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B H U B A N E SWA R THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2011

Filmi Funda
Rang Rasiya makes the cut N
Babusan & Shreya
andana Sen is overwhelmed at the response her film Rang Rasiya received at a special screening at the ongoing 17th Kolkata Film festival. The film was screened at an overcrowded theatre and those who couldnt get a seat watched the entire movie standing. I am simply overwhelmed at the response that Kolkata has given to my film. The audience was fantastic. People from every walk of life came to the film festival to watch the movie. Several people even watched the whole movie standing as they couldnt manage to get a seat, said Nandana. Its really fascinating to see so many people coming to see my movie, she added.Directed by Ketan Mehta, Rang Rasiya is based on 19th century painter Raja Ravi Verma, played by Randeep Hooda and his muse Sugandha Bai, played by Nandana. The movies shows how Ravi Verma painted Sugandha Bai partially nude in his portraits which later kicked up a storm fuelled by religious priests. It also shows how pictures of goddesses painted by Ravi Verma courted controversy during the period. Asked what she feels about the late painter M F Hussian who also faced similar protests for drawing nude pictures of Indian goddesses, Nandana said, It really hurts that such a legendary painter had to die in self-imposed exile outside India. Its very painful. IANS

Catch Me If You Can

oung sensation Babusan seems to be playing hide-andseek with the audience. He is performing a lead role in the upcoming flick Luchkali Catch Me If You Can. About the script, Director Sushant Mani says the storyline is such that the audience would feel that actors are playing hide-and-seek with each other. Playing opposite Babusan is Mumbai ctress Nikki Reed admitted the cast of Twilight Saga never got along very well. Reed who beauty Shreya Jha. Shreya has a slew of stunplays Rosalie Hale in the vampire movie franchise, said the relation between actors had ning performances to her credit including in changed from when they started out on the first movie, Twilight in 2008 to the recent films like Satru Sanghar and Ama Bhitare filming of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Parts I and I. Kichi Achi. Luchkali is produced by In the beginning, it was innocent and fun and we were like one big happy family; it was Nilakantha Das under the banner of like being at sleepaway camp. And then success came along and changed the entire dynamic. Chakadola Production. Shooting Were not all best friends, and were not all going to hang out together after the final movie is is scheduled to begin done, she added. Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Kellan Lutz and Taylor Lautner are also November 23. IANS playing the lead roles in the franchise.

Nandana Sen in Rang Rasiya

Twilight cast not on best of terms: Reed A

Nikki Reed

The Iconic
Erotics of the Female Gaze Antarmahal: Views of the Inner Chamber (Bengali, 2005)
Synopsis: Set in late nineteenth century Bengal, when India was under the rule of the British Empire, Antarmahal revolves around an aging Zamindars (landlord) desperate attempts to realise his twin obsessions begetting an heir and the bestowing of the Rai Bahadur title by the British government at any cost, and the consequent havoc that it unleashes in the lives of his two wives. Terrified that his growing age will prevent him from fathering a son, Zamindar Bhuvaneshwar Chowdhury (Jackie Shroff) abandons his beautiful wife of 12 years Mahamaya (Rupa Ganguly) and marries a young, but very vulnerable girl, Jashomati (Soha Ali Khan). As his wives share a complex relationship of insecurity in his palatial havelis inner chambers of antarmahal, Bhuvaneshwar aims to augment his power and waning showmanship in the British hierarchy with a unique celebration of the Durga Puja. He decides to sculpt the face of goddess Durga in his annual household puja celebrations in the image of Queen Victoria. Traditional, local artisans decline from collaborating in what they see as an obvious religious hara-kiri. Thats when Bhuvaneshwar decides to outsource the job to a talented, young Hindustani (read Bihari) sculptor, Brijbhushan (Abhishek Bachchan), whos out to make some extra bucks to better the economic condition of his soon to increase family. The handsome and sensitive Brijbhushan enters the Zamindars antarmahal, as it houses the prayer premises, where he starts to sculpt the goddesses image. Missing his own newly married wife left back in the village, Brijbhushan is soon drawn into the tragic plight of the young Jashomati, allowing his creativity to get better of his caution.

Soha and Abhishek Bachchan in Antarmahal

Within a highly charged emotional vortex that horribly spins out of control, Antarmahal tells the story about the lengths to which superstition and despair can drive even the most socially able and powerful individuals. The films most arresting features however emanate from the daily dynamics between the Zamindars wives, who while being rivals for their husbands favours, become each others most dependable accomplices when faced with his illogical, unscrupulous and uncouth tantrums. Resigned to a house thats almost their

introduces the story stating: It has always been my belief that Hindu women are unequalled in their beauty. I am sure both the landlords wives who he keeps hidden in the janana are far prettier than the yellow mask like goddess (he worships) Highlights/Honour Roll: If the narrator is the voice of a direc- Nominated for the Golden tors intention, we are immediately hinted Leopard at the Locarno as to where remain the film and its International Film Festival makers sympathies and concerns. The bonding between the Zamindars two wives is almost reminiscent of Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das camaraderie of desolation in Deepa Mehtas Fire. Rupa Gangulys Mahamaya is a worthy contender to lead any listing of memorable women characters from Ghoshs abundant array of some seriously multidimensional female protagonists seen on celluloid in recent times. Ganguly rekindles memories of her fiery act of Draupadi in BR Chopras Mahabharat through her blow hot, blow cold performance. The films narrator maybe the British artist, but Gangulys is the character that drives its most dramatic moments and through whom the audience is warned about the catastrophe in waiting. Her jealousy tinged introductory comment, Given the amount our husband is fussing over his new wife, he might jolly well put her in the temple and worship her in place of Ma Durga. Seen from the perspective of the films ending, it is a prophetic declaration. From a jealous, wasted aging wife in the beginning, Ganguly seizes screen presence with her every appearance lacing it with new untapped facets to her personality. To her husbands employees, she is Mahamaya (the mother-goddess provider) incarnate, to Jashomati she is the nurturer and to the voyeuristic exploitative priests she is the ultimate sexual tease. In the Zamindars antarmahal abounding with women resigned to their fates, she is a thinking, living, sexual being, who sets her own agendas and seeks her own pleasures, almost like a man. Sohas fragile Jashomati on the contrary almost evokes memories of her mother Sharmila Tagores equally vulnerable child bride act in Satyajit Rays Devi. Both are victims of superstitions and their inability to challenge their circumstances. The nineties popular Bollywood action hero Jackie Shroff convincingly fits in this mature period saga to enact one of the most complex, subtle and nuanced characters of his career. Shroff makes Bhuvaneshwar his own, both in appearance and utterance to convincingly manifest feudal decadence. His selfish double standards disgust you and yet you pity the symbolic disrobing of the man in the climactic scene where the secret of his antarmahal is unexpectedly bared for public consumption. Abhishek as Brijbhushan imbibes well into his body language, the restrictive caste and class equations that define his characters passive concern, which however, through one act of creative master stroke he turns into a defining statement of revenge. What makes Antarmahal a significant film within Indian cinema, also is Rituparno Ghoshs uninhibited exploration of his Rupa Ganguly women characters in their most intimate spaces. Some of world, they within its four walls experience and engage in the criticisms of Aishwarya Rais too manipulative to be the play of a gamut of emotions ranging from love to lust, Rating: **** true, Binodini in a similar situation from his other erotic jealousy to concern, and banter to bitching! film Chokher Bali get corrected here. Unspoken passion Director: Rituparno Review: Now comic, now tragic, modern Bengali auteur stalks the films every frame. Savour the way director Rituparno Ghoshs intense period drama, Ghosh Brijbhushan channels his muted fantasies into the maniAntarmahal: Views of the Inner Chamber serves a heady Cast: Jackie Shroff, festation of his art. As he fleshes the bodies of his godcocktail of tradition, superstition and passion that plays dess frames, Ghoshs camera provides a realist peek into itself as a strange game of destiny. Ghoshs sensitive eye Rupa Ganguly, Soha Ali the equations between a maker and his muse challenging turns Tarashankar Bandhopadhyays short-story into a scin- Khan, Abhishek many puritanical perceptions of a craftsmans attitude to tillating study of feudal and patriarchal oppression that his divine subject. Sex stalks as an ever present shadow, uplifts it to the status of some of the greatest celluloid adap- Bachchan, Raima Sen uniting the driving motivations of its varied principal tations from Bengali literature. characters the acts of the Zamindar, the thoughts of his His empathetic exploration of female desolation is a welcome addition to unsatisfied wives, the longings of the mute sculptor and the lust of his Brahmin Bengali cinemas consistent forays into exploring female identity and exploitation advisors. issues in the league of Satyajit Rays Charulata or Aparna Sens Paroma. But Amongst Rituparno Ghoshs many deserving films, Antarmahal makes to where Rituparno perhaps takes further the experience of these tales of ornate this list for its robust, mature evocation of on screen passion highlighting the housewives wasting away to desolate lifestyles amidst family ruins is in his impact of suggestion while tackling delicate issues like sex on screen. It is erotic onscreen evocation of the female gaze in its most raw and need based nitty-gritty. but not sexy in the cheesy and cheap connotation of the term. It easily is Ghoshs women are not ashamed to succumb to their natural urges. The elder Ghoshs most sexually charged offering to date that doesnt shy away from a and worldly wise Mahamaya even encourages the younger and more desirable frank and aesthetic depiction of sexuality on screen. Antarmahal invites you to Jashomati to indiscretion. explore some fascinating foibles of emotions, creating pockets of tangible rasas Antarmahal is as much about feminine oppression in a feudal society as it is a plea shringara (love), bibhatsa (disgust), hasya (comic) and ultimately karuna for their emancipation from within. Its ironic that a society that worships its women (tragic) for the audience to savour and retain. Not often have so many as Mother Goddess and isnt averse to propitiate before another mortal woman, doomed characters in the space of one narrative disturbed us so convincingly Empress Victoria, treats its own womenfolk so condescendingly. The irony is beauti- to wrench us out of our habitual expectations of entertainment to recall and fully summed by the films narrator, a romantic orientalist and a British artist, as he repeat our engagements with them forever.

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