Vijaya Mehta Movies

Based on a true story, this "Hallmark Hall of Fame" TV movie was produced by Rosie O'Donnell, who also stars as the profoundly mentally challenged Beth Simon. When Beth's father dies, her sister, Rachel (Andie MacDowell), a brittle, self-absorbed fashion photographer, takes charge of Beth -- who, having been allowed to grow up without learning anything of self-discipline and social propriety, is no prize herself. Though she loves her sister, Rachel is embarrassed by Beth's obnoxious, obstreperous behavior, especially when riding the bus, which she does religiously and obsessively every day, much to the dismay of the other passengers. (Be warned: this is not one of those lachrymose "lovable handicapped adult" movies so common to network television.) Also, Beth has been allowed by her overindulgent father to neglect her health and hygiene in a deplorable fashion. Gradually, the two sisters connect and manage to profoundly change one another. Those viewers and critics who condemned Rosie O'Donnell for her abrasive, over-the-top portrayal of Beth were generally those who had had little contact with genuine handicapped people; conversely, those who had such people in their own families, or who had worked extensively with them professionally, applauded O'Donnell for her disturbingly accurate performance. Adapted from the book by the real-life Rachel Simon (actually an English professor and not a photographer), Riding the Bus with My Sister was telecast by CBS on May 1, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

When Piroji fails to act on an offer of marriage, his best friend Pesi marries the beautiful but masochistic Jerro in this drama with touches of gentle comedy. Piroji first meets the troubled bride at the wedding and falls in love. He vows to become her protector and turns his back on Pesi when he gets involved with another woman. The film gives an accurate glimpse into the Parsi community of Bombay in the 1930s. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Set in a sprawling old house at the turn of the 20th century, this drama by Vijaya Mehta was adapted from a screenplay that she also directed. Rao Saheb is the master of a large household, and he has fairly revolutionary ideas for his era. He likes many things Western, including Mozart's music, and he occasionally lapses into English. Normally his eccentricities would be taken in stride, but when he starts to treat the wife of one of his workers as an equal to the men around her, people are scandalized and react accordingly. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Aside from technical flaws, Smriti Chitra is an interesting biographical docudrama on the life of the Indian poetess Laxmibal Tilak. She was married off at the age of 11 to a much older husband, who soon leaves her in search of spiritual awakening. When he returns, he decides to convert to Christianity - and still goes on to become a major Sanskrit scholar. Meanwhile, Laxmibal on her own, begins to change over to Christianity also, and the married couple develop their literary talents as they continue to live together. There is more to Laxmibal's story here, in a docudrama that is primarily geared for audiences who speak Marathi (the language of the film), and are familiar with the poetess and her works. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide