Bhavni Bhavai

Ketan Mehta's BHAVANI BHAVAI (THE PLAY OF LIFE, 1980) made me wonder why Mehta doesn't try comedy more often. The comedy may be only in the playing of Naseruddin Shah, as an arrogant, stupid king, but he's entertaining indeed. This is one of Smita Patil's more thankless roles, partly because the musical play that she and the king's long-lost son perform in front of the king should have been done in long-shots, to enhance their dance and their costumes. When this film was new, it was noted for its Rajasthani costumes, designed by Mehta's wife, but in this print, blown up from 16mm to 35mm and then transferred to Blu Ray, everything is so faded that that aspect of the film is almost lost. The National Film Archives of India should have the funds, courtesy and desire to go back to the original material for its current releases, rather than just produces cheap, diminishing copies of its own copies, but it does not. As seen at the Pune film festival.