fundamentalist Hindus and death threats to Mehta. It took nearly five years to revamp the production in Sri Lanka under an assumed name and strict secrecy.
Set in 1938 Colonial India, against Mahatma Gandhi's rise to power,
WATER begins when 8-year-old Chuyia is widowed and sent to a home where Hindu widows must live in penitence. Chuyia's feisty presence deeply affects the lives of the other residents, including a young widow, who falls for a Gandhian idealist.
WATER stars Lisa Ray (BOLLYWOOD/HOLLYWOOD), Seema Biswas (BANDIT QUEEN) and Bollywood idol John Abraham. The role of eight-year old Chuyia is played by Sarala, a young Sri Lankan who had no prior experience in front of the camera. Additionally, Sarala spoke neither Hindi nor English and thus learned her lines phonetically. She was directed by Mehta through an interpreter and hand gestures.
Posted by hparikh at 03:59 PM | Comments (0)
April 10, 2006
Hazaaron Khwaishen Aisi (2005)
Starring: Kay Kay Menon, Shiny Ahuja, and Chitrangda Singh
Director: Sudhir Mishra
Music: Shantanu Moitra
Language: Hindi (With English Subtitles)
Date: April 14th
Time: 7:15 pm
Place: School of Social Work, Room #1636
One of the most acclaimed Indian movies of 2005. A truly different movie by most hindi movie standards.
Hazaaron... is a fascinating film, the work of a director who is an acknowledged master of his craft. Sudhir Mishra is in great form here - he starts with a wonderful story, builds a fast-paced screenplay, extracts superb performances from the actors, and ends up provoking the viewer in many different ways.
At one level, the film captures the essential character of its lead trio, Siddharth (Kay Kay Menon), Vikram (Shiny Ahuja), and Geeta (Chitrangda Singh). At another, it succeeds in portraying the India of the 60s and 70s - full of uncertainty, youthful energy, and idealism.
Many comparisons may be drawn with this year's hit, Rang De Basanti, which also attempts to capture the youth of India. Where RDB attempts to portray the present in all its hues, and provoke the audience into action, Hazaaron... narrates the story of a past that lies unknown to most of today's youth. A past that is vitally important to understanding and shaping the present.
Posted by mihir at 09:50 PM | Comments (0)
March 22, 2006
Satya
Ram Gopal Varma's Satya
Starring: Manoj Bajpai, Urmila Matondkar, J.D. Chakravarthy
Language: Hindi (With English Subtitles)
Date: March 31st
Time: 7:00 pm
Place: School of Social Work, Room #1636 (confirmed)
Satya (directed by Ram Gopal Verma) is the story of a man who comes to Bombay to make a living. A series of incidents puts him in jail where he meets and becomes close to a gangster, Bhiku Mhatre. Once out of prison, Bhiku initiates him into the gang and gives him a place to live. Opposite this apartment, Vidya, a struggling singer, lives with her aged parents. A relationship between Satya and Vidya develops alongside his rise in the underworld. Of the latter fact however, Vidya is completely unaware. As his love for Vidya grows in intensity, so does the need to conceal his identity from her, until he finds himself living a lie. The tension of living a double - life trapped between underworld gang wars and his desperate fear for Vidya's safety jeopardized by his proximity to her-makes him want to get out of this life of crime. Satya is the story of truth as it is perceived by different eyes, where only shadow lines demarcate the good actions from the bad...and only the happiness and pain that follow are a reality.
Posted by hparikh at 06:07 PM | Comments (0)
Kannathil Muthamittal or A Peck on the Cheek
Kannathil Muthamittal or A Peck on the Cheek (2002)
Date: March 17th
Time: 7:30 pm
Language: Tamil (with English subtitles)
Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes
Place: School of Social Work, Room #1636 (confirmed)
Summary:
A 9-year old girl is told by her parents, that unlike her two younger brothers, she is an adopted child. Upset, she asks if she can see her real mother. Kannathil Muthamittal tells the story of the girl's search for her mother, amidst violence, disruption and change. The story moves from urban south India to rural Sri Lanka. Set in lavish locales, featuring mainstream stars, wonderful songs, and a melodramatic storyline, Kannathil could so easily be a typical bollywood film. Yet, Mani Rathnam makes it work. The acting breathes life into the characters and the narrative drive is well sustained over the two and a quarter hour length of the film. The film tugs at core emotions and has a universal appeal, posing innocent questions in the midst of a violent world.
Featuring a national-award winning musical score (A.R.Rahman), top notch cinematography (Ravi K. Chandran), and top stars from Indian cinema (Madhavan, Simran, Prakash Raj, Nandita Das), Kannathil is a winner.
Posted by hparikh at 06:05 PM | Comments (0)
