Daasi

I don't remember much about this movie but the dance Rekha performs playing two roles (male and female) is astonishing. At first I didn't catch on to what she was doing. Her dance seemed like a series of disjointed movements like that you'd see in modern dance. Then near the end of the piece I finally understood that it was a story she was telling through pantomime and I thought it ingenious. Her facial expressions were so dead on that you could distinctly see the two people in her comical sex tale. Then when her dance was over, she turned back into her movie character, the demur upstart of the show. However, despite knowing what she was trying to get across, I also enjoyed those earlier moments of not knowing, when I initially didn't get it and I thought what I was watching was avant-garde, a collage of movements, like snapshots of people doing various activities as you flip through the TV channels. Masterfully done, Rekha (and choreographer)!

The film is very slow-paced and there is little plot or drama. It is more of a progression of scenes from the life of a female slave/concubine in a family of a large land owner. The film is extremely beatufil and filled with details of the archaic lifestyle the characters lead. The film literally captivated 'e with its visuals and soundtrack.

I can strongly reconnend for viewers who patient enough.