Mr. and Mrs. Iyer

This is among the best of movies Indian cinema has produced. The plot/ storyline is powerful which is augmented by splendid performance by lead actors. It also exhibits the communal undercurrents going on in Indian society. It was a bold step to address these issues. Another aspect is the soft feelings produced among the lead actor and actress. As a contrast from the prevalent trend in Indian cinema wherein there is the notion of "love at first sight" in almost all movies, in this movie the feelings of love evolves from simple caring to a very strong one. It also exhibits the true picture of oriental society where common people just don't go on singing love songs or fighting antagonists of their love life. My best wishes to the whole crew of the movie.

Aparna Sen has done a wonderful job writing and directing this film. The characters are delightfully underplayed (a nice change from the common melodrama of Hindi films), and Konkona Sen-Sharma and Rahul Bose were wonderfully believable.

But best of all was the photography... a tragedy depicted by a nuance... I was touched, and cried my eyes out.

The religion and caste issues are depicted beautiful. Even the educated are often senselessly prejudiced, and likewise grace often appears in unexpected forms. A beautiful movie which I would recommend to all.

An exceptional movie. Aparna Sen's choice of majority Hindu population as perpetrators of communal violence was daring, and probably killed the film's prospects at the box office,but significant. There have been innumerable instances of communal violence in India against Muslims, lower class Hindus and Sikhs, for which not a single person has spent a day behind bars. True to life, Aparna Sen's film isn't focused on the violence or the people behind those crimes. That happens. The terror is in the background, only it's effect on the protagonists is visible on screen. The main story is about the change of heart of an orthodox, highly educated, prejudiced and ignorant woman. Some of the subtle nuances would probably escape non-Indian viewers, but there are plenty of things to appreciate for all. The ending ("Goodbye Mr Iyer") would easily be among the best 10 endings I have ever seen in any movies among them Mouchette and Dead Poet's Society. In the acting department,all the cast have acted well, but special mention must be made of Konkana Sensharma for her outstanding performance. Aparna Sen's direction is outstanding, and outclasses any of Mani Ratnam's films who makes similar kind of political-personal dramas. A must see movie for all.

Indian movie seems to continue to come of age. Mr. & Mrs. Iyer is a refreshing departure from the plethora of Indian movies based on the identity crisis facing the Indian diaspora (please God, no more movies on ABCDs).

The background of the movie sees India at conflict with itself; this Hindu-Muslim divide providing a tense background to in effect a beautiful "love" story between two strangers. This is the movie's strenght - the politics remain in the backseat while the focus is solely on the interaction of the lead characters. Modern India of the conservative Hindu and the liberal Muslim is played out in subtle nuance filled scenes (ex, drinking from the water bottle) etc. Over the course of the movie, the characters learn to trust from each other and understand that they do need each other. The evolution of their relationship makes this movie a must-see. Aparna Sen's gentleness is very evident throughout the movie.

As an Indian, this movie can be hard to watch. I agree with some of the other posters, it celebrates violence and plays into a western cliche of religious relations in India. It fails to address the tremendous harmony thats present in a country of 1 billion people. Yet, its also a call for Indians to understand that the euphoria in a country can mask concerns of religious intolerance which Indians must face together. Perhaps a wakeup call that our democracy wich has worked so well is in danger due to vested political interests.

I love this film. It might further enhance the Western clichee of the uprising-ridden India as another reviewer states, but actually, that's beside the point: This film is a fairy tale. The voice over at the beginning tells of "a little red and white bus" ... and you're already in the fairy tale world. There is always danger in a fairy tale and I'll focus on that later, but criticising the film for not portraying real situations is like accusing "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" for inaccurate portrayal of lilliputians ...

The film is actually quite close to films by Mani Rathnam who also takes a politically hot topic and connects it with a personal drama (good example: "Kannathil Muthamittal"). With Rathnam, the focus always seems to shift more to the political side of this dual idea, whereas in "Mr. and Mrs. Iyer", the focus is more on the personal aspect. In this punctual uprising of extremist Hindus, the two leading characters discover how they themselves fall victim to distrust and prejudice. It seems an easy target to criticise the conservative Brahman woman's ideals, but the film doesn't do it harmful. In the end, the woman still is who she was before, but she opened up - especially opened up her heart.

And this is what the film is all about: Heart. It oozes love in so many scenes. The violence takes over for a couple of scenes, but then the film returns to the topic of love. There are incredible scenes that you won't easily forget: The "couple" in a diner telling their fictional story of their honeymoon, the fooling around in the woods in the morning, the killing of a man right in front of their window, the last night they spend together when she takes his hand to comfort herself. These are all very subtle but convincing scenes that don't primarily assault the woman's Brahman principles but tries to expand them. Again: It's a fairy tale and in this fairy tale world which is ridden by real-life violence, a woman and a man come closer - emotionally. Not with sex or a common way of love. It's a very heartfelt sort of love you don't usually see in movies. It felt extremely sincere to me - and the just cracked my heart.

"Mr. and Mrs. Iyer" is not your typical Bollywood movie because it's rather short, has no songs, no stars and is rather subtle. But it works on so many level. It is a cry for peace and unity - something Indians do so well since they live in the biggest democracy in the world. There are so many people in this country who still believe in living together and this is visible in many of their films. This is one, Mani Rathnams "Bombay" is another. Also, the film is a tribute to deeply felt and sincere love, a love that is more touching than many love stories I've seen before. I know the film is not fully realistic and of course there are a couple of problems that I have with the film. But if a film is this charmingly acted and poetically directed, I'd cannot but defend it and recommend it to you. Such a beautiful film.

Rating 8/10