Recently caught this on Hulu, and didn't realize it was Indira Varma's debut (more or less) and that it starred Naveen Andrews as the lecherous king. It has definitely has this fairytale vibe about it in addition to the gorgeous costumes and lush visuals.
The stories about how the makers of the film had to dupe and eventually bribe Indian censors is really interesting. Whether improvising fake scenes or flat out lying about the film's content, I think the end result was worth it.
The love scenes are appropriately erotic and the nudity tasteful, all while maintaining a very raw, sensual tone. The Hulu version is obviously cut a bit, so I can't wait to get my hands on a copy from Netflix or somesuch. The acting is uniformly good, and evades the tropes of typical Bollywood productions. The closest director I want to compare Mira Nair to is Ang Lee, but really only in terms of use of color and composition. I appreciate the flair she imbues her films with, but I found her Vanity Fair a little too indulgent in the star fuckery (as a Reese Witherspoon vehicle), though the Indian trappings definitely made the film stand out compared to other pieces. Perhaps Zhang Yimou is a more apt comparison.
I'm unsure whether to classify this is a chick flick vs a standard period drama. While it deals with the lives and circumstances of Maya and Tara, I wonder if there is a degree of pandering involved with the overt sexualization, or if this is my own Western bias. As a film about a courtesan, there is something lurid in its subject matter and appeal (Dangerous Beauty, with a similar subject, I find to be...passable as a film). Then again, should we be so eager to dismiss it because it explores sexuality and sensuality in a way that western audiences are not used to?
Anyways, is there anyone out there that could recommend similar films to me? I'm in love with the period and the setting right now but I fear that most Bollywood productions tend to err on the side of melodrama and ...campiness? A serious Indian period piece would do nicely.
The stories about how the makers of the film had to dupe and eventually bribe Indian censors is really interesting. Whether improvising fake scenes or flat out lying about the film's content, I think the end result was worth it.
The love scenes are appropriately erotic and the nudity tasteful, all while maintaining a very raw, sensual tone. The Hulu version is obviously cut a bit, so I can't wait to get my hands on a copy from Netflix or somesuch. The acting is uniformly good, and evades the tropes of typical Bollywood productions. The closest director I want to compare Mira Nair to is Ang Lee, but really only in terms of use of color and composition. I appreciate the flair she imbues her films with, but I found her Vanity Fair a little too indulgent in the star fuckery (as a Reese Witherspoon vehicle), though the Indian trappings definitely made the film stand out compared to other pieces. Perhaps Zhang Yimou is a more apt comparison.
I'm unsure whether to classify this is a chick flick vs a standard period drama. While it deals with the lives and circumstances of Maya and Tara, I wonder if there is a degree of pandering involved with the overt sexualization, or if this is my own Western bias. As a film about a courtesan, there is something lurid in its subject matter and appeal (Dangerous Beauty, with a similar subject, I find to be...passable as a film). Then again, should we be so eager to dismiss it because it explores sexuality and sensuality in a way that western audiences are not used to?
Anyways, is there anyone out there that could recommend similar films to me? I'm in love with the period and the setting right now but I fear that most Bollywood productions tend to err on the side of melodrama and ...campiness? A serious Indian period piece would do nicely.
