Friday, April 27th - 9:00 pm - Oak Street Cinema Sunday, April 29th - 1:30 pm - Oak Street Cinema   Director: Goutam Ghose   A superb must-see film, in which award-winning director Goutam Ghose elicits powerful performances from an acclaimed cast including Nana Patekar, Deepti Naval and the ageless Rekha. Ghose’s sharp scripting and direction gradually build the drama into an electrifying sequence of events where fact and fiction tensely oscillate.

Dashrath (Patekar) is a celebrated writer adored by his family. On the train journey to Delhi to accept an award for his novel Janaza, he meets a young filmmaker who is a fan. Their discussions bring back memories for Dashrath as they reconstruct the possibly true story behind the novel’s main protagonist, the beautiful nautch dancer Lajvanti (Rekha). On receiving his award Dashrath suddenly slips away in search of the real muse of his story. His wife, panicked by his disappearance, sets out in search of her husband and finally arrives at the backstreet home of the dancer. Exquisite cinematography and costumes create a breathtaking world, reverberating with Hindi music, while Indian cinephiles will be delighted to see Rekha re-inhabit the courtesan role she immortalised in Umrao Jaan. (In Hindi with English subtitles) (London Film Festival)

Cast: Nana Patekar, Rekha, Deepti Naval

In Hindi with English subtitles, India, 120 minutes, 2006, 35mm.

Presented by: St. Mary’s University