Lillete Dubey Movies

William Makepeace Thackeray's witty assessment of the British class system, as seen through the experiences of one young woman, is brought to the screen with some serious star power in this period comedy drama. Becky Sharp (Reese Witherspoon) is a bright and ambitious girl born to a poor British family. Becky is determined to make something of herself however she can, and after accepting a job as a nanny for the children of the powerful and aristocratic Sir Pitt Crawley (Bob Hoskins), she wastes no time ingratiating herself with the family. Pretty Becky catches the eye of Crawley's handsome and eligible son Rawdon (James Purefoy), and becomes chummy with sharp-tongued Aunt Matilda (Eileen Atkins). Between the two of them, Becky is introduced to London's most exclusive social circle, where she becomes re-acquainted with Amelia Sedley (Romola Garai), a former school chum who is amused by Becky's efforts to scale the ladder of social influence. Becky weds Rawdon, but following initial happiness, the social and economic stability she dreamed of begins to collapse when he begins drowning his troubles in gambling and drink, and soon she turns to the powerful Marquess of Steyne (Gabriel Byrne) for support. Meanwhile, Amelia's fortunes fall even harder following the death of her husband. Vanity Fair was directed by Mira Nair, who enjoyed a surprise international success with 2002's Monsoon Wedding. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

My Brother...Nikhil isn't the first Hindi film to deal with AIDS, but unlike, say, Phir Milenge, which was essentially a Bollywood remake of Philadelphia with a heterosexual woman in the Tom Hanks role, My Brother...Nikhil is about a closeted gay man who contracts HIV, shattering his seemingly perfect life. Nikhil (Sanjay Suri, who also produced the film) is a champion swimmer and local hero in Goa in the early '90s, where the film takes place. He has a loving relationship with his fiercely independent sister, Anamika (Juhi Chawla), and his doting mother (Lillete Dubey of Monsoon Wedding and Vanity Fair). His connection to his hard-driving father (Victor Banerjee) is more problematic. His father pushes Nikhil too hard at his swimming, becoming angry when the young man loses a race, and he also disapproves of Nikhil's friends, among whom is Nigel (Purab Kohli). When Nikhil is told that he has HIV, news spreads quickly throughout the region. His teammates on the swim team and most of his friends abandon him. His parents are publicly humiliated, and even they spurn him. Only Anamika, her husband, Sam (Gautam Kapoor), and Nigel stand by him. He needs all their help when he's arrested (contracting HIV or being openly gay were essentially criminal acts in India at the time) and held prisoner in an abandoned sanitarium. Those closest to Nikhil band together, hire a lawyer, and fight for his release. The story is told by Nikhil's loved ones, who address the camera directly, in the style of a documentary. The film is based on a true story. My Brother...Nikhil, written, directed, and edited by Onir, features music by Viveck Philip and lyrics by Amitabh Varma. It was shown at the 2005 New York Asian Film Festival, presented by Subway Cinema. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi