A film with no central plot, no original groovy songs, no big stars, and yet it I'm giving it four stars. Now how do you explain this unusual magic that the beauty of Monsoon Wedding wraps around you?
Well if I'm ever to succeed in putting the message across to you, let me describe Monsoon Wedding in one sentence. 'A refreshing bouquet of parallel sub-plots that occur around the same premise of an Indian wedding.' And believe me, everyone's invited!
But this mouthshut.com policy states that I can't gives reviews containing just one sentence each. Well then, even I love details, so I might as well unwind this entire lovely tale of arranged love marriage for you. But first, at least meet the characters, a bustling family readying to make merry one last time before vidaa-karoing the bride!
The Main Invitees
1) Aditi She's the bride to be, grinning benignly at everyone, but hiding a deadly secret that could wreck the whole marriage.
2) HemantThe groom from America, quirky and mature
3) Pimmi and Lalit Aditi's mom and dad. Like every parent, they're nervous to bits about the marriage.
4) Rhea Aditi's cousin sister, who finds the presence of a certain Tej Uncle in the wedding very uncomfortable. The reason, is better left untold.
5) Alice The family's dainty and simple servant, whose watery and pleasant smiles hide the pain of a hundred shattered dreams of every young Indian girl.
6) Dubey The organizer of the shamyanas and lighting, whose intelligence requires the lighting most. But his heart is as soft as the marigold flowers he's arranging around the house
Other invitees
Now I only know their characters and names, since Mira Nair as director makes no real effort to showcase how the different families turning up for the marriage are related.
Anyhow their relationship with the brides' family doesn't make any difference! You don't wonder about colour's origins do you?
There's the punjabi couple, the groom's parents, a family friend's family with one Arya as daughter, another relative with a beautiful daughter Neha, some other family with a son Rahul (whom Lalit loves calling 'Idiot' and whom Neha simply loves), Mr and Mrs Tej and Aditi's brother, teenage Varun.
Now that all the guests have arrived, let's begin with the story ceremony!
As I told you folks, this story is a set of simultaneous subplots that weave together in to a beautiful tapestry of Indian culture. So have a look at the individual threads-
1) Aditi's Secret Man this gal's in trouble! She's already engaged and still sees her married ex-boyfriend. And whatever will happen when Hemant comes to know???
2) Alice- Dubey Story The organiser gets a soft spot for the down to earth servant, and slowly and sweetly, she falls for him too. I must tell you this is the cutest and most beautiful story in Monsoon Wedding. Don't miss it for anything! The scenes in the generator room, and when Alice gets caught by Dubey secretly adorning herself with Aditi's jewellery, these are the most touching scenes in the entire movie. True hallmarks.
3) Rahul- Neha Angle: Not much here, just two NRIs feeling the attraction, specially when Rahul bails Neha out of a performance predicament. Which one I won't say...
4) Rhea- Arya and Uncle Tej Now this is touchy stuff. Hats off to Mira Nair for dealing with such a touchy topic with sensitivity and subtlety. The sicko of Mr Tej, who once sexually exploited Rhea as a child, is now trying to get back to business with little Arya. But Rhea won't let anything of the sort happen...
5) Teeny Varun Probably the shortest of all the stories, it revolves around Varun's teenage tantrums of no one understanding him, and the anger unfortunately comes out on someone with no fault...
That's the havan samagri, but who'll put it ablaze in the mandap? The performances obviously!
Vasundhara Das, as Aditi looks gorgeous but for some chub on the face, does justice in showing her guilt of unfaithfulness.
Pravin Dabas, as Hemant, is smart and charming. No acting required for that I bet!
Lillette Dubey and Naseerudin Shah as the anxious parents, who seek each other's intimacy through various troubles, do a brilliant job.
Shefali Chhaya as Rhea pulls off her character with aplomb, specially how she pulls the plug on Uncle Tej. The only drawback is that this 30 something is made to play a charcter ten years younger!
The others too do a great job, performing their roles well to their weight in the story.
In a word performances are inspiring!
So that was what the havan of the film is made up of, but what of all the additives?
Throughout, there is an amazingly vivid showcasing of Indian cities, completely capturing the very essence of Indian streets and monsoon. Crowds, mosques, electric poles, dhaabas, everythin's here. I repeat this is no way an NRI film
Sine characters are so well sketched, certain foibles too are truly entertaining. Watch out for Dubey and his gang (Lottery and others), and Dubey's uncanny habit of eating marigolds!
Add this with a dash of folk music and songs, and old film numbers in the background, and a hint of four liplocks, and what you have is a piquant, sizzler of a movie.
Monsoon's wedding's strength lies in keepind the viewer rivetted without the presence of that strong a storyline. Also, her depiction of the dance, song, colours and rain of India is mindblowing, to say the least. In Naseerudin Shah's words- '' Take of the white shamyana ! I want colour!''
Editing is crisp, and the entire movie makes for quite a delectable treat. I tried hard to find negatives in the film, but to no avail.
No wonder it won the Venice Golden Lion award!I loved this movie it came on Star Movies recently, and knowing Star Movies Policy, I'm quite confident it'll come again. When it does, you should be the first to see it. It's a real banquet to the senses and emotions- a real must see!
So go sneak in, before the groom guides sindoor through the adorned bride's parting! And do a Chunari Chunari jig in the rain if you can!
The Monsoon Wedding is on- so go join the party!
