Several films pass through the holy city of Haridwar, but few are set there. Anurag Kashyap’s Mukkabaaz-the story of an underdog boxer up against the powerful, casteist head of the boxing federation-is another kind of UP story, as outspoken, overstuffed, chaotic and roughly poetic as the place itself. The state has become a popular setting for the New Middle Cinema ( Bareilly Ki Barfi, Bala) and for tales of old-world nobility in decay ( Dedh Ishqiya, Gulabo Sitabo).
Tripura’s tribal culture and music is at its heart, in particular the efforts of folk artist and preservationist Thanga Darlong, who turned 100 this year. Joshy Joseph's self-reflexive feature, in Kokborok and English, was developed at a film-making workshop in Agartala. Tripura: Tree of Tongues in Tripura (2016) This easygoing comedy starring Vidya Balan gains a lot from its setting, weaving the cultural markers and accents of old Hyderabad into each scene. Samar Shaikh’s film was initially supposed to take place in Mumbai before the change to Hyderabad was suggested by producer Dia Mirza. Manikandan casts an unsentimental eye on their quest, imbuing everything from a trip to the mall to stealing crow’s eggs with humour and poignancy. Two young brothers living in a Chennai slum watch a pizza commercial and are filled with the desire to try one. It’s also a rare look at daily life in misty Rabong and Borong (where the director is from) in southern Sikkim.Ī still from 'Kaaka Muttai', set in Chennai Karma Takapa’s debut feature is a difficult-to-categorise mix of psychological drama, dry comedy and neo-noir. All credit to director Navdeep Singh, then, for wiping all traces of exotica and making the small-town setting of Lakhot nondescript and menacing in his expert reworking of Chinatown. Rajasthan is a ridiculously picturesque state, whether in arty films like Rudaali or epics like Padmaavat. Rajasthan: Manorama Six Feet Under (2009) Sameer Sharma’s colourful film offers a snapshot of present-day rural Punjab, with Amit Trivedi’s music nicely poised between tradition and hipness. There have been wonderful films in Punjabi in recent years, but Luv Shuv is significant in offering up just enough Punjabi dialogue along with Hindi to seem like it actually belongs to the state (that proportion has increased further, as seen in films like Udta Punjab and Kesari). Punjab: Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana (2012) Through her narration and lively interviews with locals, Joshi shows how the desire to service the export market has deprived fishermen of a steady living. Odisha: Chilika Bank$: Stories from India's Largest Coastal Lake from 1970-2007 (2008)Īkanksha Joshi’s documentary, produced by the Public Service Broadcasting Trust, looks at the various people who live by, and make their living off, Chilika, India’s largest coastal lake. This unique musical documentary, in Chokri and Nagamese, shows how the polyphonic singing is done in time with the rhythms of rice cultivation, creating a literal sense of harmony. Two directors from Chennai, Anushka Meenakshi and Iswar Srikumar, made this film about work songs in Phek village in Nagaland. So we’ll go with Napoleon RZ Thanga’s modest non-fiction short When Thunders Roll, which documents the 2015 Independence Day charity ride by the Royal Enfield riders’ club The Aizawl Thunders. There’s the documentary Rambuai: Mizoram’s ‘Trouble’ Years, and the Hindi film Dansh, set against the backdrop of the Mizo Nationalist Front’s struggle, but there’s barely a trace of either online. Not many films have been made or set in Mizoram. Pradip Kurbah’s film, a rare title in Khasi, is a wonderful introduction to the place, weaving in local customs, music, food and the Shillong Teer lottery. Iewduh is Meghalaya’s biggest market, in its capital, Shillong. This blithe sleeper hit takes in Chanderi’s customs (it’s set during the annual four-day puja) and plays cleverly on the centrality of local legends, no matter how far-fetched, in small-town life. The other was a supernatural comedy, Amar Kaushik’s Stree, with Rajkummar Rao as an expert tailor. One was Sui Dhaaga, which took as its central theme the town’s famous saree-makers. The opening minute and a half of Idukki, sung by actor Fahadh Faasil, could be an advertisement for Kerala tourism.īy coincidence, two Hindi films shot in the town of Chanderi released in 2018. One underrated gem is Dileesh Pothan’s Maheshinte Prathikaaram, which suggests beautifully the small-town rhythms of Prakash city, in Idukki district. The best films conjure up such a specific vision of these towns and villages that they end up in the titles: Angamaly Diaries, Kumbalangi Nights. In recent Malayalam cinema, setting is everything. A still from 'Maheshinte Prathikaaram', set in Idukki
0 kommentar(er)
