MAMI 2013: Day 1

I know I've been really sporadic on social networking sites, but I am itching for a change. It's been a very exciting turn of events lately, but the most exciting of all is MAMI (Mumbai Academy of Moving Image) aka the Mumbai Film Festival, which is happening right now.

Many of you may know the general plot layout of the films mentioned (or those which will be mentioned) if you have the delegate kit, but I am elaborating for the benefit of those who do not have one yet.

Being a bit of a film buff (though not a film nerd just yet), I've decided to share brief notes on the films I've been watching. Technically, the fest began yesterday, but they were showing The Butler all the way in Liberty at 7 pm. I wasn't too inclined for an evening dash, but here's what I managed to see on the official day 2, which is my Day 1.

Remember... it's never too late to make a MAMI Delegate Pass and watch these films ( http://register.mumbaifilmfest.org/) .

• Sunlight, Moonlight, Earth (Aftab, Mahtab, Zamin) (Iranian):

Ali Ghavitan's endearing take on the friendship between Sheikh, an elderly village cleric and the seven-year-old Narges makes for patient viewing. The scenes are just languid as characters amble from one end of the screen to the other in a long take. Sunlight, Moonlight, Earth is more than just about the relationship between an old man and a child. The former is stooped over, not just with age but with the weight of an inheritance he did not ask for. Said inheritance is 50 acres of a land in a village where the workers toil under the crackling sunlight.

Sheikh is reluctant to reveal the true purpose of his visit and the villagers are naturally suspicious of the bearded stranger. Can his piety and gentle ways win them over? How far will an envious Malek go in raising hostility against the older man?

Sunlight, Moonlight, Earth is not for everyone. I walked away, not disappointed (satisfied to an extent), but not something  I would not include in a must-see list. It is a sweet, simple film, although a few people in the screen with me did rave about it later. If you find a slot where you can fit this film in, go for it. Give the film time to unravel.

The film will be repeated on 20th October (Sunday) at Cinemax, Versova - Screen 5 at 12:30 pm.

• Qissa (Punjabi film, stars Irrfan Khan, Tisca Chopra):

Anup Singh's Qissa deals with the question of identity within a Sikh family residing in post-Partition India, but not in the way one would imagine. The film deals not with the national identity of the displaced citizens, but with distraught father Umber Singh's (Irrfan Khan) 'qissa' (tale) of gender identity.

Weakened by his unfortunate circumstances and saddled with the responsibility of three daughters, he now yearns for a son. Despite his wife's (Tisca Chopra) much-resented hattrick in giving him daughters, Umber (can't remember his character's name) hopes to be fourth time lucky. Doesn't happen. The fourth child is a daughter, but the father in a twist of shocking obstinacy raises her to be a son named Kanwar (played by Tillotama Shome when s/he grows).

Yes, the film touches upon the delicate topic of menstruation which Umber tries to cover up, the wrestling classes and the hunting sessions to make a man out of a woman. Kanwar dresses, walks and talks the part. And even takes the big leap by marrying a gypsy girl, Neeli (Rasika Duggal) when it becomes a matter of family honour.

There are some logical loopholes in the film like:

- The submissive mother who let her daughter's sexual identity get taken apart

- Whether her sisters knew about her real gender

- The ending (I had my own interpretation, but many around me were baffled)

Qissa takes you on the ride which is akin to thinking you're going to Elephanta Caves but land up, instead, at a surreal island (a la Life of Pi) in the middle of the sea. The analogy may not make much sense, but I am merely trying to illustrate the difference between the major chunk of the film and the climactic turn.

But that does not mean that the film should be given a miss. In fact, I highly recommend it. The shot compositions are beautiful, the performances remarkably restrained. Night sequences can be a dreadful challenge to shoot, but this film (at least for me) gave me the essence of a moonlit night in a quaint little village.

The hall was jam-packed for this film. For those who missed it, the film will be repeated on 19th October (Saturday) at Cinemax, Versova - Screen 4 at 3:15 pm.

• Jadoo:

If there's any film that's made me hungrier than The Lunchbox, it's this one. Amit Gupta's delightful Jadoo is hands-down my pick of the day. Two brothers who jointly ran the Chandana restaurant have a bitter squabble, which results in the family and the family recipe book being torn in half. One brother (Harish Patel) gets the starters and the other (Kulvinder Ghir) gets the main courses. When they open their rival restaurants (both called 'Chandana') across the road from each other, you can very well guess the specialty of either place.

When daughter Shalini (Amara Karan) returns to find her father and uncle feuding when they whip up a lavish Indian repast for her wedding day, she decides to fix things. And that's when the fun really begins. Also... the food porn. Ooof. Delicious.

I am glad I stayed back for this one. I was being persuaded to leave for more 'promising' films, but I am glad I stuck on. The end may be sappy and predictable for some (most happy endings have one way to go, right?) but I cannot recommend this enough. Do watch!

The film will be repeated on 19th October (Saturday) at Cinemax, Versova - Screen 2 at 5:45 pm.

If all goes well, I'll be able to watch four films instead of three tomorrow. Still hope I can upload tomorrow. I'll try to keep you guys posted. Stay tuned and be cool! Peace out!