Tag: Ketan mehta

Manjhi : The Mountain Man (2015)

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Set in post independence India, the tale of a lone man who wants to conquer a mountain for the betterment of his village is heart warming.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui, plays the title role with such conviction, that you never think you are watching a film, but are somehow privy to a slice of their life. Radhika Apte who plays his spouse, has supported him ably, matching up to him in every frame. Their scenes have great chemistry and their intimacy is shot beautifully.

Director Ketan Mehta has captured the essence of the period, with appropriate dialogue, songs, body language, locations and sets. It’s earthy, not melodramatic and real.

The audience is left with a message in the end which could have been far more elaborate, but they say a lot in few lines. A sincere film with a big heart.

3/5

Rang Rasiya (2014)

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A classic example of a poorly positioned and badly marketed film, it speaks about a history which we may not be aware of and should all know.

Artist Raja Ravi Varma committed a blasphemous act thanks to which many Hindu’s are able to worship but they don’t know who he is or what he did.

Director Ketan Mehta focussed on his liberated sexual ideology which didn’t garner much of an audience, though the film was much much more than that. So much so that Randeep Hooda has been nominated for Best Actor in the upcoming Filmfare awards. His role was complex and his performance was balanced.

The film has a sweeping landscape with very rich and diverse production values, stunning art and cinematography, the continuity of which seemed jaded in places.  Screened in 2008 in London it was finally released in India in December 2014 after a long fight and many hurdles from censors.

Nandana Sen has shown rare courage for scenes which require a sincere abandonment. The fault lies with the director, where language is not in check for the period and smaller but important nuances have been ignored. They were in check during Mangal Pandey, possibly due to Aamir Khan’s involvement but even then it could have done with more authenticity. This was the films biggest weakness.

It is a film which is a lot to do with how we depict gods and goddesses and celebrate our ‘human privilege’ of enjoying sex rather than just as a means of procreation. Taboos and social prejudice have been touched upon, but it seems as a rushed job in the end.

A rare opportunity to make an impact which was lost.

2/5