English, August

Hi. I was looking for a copy of DVD of English August. But on some digging I realized that its not available in the stores at Pune and Mumbai. I have read the book and have heard a lot about the movie. The book is too good. Its subtle yet sharp. I think its one of the best works on dismal state of grass root bureaucracy in India. Apparently there was a disaster (fire or something) before the commercial launch of the movie. It looks like the movie was never released in theaters, at least not in India. I tried to search a few online movie stores in India and US, but could not get an online DVD store I can buy from. Can somebody point me to a place where I can place an order for a copy of DVD. Stores in US or India are preferable. Thanks.

The movie is hilarious, balanced and representative of the Upamanyu Chatterjee novel. Although Rahul Bose doesn't quite fit the description of the urban dislocated youth of the novel, he's done a truly wonderful job. The lack of expensive camrawork et al is hardly felt as the movie takes charge of your attention span completely. The one thing for which I would be eternally grateful to the movie is for finally helping me decide on a face for the Joker of Madna and Mrs Srivastava, notwithstanding the graphical depiction of her undergarments. Rahul Bose looks at mighty ease throughout the movie and makes one suspect he truly identifies with the dislocation and perverseness which his character symbolizes. This is one movie which makes you go back and read the novel all over again and relive the moments you witnessed during the film. A rare film which has handled the subtle yet ripping humor of the novel extremely well. Overall a movie representative of the beginning of the mature Indian cinema.

It is a superb rendition of Upamanyu Chatterjee's novel. I would suggest that you read the novel as well to get full flavor of this movie. Englist August is not for the weak at heart though. English August presents a bold humor for the unaffected at heart. The dry acerbic humor is truly infectious. One of the smartest and wittiest movies Ihave ever watched. It has a crisp cinematography and perfectly proportioned dialog. It's truly a unique and refreshing movie. Rahul Bose manifests his multifaceted promising career in English August. He is an amazing actor and he is supported by some of the best that the Indian movie industry has to offer. You would want to be Agastya Sen and share his experience in the middle of no-where called Madna. Would crack apart yet identify with Agastya's random thoughts and his unique spur of the moment lies and empathize with educated urban individual's existential angst. There is a little bit of Agastya Sen in all of us which becomes evident only when bare our souls, even if only to ourselves in our most vulnerable moments. The true connoisseur would want to watch it over and over again.

The movie is awesome - cannot imagine anyone else but Rahul Bose playing Agastya Sen - poor urban Indian caught in the madness of rural India - where everything is chaotic and illogical - the movie is awesome - just like the book by Upamanyu Chatterjee.

English speaking Bong Agastya Sen is transplanted to a small town in AP and discovers to his shock that he is very much like a foreigner in his own country when taken out of his social mileu. The director has done a brilliant job of cutting out the self-indulgent, boring introspective prose present in the novel. He has cleverly disguised the fact that nothing much really happens plot-wise with the aid of some very nifty editing and I guess a 'slice of life' narrative structure. The soundbites (and pretty insightful ones at that) found throughout the movie really make the movie something special. All the actors are extremely competent and have been perfectly casted. Much, much better than the "Bombay Boys" , the "Hyderabad Blues", the "Rockfords" of this world. Hope "Split Wide Open" is just as good.