Mandi

Thank you, Shyam Benegal, for this masterpiece.

I had been planning to watch a Shyam Benegal movie for a long time but never got around to it. Sadly, we lost this legend a few days ago, so I decided to finally watch one of his most loved films, Mandi. And honestly, I was speechless after watching it. Right from the first scene, the movie had me hooked. The story is so heartfelt, with touches of dark comedy that keep it engaging.

What I loved most is how you slowly connect with every character. Shabana Azmi absolutely stole my heart-what a phenomenal actress! She plays a strict character, but in just a few moments, you find her adorable. I felt such an emotional connection with her. Smita Patil as Zeenat was equally brilliant; no doubt she was one of the finest actresses of her time.

Even actors with minimal screen time, like Amrish Puri, Annu Kapoor, and Naseeruddin Shah, left a mark with their amazing performances. Their presence added so much depth to the film.

This movie has made me want to dive deeper into Shyam Benegal's work. Rest in peace, Shyam Benegal-you've left behind a legacy that will inspire generations.

This is a classic. I am sure this movie would have been a great point of inspiration for the making of sanjay leela bansalis "Gangubai khathiavadi". The tone of both the movies feel pretty similar. The another point of coincidence is that alia bhatts mother soni Razhdan plays a major role in this movie (alia bhatt played the lead role in gangu bhai khathiavadi). Shabana azmi is just breath taking in this movie. Her style, her beauty, her natural charisma and screen presence just made me fall in love with her. All the other actors smita patil, nasiruddin shah, soni Razhdan, neena gupta, ila arun and many other actors, all give an amazing performance. Just seeing a whole bunch of talented actors working together itself is such a joy. The set design, the cinematography gives this movie that aesthetics which makes this movie stand the test of time. The writing and staging of scenes are amazing. The climax portions of this movie is amazingly shot, even giving this movie a spiritual perspective. It's so amazing that this movie discusses and shows the topics which are usually considered taboo, and gives it's perspective on sex workers and it's significance in society (remeber the movie was released in 1983)

Shyam Benegal, one of the finest filmmakers, tells the whimsical story of a group of prostitutes struggling against the 'city' who wants to have them thrown out in order to replace their brothel with development projects. 'Mandi' is a splendid comedy comedy. The humour is subtle and dry which is a refreshing change from the usual slapstick witnessed so often in Indian 'masala' films. Plus, they had me laughing out loud. While the film reflects the hypocrisy of society, it doesn't preach to anyone in particular. All the characters, even those with very limited screen time, are interesting. 'Mandi' mainly centres around Rukmini, the madam of the brothel (played by a spellbinding Shabana Azmi), and her 'apprentice' Zeenat (Smita Patil in another riveting performance). The other colourful characters include Tungrus (Rukmini's royal servant - played by a terrific Naseeruddin Shah), the hypocritical superficial social worker from the women's association and her assistant (a hilarious Pankaj Kapur), a horny photographer (a superb Om Puri), a Darvish (the one and only Amrish Puri), a businessman (a great Kulbhushan Kharbanda), a sympathetic businessman with a secret (the dependable Saeed Jaffrey), a deaf novice (a brilliant Sreela Majumdar), a mentally underdeveloped bride-to-be (Ratna Pathak) and many more. The union of all these characters creates the unique story that is 'Mandi'. The writing and dialogues are cleverly done. Given the long running time, 'Mandi' remains entertaining and thought-provoking from start to finish. There's nothing too complex about it. It's a simplistic story and, like with any Benegal film, a worthy cinematic experience except that this time you'll be laughing more than you'd expect.

Review By Kamal K

Brilliantly directed, Mandi is an entertaining and incisive commentary on society. I can't remember where else a brothel has been treated with so much liveliness, humour and depth. It is a world in itself with colourful characters, each distinct from one another. Each of the characters are so memorable. Shabana Azmi shines as the loving, at times almost maternal and yet fiery and beautiful Madame, who runs the brothel effeciently. Her range from being seductive to maternal, from being crude and shrill to being poetic and seductive is simply marvellous. The rest of the cast Naseeruddin Shah, Neena Gupta, Smita Patil, Sony Razdan, Om Puri among others are praiseworthy.

Mandi narrates the story of a brothel, situated in the heart of a city, an area that some politicians want for its prime locality. It is a satirical comedy on politics and prostitution.

There is no doubt that it's one of the most entertaining films from The Great Shyam Benegal. I've never seen so many great actors in a single film before and everyone stood out beautifully. This film is another example of Shabana Azmi's utter brilliance. I think it's A Must Watch film with pure entertainment.

Available on Amazon Prime Video & JioCinema.

© MandalBros.