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.

What worked:

• ensemble cast; the movie has one of the finest actors of the industry in their early years of their best career. It's a pleasure to see all these actors portray their roles for a challenging and daring topic of the time. It's commendable direction by Shyam Benegal and the team to bring together a very important movie. It's engaging, entertaining and brutally honest movie.

What did not work:

• sound mixing and editing; one issue that was consistent with the movie is the sound quality. As a result, the voice and pitch of the characters especially the females in their directive voice sound painfully bad. It sounded like it was more of a shout than a dialogue delivery.
• cast; one of the biggest issue is the lead character Shabana Azmi's portrayal. No doubt she acted well but her role as per the story is of a at least middle age woman which doesn't fit her verbal and nonverbal attributes. If only the role was given to someone older, it would have been more convincing.

Final verdict: recommended

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)

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.