What can you say about Indian films? American films live in that fantastical sphere called Hollywood, while Indian films find their home in Bollywood. Actually, that's a misconception; Bollywood is a term that describes the Hindi language film industry, but there are many other cinema hubs that produce movies for the Indian subcontinent and the surrounding area.
The University will have an opportunity to sample some of these films. From Thursday, April 27 to Saturday, April 29, the University Programs Council, the Robertson Media Center and the South Asian Leadership Society will bring six of South Asia's most engaging films to Grounds as part of Tasvir.
Literally meaning "picture," Tasvir is a film festival created in November 2002 by former undergraduate Bilal Qureshi. The idea was to create a venue where the University community and Charlottesville could explore and celebrate the South Asian culture.
As in previous years, the selection will be diverse. The six films span decades both in terms of production and in terms of theatrical setting. In addition to differences in temporal settings, the films arch over several genres.
The festival begins with a romantic comedy that defies the conventional template. Hum Tum is no humdrum piece of cinema. The film explores the long-lived battle of the sexes pitting boy (who secretly loves girl) against girl (who secretly loves boy) with cartoon featurettes interspersed throughout. Hum Tum's star-crossed lovers spend 12 years at odds with each other before finally realizing their love for one another.
Also premiering on Thursday is Kal Ho Naa Ho. It features seasoned Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan as Aman and several musical sequences. Set in New York City, the film focuses on the lives of the Kapurs, their rocky business and the arrival of a new neighbor. Of course, no Bollywood film would be complete without a love triangle. Eldest child Naina Kapur falls in love with their new neighbor Aman Mathur who is playing matchmaker in an attempt to unite Naina and her friend Rohit. The only problem is that Aman becomes a victim of his own scheming and finds that he's attracted to Naina as well.
Friday's lineup begins with another music-oriented film, this one a time-honored classic. Mughal-E-Azam was the most popular film of its day both in Pakistan and in India. The project began in 1944 when director K. Asif wanted to make the biggest film of Indian cinema. Production was beset by pitfalls both personal and historical. The lead actor died of a heart attack only two years after filming began and the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947 caused the film to be shot in Pakistan rather than in India. Perhaps the biggest effect on this film about romance, family and the intersection of love and honor was the advent of Technicolor in India. K. Asif decided to film three reels in color with the rest of the movie in black and white. The result was a three-million-dollar Indian blockbuster that debuted in 1960 and a classic of the Indian film industry.
After the viewing of this masterpiece, a modern-day classic will show. Black is the story of a girl who is blind and deaf and forms a special bond with her teacher, who later develops Alzheimer's. Heavily reminiscent of the story of Helen Keller, this picture has won many accolades and was labeled one of the top 10 best films of 2005 by Europe's Time Magazine.
Black isn't the only drama scheduled. The last night of the festival opens with a story about the unfailing love of a sister who stands by her brother's side despite his social and physical banishment from the community. My Brother Nikhil tells of a young Indian sports star who is discovered to have AIDS and is gay; both attributes are taboo in South Asian culture. The film describes how this revelation breaks apart a family and changes his life.
Parineeta, the last film to be showcased in Tasvir, is a Bollywood hit based on the classic novel. It's a historical fiction set in 1960s Calcutta about a young girl who falls in love with her childhood friend. But their relationship is beset by problems out of their control. Greed and deception question how strong love can really be.
Whether it's a tale of desire, a chronicle of love or a narrative of tragedy foretold, this year's South Asian Film Festival will hold something for anyone who's interested. With six highly-acclaimed films from Bollywood and beyond, Tasvir will give a glimpse into South Asian filmic culture.
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