dot INDIAN CINEMA

 

Directed by Deepa Mehta -

Earth Powerful and impressive drama set against the historical background of partition between India and Pakistan.

Water 2005 The final part of the trilogy examines the tragic plight of young widows in India in 1938.

 

Directed by Mira Nair –

Amelia Hilary Swank stars in this biopic about the legendary US aviator, Amelia Earhart, who disappeared while flying over the Pacific Ocean in 1937.

Kama Sutra Dir. Mira Nair. Visually delicious and sensual story built around the ancient text about sexual love. Made in English.

Monsoon Wedding Via the preparations for an arranged upper middle class marriage, Nair manages to elucidate and celebrate the tensions between tradition and modernity.

The Namesake 2006. American-born Gogol, the son of Indian immigrants, just wants to fit into suburban life. Made in English.

Salaam Bombay 1988. A potent film about the lives of Bombay’s street children. In Hindi.

 

Directed by Satyajit Ray -

The Adversary/ Pratidwani 1972. The first of Ray’s “Calcutta Trilogy”.

An Enemy of the People 1989, Ibsen’s play transposed to the streets of Bengal. (VHS)

The Chess Players 1977, ironic tale of two 19th century nawabs playing interminable games whilst their domestic domains crumble. In Hindi. (VHS)

Pather Panchali 1955. The first instalment of Ray’s famous “Apu Trilogy” about the life of a poor Brahmin boy.

Aparajito 1956 Second part of the “Apu trilogy”. Winner of Golden Lion at 1957 Venice Film Festival.

The World of Apu 1959, final part of the trilogy takes Apu through marriage and bereavement. (VHS)

Two Daughters 1961. Based on tales by Nobel Prize winner Rabindranath Tagore. In Bengali.

 

Amal Dir. Richie Mehta, 2007. The tale of a humbel autorickshaw driver in New Delhi who inherits a fortune.

Armaan Dir. Dinesh Gandhi. Melodrama featuring Amitabh Bachchan, the biggest name in Bollywood.

Asoka Dir. Santosh Sivan. Life of the emperor Asoka who went from warrior to Buddhist teacher.

The Bandit Queen Dir. Shekar Kapur. Powerful true story of India’s renowned female rebel leader. Rated R.

Chalte Chalte Dir. Aziz Mirza. Bollywood romantic comedy starring Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji.

Darna Zaroori Hai Bollywood ghost tales by six different directors.

Devdas Dir. Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Bollywood tale of star crossed lovers stars Shah Rukh Khan & Aishwarya Rai.

Fida Dir. Ken Ghosh. Bollywood love story Stars Shaid Kapoor.

Heyy Babyy Dir. Sajid Khan, 2007. Bollywood does “three men and a baby”.

Kaante Dir. Sanjay Gupta. A wild Bollywood remake of Reservoir Dogs.

Khakee Bollywood action flick stars Aishwarya Rai.

King of Bollywood Dir. Piyush Jha. Extravaganza with Sophie Dahl.

Kuch Naa Kaho/ Don’t Say Anything Dir. Rohan Sippy. Bollywood romantic comedy about arranged marriage.

Lagaan Dir. Ashutosh Gowariker. Bollywood epic in which a rural village must learn to play cricket in order to survive during 19th century British rule. (VHS)

Mangal Pandey – The Rising Dir Ketan Mehta, 2005. Mangal Pandey, leader of the 1857 mutiny and his fight against the British East India Company.

Maya Dir. Ketan Mehta. Based on Flaubert’s “Madam Bovary”. (VHS)

Mr & Mrs Iyer Dir. Aparna Sen. Two strangers travelling on a bus bridge the gap of their cultural differences.

Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. Dir Rajkumar Hirani. Bollywood comedy about a local buffoon who pretends to be a doctor.

My Name is Khan Dir. Karan Johar, 2010. Diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, Rizwan Khan (Shahrukh Khan), a Muslim from Mumbai, is detained by airport authorities in Los Angeles when his autism is mistaken for suspicious behaviour.

Omkara Dir. Vishal Bhardwaj. A contemporary interpretation of Shakespeare’s Othello.

Saawariya Dir. Sanjay Leela Bhansali, 2007. The first Bollywood movie produced by a Hollywood company is based on a short story by Dostoyevsky, “White Nights”.

A Tale of a Naughty Girl Dir. Buddhadeb Dasgupta. Beautifully captures traditional Bengali life while unfolding the powerful confrontation between the restrictions of tradition and the promise of a new life.

Yuva Dir. Mani Ratnam. Bollywood obsessions fused with a clever use of a Pulp Fiction structure.