Bazaar

The city of Hyderabad has metamorphosed into a market. What exactly is on display here? Young, gullible girls from impoverished families. And who is the buyer? Rich, influential men who are old enough to be their fathers. Society recognizes this as a "marriage" since due protocol is followed. But we, as viewers, are convinced that this certainly isn't a union of two souls, but is a commercial transaction. #Bazaar1982 may have been released in 1982, but is relevant even today. The film boasts of amazing performances by Smita Patil, Supriya Pathak and BL Chopra. Music by Khayyam is superlative. Long after you leave the theatre, the Lata Mangeshkar and Talat Aziz song "phir chidi raat baat phoolon ki" will remain in your head. Please watch it on priority. Rating 4/5.

Bazaar, as the title suggests, depicts a market, just that this market takes place in the homes of poor Hyderabadi Muslim families unable to afford a decent marriage for their young daughters. As a resort, if they're lucky enough to have pretty enough girls, they force them into marriage in exchange for money. Indeed, this film tackles the harrowing practice of bride shopping, and it is absolutely disgusting. Smita Patil plays a woman who was once sold herself, just not into marriage but a physical relationship. Such is the lot of women in these primitive regions. Now living in the big city, she does what may help her secure a marriage with her live-in partner - find a good bride back in her village for the man who sponsors her fiance and their housing.

The film explores brutal realities, and it does so with pathos and conviction, although at times something is missing. Bazaar is what they call an art film, but it is a little less 'artsy' than other so-called parallel films. On the one hand, it is charged with an engaging atmosphere of authenticity, with limited background score, realistic cinematography and a setting that feels very much real nad lifelike. On the other, it's a little melodramatic, it has the occasional use of certain mainstream ingredients, and it has music (although not many songs). And speaking of music, one has to stop for a second to just express how beautiful it is. The legendary Khayyam is responsible for this magic, which culminates in "Dikhayee Diye Yun", a stupendous, melodious number.

The acting is mostly good. Smita Patil leads the cast with an emotional performance as a woman lost in her own troubled world, conflicted about her past, present, and the consequences of the callous actions she took for her own survival. In one scene she speaks on the phone by the cupboard and throws a casual glance in the mirror in it to fix her hair. This is how detailed her acting was. Cast opposite her in a rather unexpected casting choice is Bharat Kapoor, who is just about okay. Also here and seemingly sidelined with a secondary role of a mere spectator is Naseeruddin Shah, who gives it meaning and relevance in a deeply effective and understated performance, doing much with his eyes and sometimes just his presence alone.

The film has many character actors, among whom Sulabha Deshpande is credible as the mother who sells her daughter. Also hateful for his role but very weak in his performance is B. L. Chopra as the buyer. Shaukat Kaifi is successfully unsympathetic just as she was in Umrao Jaan (and it's quite amazing how much her daughter Shabana Azmi has come to resemble her these days). Farooq Sheikh is plain excellent as the kind, heartbroken guy whose beloved is taken away from him. And last but certainly not least, the amazingly pretty Supriya Pathak utterly steals the show in a believably raw performance as the bride for sale. Bazaar, although interesting, is not perfect, but it is her portrayal which gives the film its heartbreaking, disturbing tone.

A great movie ! Especially the romantic scenes between Farooq and Supriya are sensitively depicted. A true classic piece of work ! An instructive lesson in movie making. Another rare gem from the alternative cinema of India. Khayyam scores once again. The actors play their roles extremely well. A true Sagar Sarhadi classic . This movie could have been instrumental in awakening the law enforcement agencies to a major bride buying racket that was going on in India in the 1980s. The victims were usually minors and the buyers were generally middle east sheiks. The story , especially the ending is a bit clichéd and thats the reason I give this movie 9 stars instead of 10.

the theme is hard hitting and powerful. A movie worth watching .

Review By Kamal K

Gently lamenting about a society where the poor are forced to choose money over relationships, Bazaar is a touching comment on how every individual is essentially trapped. Poetically used, Ghazals and Nazms add a powerful haunting quality to this film.

This movie is a lot of things. A social commentary on a serious issue (forced marriage for money), a piece of minimalist art (budget production that's quite relatable), sensitive direction (avoids B&W portrayal while unfolding the characters), a philosophical passage (the lyrics and some dialogues) and a musical treat (Khayyam's evergreen music). Each actor here is a legend and so well cast. Wonder why the prolific writer Sarhadi didn't direct more movies after this!