Give or take, the Bimal Roy classic Madhumati has been my No.1 Hindi film for all the conscious years of my life. On nights when I have drawn a blank for a movie to watch (Im a committed night show man), this film has done duty oftener than I can remember (the only film which beats this one in the number of viewings - but no, you all know that one). Theres something about this reincarnation / ghost story, and more so the cinematography which makes it a permanent haunting: there is no exorcism for it. Im sure this speaks for all its countless cult adherents. Addressing this vast multitude as it were is a new book, Bimal Roys Madhumati : Untold Stories from Behind the Scenes by Rinki Roy Bhattacharya (Rupa, 2014). I received my copy yesterday, and finished reading it this afternoon. Suffice it to say that it is a worthy complement to the film (if you happen to have a DVD of it). That the author is Bimal Roys daughter, and the wife of Basu Bhattacharya (another director of note) adds both interest and intimacy to this memoir-cum-tribute to a celebrated father, and her quest for the original locations and people who were part of the Madhumati experience is an adventure in which the reader is a happy participant. And yes, naturally, one ends up watching the film again. JJ. 5/12/14
Posted on: Fri, 05 Dec 2014 16:43:33 +0000
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