Neena Gupta Movies
Ismail Merchant, best known as a producer for his work with director James Ivory (including Howards End and A Room With a View), takes possession of the director's chair in this drama. In 1954, seven years after India has gained independence from Great Britain, many Indians still feel like second-class citizens in their own country, as the nation's sovereignty has not immediately erased the perception that the British are superior to the Indian-born natives. Such a woman is Cotton Mary (Madhur Jaffrey), who works as a nurse for Lily Macintosh (Greta Scacchi), the wife of a BBC correspondent. Mary claims she's the daughter of a British regiment officer (although she has no firm evidence), and she sees herself as more British than Indian. While she takes offense at racist comments, she often states her belief that most of her people are unclean and dishonest, and her personal philosophy is informed by Christianity as much as the Hindu teachings with which she was raised. When Lily gives birth prematurely, Mary has to find a wet nurse for the child, and she uses this to win greater trust and confidence from Lily; in time, Mary persuades Lily to fire Abraham (Prayag Raaj), the household's loyal but proudly Indian cook, while she hides the fact that her sister Blossom (Neena Gupta) is nursing Lily's child. When not acting, Madhur Jaffrey is an acclaimed Indian chef and author, who has written a series of books on Indian cuisine; her daughter, Sakina Jaffrey, also appears in the film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Madhur Jaffrey, Greta Scacchi, (more)
Anita Desai and Shahrukh Husain adapted Desai's novel for this comedy-drama about an Indian university teacher who encounters numerous hassles in his attempts to document the final writings of an ailing, alcoholic poet whom he idolizes. Score by Zakir Hussain and Ustad Sultan Khan. ~ Nicole Gagne, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shashi Kapoor, Shabana Azmi, (more)
There is a thread of continuity among all the tragicomic tales told by Manouk (Amrish Puri) to his yuppie listeners, since most of them evoke the pangs of longing for the unattainable or sadness at having lost what is infinitely percious. Whether they are tales based on his own experiences, or classic Indian folktales, he often spices them with a bit of Marxist theory. One particularly memorable tale involves the advice a servant gives his master who, because he is suffering from impotence, is desperate for anything which will cure it. What the servant convinces his rather dense boss to do rivals the labors of Hercules, but is much more amusing to watch.
Cast:
Amrish Puri, Rajit Kapoor, Raghuveer Yadav, Virendra Saxena, K.K. Raina, Neena Gupta, Pallavi Joshi, Himani Shivpuri, Rajeshwari Sachdev ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
Cast:
Amrish Puri, Rajit Kapoor, Raghuveer Yadav, Virendra Saxena, K.K. Raina, Neena Gupta, Pallavi Joshi, Himani Shivpuri, Rajeshwari Sachdev ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amrish Puri, Neena Gupta, (more)
This historical drama, based on a novel by John Masters that was in turn inspired by actual events, follows William Savage (Pierce Brosnan), a British agent of the East India Company, as he is sent with his new wife to India in the early 19th century. While Savage holds the unusually progressive view that the people of India are human and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, he is still a very proper subject of the British empire and behaves accordingly. One night, when he sees a group of seemingly crazed men rob and kill a defenseless woman, he demands to know what has happened. He learns that the killers were members of a bizarre cult called the Thugees; Savage is determined to do something about them, and he works his way into the group by disguising himself as one of their number; however, the more Savage tries to win the trust of the Thugees, the more he must act as one of them, which leads him into a murderous secret life of his own. The Deceivers was produced by Ismail Merchant, his first film with a director other than James Ivory. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierce Brosnan, Saeed Jaffrey, (more)
- 1986
Ramulu (Om Puri) is a master weaver whose excellence is noticed by a female government official, and his work is selected to represent his country in an exhibition in Paris. Unfortunately, the selection brings about worker discord and jealousy. Ramulu alienates his daughter by using the fine silk intended for her wedding dress for a piece he submits to the international exhibit. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Om Puri, Shabana Azmi, (more)
Liberally sprinkled with dashes of humor, this is a fast-paced comedy about a family and their friends who lived through the transition of Goa from a Portuguese colony to a district governed by India. Ana (Sushma Prakash) is about to become engaged (unwillingly) to the unappealing Erasmo when her beloved grandfather suddenly dies. Her grandmother is so overwhelmed by grief that Ana's engagement is put on hold indefinitely (along with everything else) while granny tries to contact the spirit of her dead husband. But her wires get crossed each time and instead of grandpa, she brings forth ghosts of people the family has wronged in the past. Meanwhile, Ana's real love is hiding out in the cellar. As Ana's marriage to Erasmo draws near, she faints dead away because (as he soon finds out) she is pregnant, but not by him. These and other events are revealed in flashbacks as a former resident in the house returns to visit 25 years later. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leela Naidu, Sushma Prakash, (more)
It was Richard Attenborough's lifelong dream to bring the life story of Indian political and spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi to the screen. When it finally reached fruition in 1982, the 188-minute, Oscar-winning Gandhi was one of the most exhaustively thorough biopics ever made. The film begins in the early part of the 20th century, when Mohandas K. Gandhi (Ben Kingsley), a British-trained lawyer, forsakes all worldly possessions to take up the cause of Indian independence. Faced with armed resistance from the British government, Gandhi adopts a policy of "passive resistance," endeavoring to win freedom for his people without resorting to bloodshed. In the horrendous "slaughter" sequence, more extras appear on screen than in any previous historical epic. The supporting cast includes Candice Bergen as photographer Margaret Bourke-White, Athol Fugard as General Smuts, John Gielgud as Lord Irwin, John Mills as the viceroy, Martin Sheen as Walker, Trevor Howard as Judge Broomfield, and, in a tiny part as a street bully, star-to-be Daniel Day-Lewis. Gandhi won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Kingsley, Candice Bergen, (more)
