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December 1st, 2008
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Bollywood hits and misses

Classics highlight this year's festival of Indian cinema
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By Steffen Silvis
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
October 1st, 2008 issue

COURTESY PHOTO
Garish delights. Om Shanti Om is a parody-homage to Bollywood cinema itself, at the annual Bollywood Film Fest.
Bollywood Film Festival


Where: Kinos Evald and Světozor
When: Oct. 6-12
Tickets: 99-110 Kč

A few years ago, Bollywood films were a distinct minority interest. But, with India’s economic ascent, the country’s film industry (the second largest in the world) has gained wider recognition, to the point where even Hollywood now borrows motifs and themes (and certainly music) from subcontinental cinema.
The annual Bollywood Festival in Prague gives audiences a good grounding in the work of this mirror-Hollywood — its directors, stars and history. As in years past, the festival will be a mixed bag of flops, hits and lost gems. It’s also fully accessible to English speakers, with films either in English or bearing English subtitles.
Noteworthy in this year’s program is the inclusion of more documentaries and classic Indian films, most worthy of wider fame. Below are a few of the highlights of the festival.
Amu—India, USA, 2005. Shonali Bose, director. This award-winning film follows the return to India of a young woman who had lived in the United States since she was three. Upon her return, she will begin to experience horrifying flashbacks of buried memories, which will lead her to discover the truth about her early childhood. One of Bollywood’s leading actors, Konkona Sen Sharma, plays the young woman in a film that’s primarily in English. Evald, Oct. 6 at 5:30
Vanaja—India, 2007. Rajnesh Domalpalli, director. With English subtitles. Another award-winning film, and one that served as director Domalpalli’s master of fine arts thesis for Columbia University’s school of film. Vanaja concerns the struggles of a young woman from a poor background who wants to become a master of Kuchipudi, one of the classical forms of Indian dance. Renowned American film critic Roger Ebert ranked Vanaja as one of the top five foreign films of last year. Evald, Oct. 6 at 8
Unishe April—India, 1994. Rituparno Ghosh, director. With English subtitles. Following Vanaja, Ghosh’s film also uses classical Indian dance as an anchor to his story of a problematic relationship between a famous dancer and her daughter. Ghosh used Bergman’s Autumn Sonata as inspiration. Evald, Oct. 7 at 8
Om Shanti Om—India, 2007. Farah Khan, director. With English subtitles. The stereotypical idea of a Bollywood film is a garish gallimaufry of song, romance, drama and dance. If that’s the image you cherish, Om Shanti Om shouldn’t disappoint. In fact, Farah Khan’s film, which one critic dubbed a “compelling mess,” thrives on the clichés, since the film is as much homage as parody of Bollywood. Set in the ’70s, and thus featuring Indian versions of unfortunate male hairstyles, the film is also studded with some 32 cameos of Bollywood stars of yesteryear. Světozor, Oct. 9 at 5
Ghare-Baire—India, 1984. Satyajit Ray. With English subtitles. A late film from the great Ray about the clash of conservative traditions with Modernism. Based on a story by Rabindranath Tagore. Světozor, Oct. 9 at 5:30
Mr. and Mrs. 55—India, 1955. Guru Dutt, director. With English subtitles. Could there be a better film to start one’s study on Indian cinema? I saw this lighthearted, clever film by Dutt a few years ago, and still think back fondly on it. Dutt, a talented actor and director, died far too young. In this early, song-filled romantic comedy, he directs himself as a penurious cartoonist (and look for the wonderful drawings by R.K. Laxman throughout the film). Světozor, Oct. 9 at 8:30
Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story—India, 2008. Akbar Khan, director. With English subtitles. Lush, lavish and a box office flop. When the film was originally released in 2004, critics praised the art direction and costumes. The Indian film-going public was having none of it, however. Undefeated, director Akbar Khan has just released this director’s cut version. You be the judge. (Note: There will be a discussion of the film afterward with its star, Kabir Bedi) Světozor, Oct. 10 at 6
Partner—India, 2007. David Dhawan, director. With English subtitles. Excess of a different kind can be found in this box-office bonanza that was almost universally panned by Indian critics (and there aren’t many kind words for it to be found on Bollywood fan sites). If Partner strikes you as very similar to the Will Smith vehicle Hitch, that’s no mistake. The mistake was in not getting the rights beforehand. Smith and Sony filed a suit for $30 million. Světozor, Oct. 10 at  9
Jagte Raho—India, 1956. Amit Mitra, director. Another classic from the mid-’50s tells the story of a young peasant’s misadventures in the city. Mitra’s film won the Grand Prix at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in 1957. Světozor, Oct. 10 at 5:30

Steffen Silvis can be reached at ssilvis@praguepost.com


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