GHUNGROO
Ram Sethi, 1983, India; 163m

Although a veritable icon of independent, “new wave” cinema, Smita Patil did work a few times in major Bollywood productions, such as this delightful confection. A king promises Vikram, his commander, that he will be treated like his son if he will marry into the royal family and obey the Queen’s every wish. The Queen arranges for him to marry a princess, unaware that Vikram was already in love with and had fathered a daughter with Kesarbai, a beautiful dancing courtesan, played by Smita Patil. Upon discovering this, the Queen banishes Kesarbai. But fate takes some wondrous turns in this musical period delight that also stars the great Indian actor Shashi Kapoor as the handsome Vikram and Waheeda Rehman as the domineering Queen.

THE MEANING (Arth)
Mahesh Bhatt, India, 1982; 138m

Two of Indian cinema’s greatest actresses each turn in powerful, assured performances in this blistering melodrama. Shabana Azmi is the insecure Pooja, who loses her husband and the home she has dreamt of to the glamorous film actress Kavita, played by Smita Patil. Deserted by her husband, Pooja chooses to leave for a single working women’s hostel to start life anew, while Kavita’s passionate affair begins to cool. Fate will bring their lives together and then separate them again, as each woman struggles to free herself from the domination of men. But even as the beautiful Kavita becomes unstable and a new man courts Pooja, each women has to decide on their lives without men. With Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Raj Kiran, Rohini Hattangadi, and Dina Pathak.

Prices:
$7 for students if seeing a screening before 6:00 PM and purchasing online. See http://miaacfilmfest.org/FestivalProgram.htm here for screening times and dates.

$12 for students if purchasing tickets at the screening. See www.miaacfilmfest.org here for more information.

Bring your STUDENT ID if you’re going!

Email Melissa mrios@nightingale.org or Ali agale@nightingale.org with any questions you have!

“The Tenth Annual MIAAC Film Festival is the destination for feature films, documentaries, and shorts from, and about, the Indian subcontinent. MIAAC features a mix of film screenings, discussions, industry panels, nightly parties, an awards ceremony, and gala red carpet events. MIAAC is a once-a-year opportunity to network with artists and leaders from the global film industry, and to experience the rich film cultures of the Indian subcontinent.”