Monsoon Wedding

Starring:Naseeruddin Shah, Parvin Dabas
Studio: Universal Studios
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Monsoon Wedding is a return to form for Mira Nair, director of 1988's Salaam Bombay! Nair's gift for observation of the everyday and her love for her characters make for a delightful film, which spins a web of family relationships that knit and break during a wedding at a perfect pace. The excellent performances exceed the often stereotypical roles on offer (including the incomparable Nasiruddin Shah as the harassed father, Kulbhushan Kharbanda as the comic uncle, and Shefali Chaya as the orphaned cousin). Nair's sympathetic eye for the unnoticed and the harassed is at its best with the tender romance between the servant and Dube (Vijay Raaz), the marigold-munching, upwardly mobile wedding coordinator, who brings pathos and humor to the often unseen servant classes. The handheld camera gives a docudrama feel to this celebratory look at the upper-middle-class Hindu Punjabi joint family, while paying tribute to modern Indian public culture of music, television, and, of course, "Bollywood." --Rachel Dwyer

Customer Reviews:

Off the beaten path for me.......2007-06-16

Normally, this wouldn't be a DVD that I would pick off the shelf, but I have heard good things about it, and decided to get it. I was pleasantly surprised. It was a good movie and I couldn't believe that it was almost 2 hours long....it didn't drag at all. Maybe just the smallest bit slow in starting, but the people were so interesting I knew it would probably get better, and it did. Interesting backdrop in Delhi....I can't imagine the crowding and the heat in India. Part of their culture is different, of course, but we have a lot in common. I liked the fact that there were several stories going on, and all loose ends got tied up. I would recommend this movie to anyone who wants a break in the ordinary.

Colorful.......2007-05-30

I have never seen a Bollywood film and wasn't much interested in them. But I read such good reviews of this that I gave it a try.

I found the view into modern Indian upper middle class life interesting, particulary the blend of ancient culture and the new. Cell phones, mixed drinks, smoking cigarettes in the bathroom, crude references to sex, shopping...It seemed that they have picked up on the worst elements of Western society. golf? I think that's what dismayed me the most. I kept waiting for some sort of spirituality to emerge but that wasn't to be, not in this film.

The story is ok, in a simple way and the subplots of the romance of the servants and the child predator added some more interest. The character of the father of the bride is very well acted; he was probably the only person I felt any affinity for. The others just seemed so one dimensional that I couldn't take any of them very seriously.

The costumes are gorgeous. The colors are sumptuous and the overall feeling of celebration at the end is nice. There is certainly a warm family vibe--but they're all drinking so much that one wonders how genuine it really is.

I hate to say this for I fear I'll get some nasty comments addressed to me like I don't have a heart or brain...but I kept thinking that this movie would have played well in the US in about 1950. I just found it superficial, shallow and silly. However a whole lot of others loved it....so take your chances.

Inda - Monsoon Wedding.......2007-05-26

I like this DVD because it is a fun movie plus it shows life in India. It is hard to believe how crowded it is in Delhi.

Loved it!.......2007-05-22

I was absolutely surprised by this film. It was quite different than the typical "bollywood" flick, but it including those elements in a spare, yet flirty way.

The acting was great, the set and scenery amazing, and the storyline was compelling.

I felt like a voyeur in the life of a priviledged group of Indians preparing for a feast with gusto, and typical "father of the bride" issues. The contrasts of modern technology v. traditional ceremony is brilliant.

If you want "bollywood" you get a taste of dance, music, and splendor, but there is a back-story as well that adds a very special element which will appeal to a broader audience. [BTW, the commentary was a huge bonus, and I can't wait to watch more of Rajit Kapoor's work -- I'm awaiting the short story collection as I write this]. My vote is yes yes yes, it's definitely worth owning!

This movie is full of joy!.......2007-05-12

This movie is full of joy, life, love, laughter, music. There are moments where I wanted to jump up and start dancing. A truly fabulous, rewarding film.

Average customer rating:

Off the beaten path for me
Colorful
Inda - Monsoon Wedding
Loved it!
This movie is full of joy!

Monsoon Wedding [Region 2]

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000065UH0

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Off the beaten path for me.......2007-06-16

Colorful.......2007-05-30

Inda - Monsoon Wedding.......2007-05-26

I like this DVD because it is a fun movie plus it shows life in India. It is hard to believe how crowded it is in Delhi.

Loved it!.......2007-05-22

This movie is full of joy!.......2007-05-12

This movie is full of joy, life, love, laughter, music. There are moments where I wanted to jump up and start dancing. A truly fabulous, rewarding film.

Average customer rating:

ALL IN THE FAMILY...

Monsoon Wedding [Region 2]

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B0001KZNF6

Customer Reviews:

ALL IN THE FAMILY..........2006-05-29

This is another outstanding film by director Mira Nair, who has previously directed such wonderful films as Academy Award nominee "Salaam Bombay", the lush and erotic "Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love", and "Mississippi Masala". This is a director whose very touch turns all her films to gold. She is truly an artist, and her films are palpable with feeling and emotion that move the storyline.

Though a low budget film, it features high budget, quality acting, as well as an absorbing story and world class direction. It focuses on the arranged marriage of a young, upper class, Punjabi woman in Delhi, India, which is a mecca for Punjabis. It offers a birdseye view at a family in transition, one that is ringing in new values, while maintianing the old ones. Moreover, as in all families, there are many joyous moments, as well as troubling ones.

While the focus is on the wedding celebration and all the preparation and rituals surrounding it, there are five subplots in the film, all of which are interesting, but it is the acting by the ensemble cast that makes the film so memorable. Naseeruddin Shah gives an award calibre performance as Lalit Verma, the financially strapped patriarch who wants all to go right with the wedding, but who, at the eleventh hour, is forced to confront a secret tragedy from the past and make a decision that shows his sensitivity and love for his family. His is truly a magnificent performance.

Shefali Shetty, with her large, expressive eyes, is superb as Ria Verma, Lalit's dead brother's daughter, who is forced to reveal a terrible secret from her past in order to prevent a tragedy from taking place in the present. She gives a performance so soulful that the viewer cannot fail to be moved. Aditi, the daughter who is to be married, is a walking paradox, agreeing to an arranged marriage, while simultaneously having an affair with a married man. The role is beautifully played by relative newcomer, Vasundhara Das, who in real life is an Indian pop star. Her prospective bridegroom, Hemant Rai, is played with modern sensiblility, by the very attractive Parvin Dabas, a real life, male fashion model, in his first silver screen role.

Vijay Raaz, in a breakout performance as P. K. Dubey, the wedding events coordinator, adds a deft comedic touch. It is his poignant wooing of the Verma family's maid, Alice, that nearly steals the show. Look for the nightime marigold scene in which Dubey puts Shakespeare's Romeo to shame. Tilotama Shome, in her first silver screen role, brings a subtle, sensual shyness to the part of Alice that is touching. Theirs is an interesting coupling, as P. K. Dubey personifies the new India, with his cell phone, his entreperneurial flair, and his email address, while Alice, the shy servant girl who is always dressed in a sari, seems to symbolize a more traditional India.

The film is a polyglot of languages, with English, Hindi, and Punjabi spoken at different times by various family members. I confess that I found it a little confusing to have the subtitles crop up, on and off, and I also found the English spoken a little difficult to understand, at times. So, thanks to DVD technology, I was able to watch the film with English subtitles on the entire time, so as not to miss a thing. The cinematography is beautiful in this film, with lush, vibrant colors throughout. The occasional use of handheld cameras throughout the film gives it the feel of a docudrama, at times, which is very effective, as the film is a voyeuristic look into a family. Moreover, this filming technique adds to the cacaphony of feeling and emotion that abounds in this film.

The DVD offers a limited number of features, the most interesting one being the director's commentary, which is an insightful look into the making of the film, as well as the backround and reasons for each scene. It is clear that for the director, who is herself Punjabi, this film was a labor of love. Bravo!

Charlie Rose with Jim Hoagland, Adam Gopnik, Emmanuelle Saada & Patrick Jarreau; Mira Nair; James Bellows (May 1, 2002)

Average customer rating:

Charlie Rose with Jim Hoagland, Adam Gopnik, Emmanuelle Saada & Patrick Jarreau; Mira Nair; James Bellows (May 1, 2002)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose, Inc.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

General | Educational | Genres | DVD | Video

Description

A roundtable discussion on the implications of the French elections with Jim Hoagland of The Washington Post, Adam Gopnik of The New Yorker, Emmanuelle Saada of the Institute of French Studies, and Patrick Jarreau of Le Monde. Also, director Mira Nair talks about her film Monsoon Wedding. Finally, an interview with the former editor of the New York Herald Tribune, James Bellows. Bellows reflects on his career and discusses what drives a journalist.

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