Monsoon Wedding (2001)
Director Mira Nair and Writer Sabrina Dhawan got together and wove the most heartwarming film of the Hindi cinema. Monsoon Wedding, the 2001 movie carries an element of permanent greatness with it.
Several stories run parallel to each other completing the storyline as a whole. The background being a wedding in a Delhi based Punjabi family, the film makers successfully included all the elements of a big-fat Indian wedding, the loud uncles and aunties, the sangeet rehearsals, joking around with cousins, the cash crunches, the late-night family discussions, shopping sprees, emotional father-daughter moments that are rare in Indian families, everything that we all love to watch.
It subtly talks about issues like homophobia, child sexual abuse, the burden of past relationships and more without being problematic, without sensationalizing, and that is where it seems to win everyone’s hearts.
Watching the film seems like looking at an artwork being created. Each scene, each dialogue, each character carefully crafted. And the soundtracks, old and new make it more engaging.
The precision, with which all the actors perform their parts, does justice to the characters more than enough. Naseeruddin Shah and Lillette Dubey beautifully portray the woes and joys of an Indian parent getting their daughter married. Vijay Raaz excellent as always while Shefali Shah and Rajat Kapoor stun the audience with their ability to capture the character’s moods and emotions. The cast couldn’t have been better than this one.
The climax leaves you teary eyed while the end will make you smile like you none other movie does. So, this is a complete package, an art film that you will never get tired of.
p.s. Remember to stay through the end credits too!
