Bombay (130mins)

Dir. Mani Ratnam; Tamil with English subtitles, DVD
Based on true incidents. Personifies Hindu-Muslim racial tensions in a story that touches the heart. It starts out a love story, a romance between a south Indian Hindu man and a Muslim woman, taboo in the small village they hail from. They get married and move to the city of Bombay and find themselves entangled in intense inter racial tensions.

April 13th screening introduced by author Suketu Mehta

Part of Masters of Indian Cinema
Indo-American Arts Council: www.iaac.us
*Must bring proof of membership to a Partner organization for PARTNER tickets purchased online to be honored*
NOTE: Masters of Indian Cinema ticket prices are: $15 regular admission; $10 for seniors, children, or IAAC Partner Organizations

Samar

 

Dir. Shyam Benegal; Hindi with English Subtitles
Samar uses the film-within-film style with ironic humour and self-mocking wit to expose the reality of caste prejudice.

Part of Masters of Indian Cinema
Indo-American Arts Council: www.iaac.us
*Must bring proof of membership to a Partner organization for PARTNER tickets purchased online to be honored*
NOTE: Masters of Indian Cinema ticket prices are: $15 regular admission; $10 for seniors, children, or IAAC Partner Organizations

36 Chowrangee Lane

Dir. Aparna Sen; English, Beta
This is the story of Violet Stoneham, an ageing Anglo-Indian schoolteacher who lives in a dingy apartment in Calcutta and teaches Shakespeare. A pair of young lovers walks into her life one Christmas morning and break up its well regulated pattern. Nandita and Samaresh are tired of sneaking kisses in taxis and start using her apartment as a meeting place. In the process, a warm and exciting relationship grows up between the young lovers and the old lady. This newfound friendship becomes paramount in the old teachers life. But the ephemeral excitement vanishes and an estranged Violet once again finds solace in her beloved Shakespeare. The film ends with her reciting aloud from King lear on a deserted winter night, with a stray dog as her only audience.

April 10th screening introduced by author Vijay Seshadree

Part of Masters of Indian Cinema
Indo-American Arts Council: www.iaac.us
*Must bring proof of membership to a Partner organization for PARTNER tickets purchased online to be honored*

NOTE: Masters of Indian Cinema ticket prices are: $15 regular admission; $10 for seniors, children, or IAAC Partner Organizations

Mondo Meyer Uppakhyan

Dir. Budhadb; Bengali with English subtitles, DVD
A prostitute decides to sell her young teenage daughter to a rich old man, so they can escape the bleakness of their lives. But the young girl who has been to school wants to pursue studies. All this unfolds against the backdrop of news of man's first trip to the moon reaching the sleepy village.

Part of Masters of Indian Cinema
Indo-American Arts Council: www.iaac.us
*Must bring proof of membership to a Partner organization for PARTNER tickets purchased online to be honored*
NOTE: Masters of Indian Cinema ticket prices are: $15 regular admission; $10 for seniors, children, or IAAC Partner Organizations