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
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)
February 21, 2006
Earth
Deepa Mehta's 1947:Earth
Date: February 24th
Time: 7:00 pm
Place: School of Social Work, Room #1636
This is the second in Deepa Mehta's 'Fire-Earth-Water' trilogy. Largely based on author Bapsi Sidhwa's own experiences in pre-Partition times, the story is told by the daughter of a well-to-do Parsee businessman - the precocious brace-legged Lenny. Her Hindu aayah (nanny) falls in love with a Muslim masseur which does not go down well with her other admirer (an ice-candy man). Powerfully told, it wistfully recalls love and friendship and its fragile existence as love turns to hate and friends become deadly enemies. It's a story of love that becomes impossible because of lines drawn by departing colonial rulers. The story of the small community mirrors the larger story of the Partition of British India into two countries - India and Pakistan in 1947.
Starring: Aamir Khan, Nandita Das, Rahul Khanna, Gulshan Grover, Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Kitu Gidwani
(Running time: 110 min)
Posted by hparikh at 08:40 PM | Comments (0)