Set amidst a complex mesh of feudal power structures and gender oppression, Shyam Benegal’s directorial debut Ankur is a powerful film about the caste system and agency of women. This film also marks the debut of the powerhouse actress of Indian parallel cinema, Shabana Azmi.
The delicate relationship between a teenage Muslim girl and her ailing grandfather reveals the melancholic story of an increasingly volatile fabric of Indian society. A deep sense of foreboding comes alive in this brave political film set against the backdrop of communal conflict in Mumbai of 1992.
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 a novel by Hindi author Dharamvir Bharati, The Seventh Horse of the Sun weaves reality with fiction to create a mystical ode to the art of storytelling. A poignant meditation on romance, class, and the passing of time, this is a subtly layered portrayal of life ethics in 1990s India.
Questioning the idea of home, roots, and identity, a poignant reflection on the emotional cost of India-Pakistan partition. The struggle unravels through the mundane day-to-day life of a poor family in Mumbai as their once Indian and now Pakistani relative visits them.
