Lalita Ahmed Movies
Director Sarah Gavron and screenwriter Abi Morgan team to adapt author Monica Ali's award-winning novel about a young girl from Bangladesh who finds the spark in her soul slowly fading after traveling to London for an arranged marriage. As a child, Nazneen (Tannishtha Chatterjee) was always told that she was a survivor. Now, as a young adult, she is leaving behind her mother and sister to start a new life in London's East End. Married to a man she has never met and relocated from her quaint village to a working-class Brick Lane neighborhood, the newlywed Nazneen does her best to be a devoted wife and loving mother. It's a lonely life, and as Nazneen's pompous, ineffectual husband, Chanu (Satish Kaushik), does his best to fit into British society, the bored housewife finds herself increasingly drawn to hotheaded neighbor Karim (Christopher Simpson). It isn't long before the relationship between Nazneen and Karim turns romantic, and in the wake of 9/11, the pair realize that they are intimately bound together by their political beliefs as well. Karim is fast becoming a radical and so, perhaps, is Nazneen. Meanwhile, back in Bangladesh, Nazneen's beloved sister Hasina (Zafreen) embarks on a series of life-altering adventures. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tannishtha Chatterjee, Satish Kaushik, (more)
Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, Armin Mueller-Stahl, and Vincent Cassel star in this David Cronenberg's thriller concerning a London midwife who unwittingly stumbles into a clandestine Russian sex trafficking ring. An unidentified Russian teen has been rushed to a London hospital after going into labor. Though midwife Anna Khitrova (Watts) does manage to deliver a healthy baby girl, the newborn's mother dies tragically during delivery. But the deceased mother's secrets did not die with her, because she has left behind a diary. Determined to ensure the newborn is placed with her rightful family, Anna attempts to read the diary and discovers a business card for a local restaurant therein. Upon visiting the restaurant Anna is greeted by kindly owner Semyon (Mueller-Stahl), who generously offers to translate it for her. But Semyon is not what he appears to be, and before long Anna begins to fear that the child could be in great danger. Semyon admits to Anna that the diary contains information about his son Kirill (Cassell) that could land the volatile offspring in jail despite the fact that Kirill is at heart a good person. As the truth begins to unfold and Anna begins to believe that Kirill and his driver Nikolai (Mortensen) - an ambitious driver seeking to ascent the ranks of the notorious Russian mafia - mean the baby harm, an underworld storm begins to brew that could consume all involved. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, (more)
- 2006
A well-intending butcher from Madrid steps in to right a wrong made by his overconfident sibling, and as the problems begin to snowball the comedy turns to screwball in veteran Spanish writer/director Fernando Colomo's humorous take on multiculturalism in the Spanish capitol. Cain (Javier Cifrian) is a butcher from the barrio who has never had much luck in love. Cain's married brother Abel (Asier Etxeandia), on the other hand, seems to have the exact opposite problem. An annoyingly overconfident womanizer who has recently impregnated pretty Muslim Aisha (Nur Al Levi), Abel refuses to take responsibility for the unborn child. Eager to do the right thing and perhaps find a little female companionship in the process, Cain agrees to wed Aisha and assume responsibility for the child. When Cain learns that he will have to convert to Islam for the marriage to take place, however, the cultural differences between Cain and Aisha's families grow increasingly pronounced. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Javier Cifrian, Nur Al Levi, (more)
A half-parody and half-loving tribute to the over-the-top style of Indian musicals, this song-and-dance-filled musical comedy-drama concerns Geena (Preeya Kalidas), a pretty and virtuous young women who has been raised by a loving but strictly traditional Indian family. One day, Geena happens to meet a charming and footloose visiting Englishmen named Jay (James MacAvoy), and it's love at first sight for the both of them. However, Geena's family does not approve of her dating a relative stranger, and as her brothers keep an eye on her every move, Geena is forced to meet Jay on the sly. Before long, she impulsively leaves for England with him, with her family giving chase. Along the way, the story stops periodically to give the characters the opportunity to burst into song, though along with the expected Hindi pop tunes, the characters let loose with blues, folk, and roots rock compositions. Bollywood Queen was screened in competition at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Preeya Kalidas, James McAvoy, (more)
- 1996
Ten years ago Oxford archaeology professor Robert Rylands suddenly and mysteriously left the college and the town to embark upon a long journey. His sudden return creates quite a stir, and most of this English-language Spanish drama, based on a novel by Javier Marias, centers on the effect it has upon those who know and love him. As soon as he arrives, Rylands heads straight for the police department and sits down to tell a policeman and good friend about his adventure. The plot then moves to Alfred, a fellow lecturer who lives with Jill, his sister and her daughter, Sue. Juan, a Spanish guest lecturer is also staying with them. Jill is worried about Alfred who has been suffering from a bizarre illness that causes him to faint and makes it difficult for him to use his left hand. She finds Rylands' sudden reappearance most distracting. Somehow the lives of Rylands, Jill and Alfred are connected, and both Sue and Juan decide to find out how. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1994
- R
An assembly of Indian women, both immigrants and their British-born brethren, travel to the English seaside in this comic drama. The plot focuses on a trio of young women caught between tradition and independence: Ginder (Kim Vithana), who risks the uncertainties of social ostracism and single motherhood in order to escape from her abusive husband; Hashida (Sarita Khajuria), who jeopardizes her promising future in medical school when she becomes pregnant by her West Indian boyfriend (Mo Sesay); and Simi (Shaheen Khan), who integrates her feminist politics and her commitment to her culture by heading up the Saheli Asian Women's Group. To provide the women of her community with a chance to get together and enjoy themselves, Simi organizes a ladies-only trip to Blackpool, a seaside resort town that resembles Atlantic City. Along for the ride are boy-crazy teens, conservative matrons, and a garish visitor from Bombay, each of them offering a singular perspective on Asian immigrant culture. Asha (Lalita Ahmed), a middle-aged wife, mother, and newsstand proprietor, spends much of the trip experiencing picturesque visions in which an Indian goddess reprimands her for the missed opportunities in her life. Introspection gets pre-empted, however, when Ginder's husband (Jimmi Harkishin) and his brothers show up looking for a little involuntary family reunion. Bhaji on the Beach screenwriter Meera Syal would go on to pen the award-winning novel (Anita and Me) and work on Goodness Gracious Me, the BBC's Indian/Pakistani sketch comedy show. Fans of Anglo-Asian cinema will recognize actress Souad Faress, who plays the colorful Rekha Tendon, from her role as the haughty Cherry in My Beautiful Laundrette. Akbar Kurtha, who plays one of Ginder's brothers-in-law, would go on to portray the title character in My Son the Fanatic. Writer/director Gurinder Chadha would return with another ensemble feature, What's Cooking?, in 2000. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sarita Khajuria, Amer Chadha-Patel, (more)
- 1992
- R
This slapstick romp chronicles the ups and downs of a London-based country western band made up of young Pakistani immigrants as they try to make it out of the ghetto and into the spotlight. Their major hindrance proves to be a contentious band of English punk rockers. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Naveen Andrews, Sarita Choudhury, (more)
- 1986
A slice-of-life drama, this story by director Ruhul Amin revolves around a Bengali family trying to make the adjustment to a harsh life in London. Far from the sunny, warm climate of home, the Grandmother (Afroza Bulbul) and nine-year-old son Samir (Jamil Ali) devote themselves to creating a mock-up of their village back home. The mother (Lalita Ahmed) does the best she can, but her husband is irritable and unhappy in their new place. Only her brother-in-law Tariq (Andrew Johnson) seems able to jump right into London life; he works as a taxi driver. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lalita Ahmed, Andrew Johnson, (more)
