Monsoon Wedding

Mira Nair produced a film which is very entertaining, magical, and realistic in how it portrays the stresses and experiences associated with planning a modern wedding in India. The bride is a college educated beauty who has some liberated ideas and behaviors ... but she is also the the only daughter of her parents, a child of her culture. She agrees to an arranged marriage to the handsome son of a friend of the family... after a failed love affair (first secret in the film) from which she is not yet fully recovered. Aditi feels ready for marriage, so she tells her unmarried female cousin Ria who has some doubts about the matter. The unique traditions of the past are combined with modern touches - the past and present intertwine in unexpected ways to produce a beautiful and creative collage of whacky entertainment. The street scenes filmed in New Delhi symbolically represent the chaotic atmosphere, tensions and pressures of the preparations for a wedding. The plans are to create a joyous celebration ... to be remembered by both families ...and cherished for a lifetime. Family arrived from America, Dubai, and Australia ... to celebrate the blessed union of two young people in marriage.Lalit Verma, father of the bride takes his role seriously, his personality, character, and approach provide many of the comic and serious touches in the film. He displays extraordinairy sensitivity to a family tragedy that is unexpectedly revealed (the second secret) and takes courageous action to deal with the problem directly. He proves to be a caring, loving father whose integrity ensures the wedding preparations continue as planned, allowing nothing to mar the perfection of the moment. He even asks for a temporary loan from business associates to meet mmediate "cash flow" problems as the costs keep mounting upwards. The casting for all the roles are superb. The music was incorporated into the story of the film, enhancing and emphasizing the emotions in many scenes. There was spontaneous singing during the "mehndi" ceremony when the women paint henna designs on the hands of the bride. There was a haunting solo sung about the bride leaving the loving palace of her father ... to become a stranger to his house forever after marriage. Several enjoyable modern Indian techno sounds exploded throughout the film making the scenes more lively and enjoyable.Along with the wedding, there are several stories interwoven within the fabric of the film ... The first and most important one is how the wedding plans for Aditi and Hermant could have unravelled after Aditit confessed her secret affair to him. While the two large tents are built in the backyard, garlands of marigolds {"the flower of love") are woven, and the cost of water-proofing the tents is being negotiated - P.K. Dubey, the cell-phone carrying, dot.com business entrepeneur wedding event manager, and *bachelor* falls in love with Alice, the young maid and housekeeper for the Verma family. Meanwhile, Varun, Aditi's brother practices a dance he will perform at the 'sangeet' (engagement party?) with Ayesha, a very attractive cousin from Dubai. However, just before the party he clashes with his parents over his future educational plans. They decided he will be sent to a boarding school. Ayesha has been flirting with Rahul, a handsome young relative of the Verma's from Australia. They have even exchanged kisses in the dark. He had witnessed her dance sessions with Varun who now refuses to do the performance. When Rahul will not take Varun's place, one of the older ladies overhears and quotes poetry to him about his failure to rescue a lady in distress. She tells him straight up to get off his @ss ... Some of the most sensitive scenes include Ria, when she clues in on certain behaviors between Uncle Tej and Aleja, a young girl of about 6 or 7. Ria exposes Uncle Tej and at the same time reveals her own shame at having suffered a similar fate as a child. Lalit wrestles with how to handle this delicate situation. He couragously banishes Uncle Tej and his wife from his house. The wedding ceremony is a blessed and dignified event. It turns out to be perfect, a celebration of pure joy ... exactly as planned.Erika Borsos [pepper flower]

What I mean by that is: This is typical indian drama, probably equal to Indian soap opera television. Bollywood films seem to have a standard which makes it a Bollywood film. Bollywood films usually work with a bigger budget and provide dance videos which people have come to expect from a Bollywood film. Plus, there is a large pool of favored Bollywood actors and actresses people expect to see when they go to see a Bollywood film. Although there is a mix of Hindi language in this film "Monsoon Wedding", it does appear to be made to please an audience outside of India. This is a shorter film, and much less musical than a standard Bollywood film. Plus, the subject matter here, can be deemed a little loose-tongued, more or less, than a Bollywood film since Bollywood movies were made to please all age groups. You know, the perfect family picture for all audiences.This film has its appeal but, don't measure this with real Bollywood films. You'll have a tainted opinion before you have the facts. Actually, you should see "Lagaan" next. There are some more Indian (non-Bollywood) films you can see, too, if you'd like to see Indian films with English dialogue, instead of relying on subtitles. Check out "Bend it Like Beckham" and maybe "Bollywood/Hollywood". For Bollywood films more readily available through American DVD release, look into "Lagaan", "Asoka", Mission Kashmir" (women are going nuts over Hrithik Roshan), and maybe "Devdas". Some people are already aware of the Bollywood film actress, "Miss World 1994", Aishwarya Rai. She's in the Indian Blockbuster "Devdas", and a wonderful film called "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam". This film was the 1999 Winner of 7 Filmfare and 10 Screen Awards. Aishwarya Rai has done more than 50 films in the past 10 years. It's even been hinted that she have been approached about being the next "Bond Girl" in the next James Bond film.During June of 2003, the "Turner Movie Classics" channel has been showing Bollywood films through the month on Thursdays. My friends and family have started watching them because I encouraged them to do so. Everyone seems to be pretty excited about what they experienced. The exposure to Bollywood (and other Indian) films is growing here in America.I don't have a doubt Indian films are going to become an invasion to America inside the next few years. I mean, think about it: Many of us are bored with American Hollywood stars. Many Hollywood stars are much older (10 to 20 year veterans of film) and are losing their appeal. I think this is why "Reality TV" has become so popular. The American audience wants to see new faces. New, unknown, good-looking people. At work, everyone seems to be talking about this new girl on a "reality show" whom no one knew three weeks earlier, or some new guy that they're hoping to see more of. Hollywood stars are getting old and tiresome (and not as attractive as they use to be).I recommend that you get ahead of the game, and start checking out all the good-looking stars of Bollywood film. Go to an Indian store (or go to Netflix.com, or some other rental source that provides Indian films), and open up a DVD rental account. Bollywood is a large film industry (larger than you'd ever imagine), and it's wonderful. It's time to get away from those Hollywood dinosaurs, for awhile. Don't you think?And getting this Blu-Ray Criterion Edition offers many little short stories and other interesting short films and reviews from India and of Mira Nair. Well, worth the above $30 price.

Monsoon Wedding traces the Verma family and follows various family members as they travel from across the world to be present at an arranged marriage in New Delhi. Problem is; there's a monsoon coming and until it breaks people are going just slightly 'Monsoon Crazy'. Much of that craziness is reflected in the film. Events continue to build until the rain breaks and then, suddenly, the pace eases off and there's a gentle, heart warming end after all the tension.There are a some lovely contrasts between the old and the new, traditional and nontraditional, as the characters come under the spotlight and slowly there emerges five different stories of love which span continents, explore morality and cross through social divides. There's much here that's comic but there's also sadness and drama among the music. I particularly enjoyed the relationship between the wedding arranger and the servant girl which almost made me stand up and 'whoop' close to the end......though I'm not telling you why!.Monsoon Wedding is a complex movie and packs a great many messages into approx. 109 minutes. There's romance, heartbreak, intrigue, music and comedy but; look between the lines. There you'll find a real tribute to the past and future of New Delhi and a real love of it's culture and it's people.Monsoon Wedding is a journey away from traditional Bollywood.I'm reviewing the UK DVD 'Film Four' version. Run time is approx. 100 mins. Special features; Theatrical Trailer, Director's Commentary, Cast and Crew Interviews. Director; Mira Nair.

This is a most engrossing and enjoyable film, but one that is not without flaws. Monsoon Wedding, as the director explains in one of the DVD's "extra" tracks, is a celebration of the upper middle class urban Punjabi life style: energetic, ambitious, Westernized, noisy and earthy. Underlying the film is the tension between modernity and tradition in India today, a contrast that the director often makes explicit by switching from the sophistication of the wealthy family preparing for the wedding to the wonderful, ageless chaos of the Delhi streets. There are moments of ravishing cinematography - the scenes filmed in the rain are quite magnificently done, for example. The colours (the director throughout favours blocks of pastel shades) and the music are impressive, but not quite as spectacular as some reviewers have suggested, and some people may find the tale as a whole a frustratingly slight one. It is sometimes rather difficult to follow the English passages, and there are episodes of the plot (such as it is) that are a little unconvincing. The bride-to-be, for instance, switches overnight from a passionate affair with her lover, to an almost equally passionate attachment to her fiancé, with an ease that rather beggars belief. These aspects apart, this is a fast-moving, watchable and memorable film, and one that is very much worth seeing.

After having seen this film when it first came out, I felt like I'd been to a wonderful, fantastic, huge family party as I left the movie theatre. A party with wonderful food, lots of bubbly champagne, a deliciously sweet dessert and a rich, dark cup of coffee with a fine brandy to go with it. And then dancing and more bubbly, giggly champagne!!It is a wonderfully made film about a wedding being planned, guests arriving from all over the world, family problems, lots and lots of family love, parallel love stories, etc. etc. The family father's disappointment with his young son, worrying that he will become a homosexual because he loves to watch cookery programmes on television and coreographing dances is hilarious! The way he handles a respected family member who has abused his beloved foster-daughter is deeply moving. It has everything you want in a great movie!! The music is fantastic as well - and perfectly matches the scenes of happiness, sadness, tragedy, dancing, falling in love, drama, and finally: the monsoon wedding. As the film proceeds, you feel that you get to know the family like they're your own. And the filming of busy, noisy Delhi makes you feel like you're right there. The love story of Alice, the maid, and the party organizer, which runs parallel to the family's trials and tribulations during the organizing of the wedding, is a lovely bonus!I highly recommend it - having seen the film twice, I am now purchasing the video, and have already bought the soundtrack CD. I'm bitten, smitten - I have become a totally dedicated fan of Mira Nair.

The stories of 5 characters with the backdrop of the final wedding preparations of an arranged marriage taking place in India. People are flying from across the world to be at the wedding and there is a lot of hustle and bustle with the typical wedding last minute preparations where nerves are fraught and people are meeting up who have not seen each other for a long while.This is captured brilliantly and you feel as though you are a priviledged on-looker at this event. In that sense it is quite an intimate film, you see the public face of the character, their weaknesses and their sily little behaviours. This interweaving is skilly executed midst a riot of spectacular colour - I watched this a month ago and as I think about it is the colour of oranges, yellows and red.The stories of the characters are revealed to the viewer gradually throughout the film. This is not a film where you are sitting on the edge of seat biting your nails wondering what is going to happen yet. It is more like a story that is being told where you are saying "and what about so and so - what happened then?"This film invites you into another cultural world where the environment and practices are different but where people are people and you grow fond of them.My husband and I watched it together and at the end smiled and said "That was good!"

A wonderful journey across a great family wedding within which there is a powerful statement around child abuse. Time to join in the dancing!