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Reviews
Gaja Gamini (2000)
MF Hussain and Madhuri Dixit, A Painter and his Muse
MF Hussain, India's best-known painter (and former collaborator with Satyajit Ray, and illustrator on the movie Henna), brings his painterly eye to the creation of the stark and simple set on which events unfold, and creates memorable imagery in the film making. Like his Meenaxi (2003) Gaja Gamini produces a series of indelible images. What this film does not have is a plot in the conventional sense. This is emphatically not a film designed to appeal to the common man, but a painterly meditation on men's fascination with Woman. Those prepared to exercise their minds, and who share Hussain's infatuation with Madhuri Dixit , will find much of interest here.
Gaja Gamini is structured as a series of segments, featuring the Woman of beauty and fascination who has enchanted men from the dawn of time until today. Philosophical discussions between figures representing the two approaches to understanding Woman – through reason and through imagination - frame each segment of the film. The segments themselves feature among others the woman who inspired the artist Leornado Da Vinci's Mona Lisa, and the beauty who inspired the poet Kalidas, in his Shakuntala. Woman in her various avatars is played throughout by Madhuri Dixit.
The film works on one level as a tribute to woman through the ages and on another level as Husain's tribute to his personal muse, Madhuri Dixit. Madhuri herself is an inspired choice to represent Woman through history since she personifies all the most desirable female traits and characteristics, with her beautiful face, shapely form, awesome smile, the grace and fluidity of her dancing, together with the exquisite femininity of her movement and gesture, already showcased in films like Beta (1992) and Koyla (1997). In Gaja Gamini we are invited to contemplate Madhuri's beauty and dancing, backless in a choli, highly stylized hand gestures, hips swaying from side to side as she walks, and her sensuality as she dances around (and into) a large musical instrument , in one of the songs - all as delightful as the philosophical discussion is elevating.
MF Hussain may not convince you with his philosophy, but will certainly seduce you with his imagery in this bold attempt to both honor, and solve the mystery that is, Woman.
Anari (1993)
Gripping 'old-style' Masala movie
The story is set in the world of feudal landlords - zamindars - whose word is law for the villagers who work on their land. The central plot goes like this: After the zamindar brothers who rule after the death of their parents are told by a holy man that their sister will bring disgrace on them by her marriage, they set out to shield her from even being seen by men, let alone touched by any of them. A village simpleton is employed as her bodyguard. But when he saves her life, she falls in love and gets him to tie a necklace around her neck. What he doesn't realize is that it is a wedding chain (mangalsutra) and that in the eyes of God they are now married. The brothers react with violence when they realize what has happened...
There are some fascinating dialogue lines and cultural references in the movie, that were once common in Hindi movies but have been dropped from those made in the last few years. Thus Karisma Kapoor - in a very strong performance - is the ideal of the devoted wife, telling her husband that it is her duty as a wife to worship and serve him, the man who has protected her. She puts the dust from under his feet in her hair parting, and considers it an honour to fast for him and to eat the leavings from his plate.
The movie in addition boasts a fine soundtrack with strong songs.
Overall this is a movie which blends the elements of masala (romance, comedy, action, songs) in a gripping way, set in a landscape that is recognizably Indian, both physically and culturally. If you have had enough of Bollywood movies set in New York, Bangkok or London featuring the fabulously wealthy, and want to see a quality old-style masala movie set in a village with feudal power relations and traditional lifestyles, you might enjoy it. For me the three hours passed quickly, and I was sorry when it ended.
Mazdoor (1983)
Dignity of Labour
This movie echoes the theme of another Dilip Kumar starrer under the Chopra banner, Naya Daur (New Road), the theme being the need for capital to respect the contribution of labour and not exploit it. In this movie Dilip Kumar throws in his job when he joins other workers in funeral of a worker killed in an industrial accident, and the management wants to dock their wages. What happens next is that Kumar builds his own mill on the basis of social justice.
The romantic element involves the poor textile engineer taken in and virtually adopted as a son by Dilip Kumarwhose daughter, played by Padmini Kolhapure, falls for, while he has fallen for a rich girl.
An enjoyable movie because of the strong performance by Kumar, who brings his trademark intensity to the role, and because of the reminder of days when Hindi cinema could produce movies that questioned the status quo, and not just endorsed it, as in the recent crop of movies set among mega-rich NRIs in New York and Canada.
Killer Drag Queens on Dope (2003)
Hilarious deconstruction of mainstream Hollywood thrillers
With a movie like this it's all about how you approach it. If you're expecting big budget standards of production of course you will be disappointed. It worked for me as a hilarious deconstruction of butch mainstream Hollywood thrillers. I laughed all the way through.
It takes the conventions of the Hollywood thriller and satirizes them mercilessly. For example the fact that the whole thing revolves around capturing a collectible doll off a drag queen, rather than say, saving the world from imminent destruction. The convention of the beautiful sidekicks of the male characters is turned inside out by making the protagonists drag queens. And so on.
It's kind of like when you've seen Chaplin's "The Great Dictator", newsreel of Nazis sieg heiling just looks hilarious. You'll never look at a mainstream thriller the same way again after seeing this.
Oh, and Omar Alexis looks really cute as a girl.
Raja Hindustani (1996)
That kiss!
This film has all the usual masala elements of Bollywood - the fight scenes, the comedy etc - that we know and love AND one of the great erotic moments of Bollywood. Karisma Kapoor plays the sophisticated bombayite rich girl and Amir Khan the poor man, a taxi driver, besotted with her. They make a great pairing, Kapoor adorably cute and highly attractive (if not classically beautiful in an Aishwaira Rai sense). Khan a fresh-faced young guy and the ideal lead.
Most Bollywood movies avoid kisses or they're 'blink and you missed it'. I have watched dozens of Bollywood movies and have never seen a kiss like it...it goes on...and on.
The first 45 or so minutes of the movie is a slow burn buildup to the kiss.
By the time the kiss comes Karisma Kapoor has teased Amir Khan almost beyond endurance with her coquettrey, in a variety of sexy outfits, like the time she goes shopping in town and changes into a red micro-mini dress and, seeing his embarrassment at not knowing where to put his eyes, teases him saying "You don't like my dress, my dress is very nice".
The kiss when it comes is incredibly long ... it times out at around two minutes!
For my money it's one of the great erotic moments in all of Bollywood.