Featuring Smita Patil’s moving portrayal of an unconventional and fascinating actor, Bhumika is masterful work by Shyam Benegal. Based on the life of 40s Marathi stage actor Hansa Wadkar, this film is a fine study of feminism, male gaze and the price one has to pay for personal freedom.
Based on Urdu short story Anandi by Ghulam Abbas, Mandi is a sharp satire on the hypocrisy of society. Questioning the self-appointed guardians of morality and culture, director Shyam Benegal explores the world of sex workers a gaze full of empathy, kindness, and respect.
A tender tale of love, Sai Paranjpye’s Sparsh is a nuanced window into the complex psychology of physical disability that often comes in the way of emotional connections. The raw simplicity of the actors Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi makes the film linger in one’s mind long after it’s over.
