Starting Feb. 22, audiences filled the seats in McCord Auditorium for four nights, with four films and four different experiences at SMU’s second annual Festival of Indian Cinema.
The Division of Cinema Television, Student Filmmakers Association and the John Goodwin Tower Center sponsored the festival featuring four different blockbuster hits from India.
Audience member Carol Ware said that she and her family attended the film festival because they “wanted to learn more about Indian culture.”
SMU student Archana Nakar said she “loves Bollywood and had a great time [at the film festival.]”
The festival showcased a number of newly released films from India,m including selections from Bollywood blockbusters to independent films. “Lage Raho Munnabhai,” “Rang De Basanti,” “Thanmathra” and “Omkara” were shown last weekend.
In the comedy “Lage Raho Munnabhai” (Carry On Munnabhai), Munna is a kind-hearted gangster in love with the voice of the popular radio disc jockey, Jahnvi.
Munna jumps at the opportunity when he hears that he could finally meet Jhanvi face to face if he can answer 10 questions about Mahatma Gandhi on Jhanvi’s radio show. Munna’s cousin, Circuit, kidnaps intellectuals from around the city to help Munna win.
When Munna meets Jhanvi, he conceals his gangster identity by posing as a history professor. Jhanvi even invites Munna to give a history lesson to her family.
The most unusual scene is Munna’s frantic search to get his hands on as much information about Gandhi as possible.
During his journey to find knowledge, he finds truth from a spiritual mentor. Watch as Munna learns how to really live and find the love of his life.
According to SMU student Mithun Samani, “[Lage Raho Munnabhai] was a huge hit in India.”
Audience member Saked Kumar said he had heard about “Lage Raho Munnabhai” but was more a fan of action movies and was anticipating “Omkara.”
According to the film’s Web site, “Omkara” is based on William Shakespeare’s “Othello.”
Omkara is a gifted chieftain who leads a gang of outlaws that includes the crafty Langda Tyagi and the dynamic Kesu.
The plot begins when Omi appoints Kesu instead of Langda as his chief lieutenant. Hurt and angry, Langda plots to frame Omi’s fiancée Dolly in an affair with Omi’s favorite lieutenant, Kesu.
Through lying and manipulation, Langdon continues to brainwash Omi until one day he snaps and rampages through his once-stable world, leading to a tragic end when Omi realizes the gravity of his actions too late.
“Rang De Basanti” (Paint It Yellow) is a story about a young woman in England whose grandfather wrote a diary in the 1920s.
His diary told about the sacrifices he and others made for the independence of India.
One girl comes to India to make a documentary based on her grandfather’s diary, and along the way she meets five boys who help her work on the documentary.
While making this documentary, the group’s lives are changed when everyone realizes the sacrifices people made to achieve India’s independence.
In the award-winning film “Thanmathra” (Molecule), Ramesan Nair is a government employee for the Indian state Kerala.
Ramesan’s biggest dream is to see his son get into the Indian Administrative Service, something Ramesan failed to achieve.
All in all, he and his wife and children form the picture of a loving family with a bright future.
However, Ramesan is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. This news turns the family upside down.
For more information about the Festival of Indian Cinema and the films featured at the festival, check out the festival’s Web site at people.smu.edu/iff/.
