July 12th - Sai Paranjape's "KATHA"

Thursday
12th July 2007

6:15 p.m. at the Auditorium

KATHA (1983)

Directed by Sai Paranjape

Runtime: 2 hours 21 minutes

Set in the chawls of Mumbai, KATHA is a well-crafted, straightforward tale about two men, who could not be more different, and the woman they are after. Rajaram (Naseeruddin Shah) is a simple man always ready to do a good turn; his friend, Bashu (Farookh Shaikh) is prone to bluster and has a roving eye. Trouble begins when the object of Rajaram’s affection (Deepti Naval) gets swayed by Bashu’s charms. All in all a very warm, human film, with a focus on character development. For those not familiar with life in the chawl, this is a good socio-cultural vehicle – the ‘neighbours’ of the characters are actual localites, and are far more than extras or set-dressing. They lend an authentic touch to this picture.

About the director: Sai Paranjape (b. 1938) has always advocated the importance of a good story. She ought to know, having written her first book when only eight years old. Her career properly began with AIR, and then theatre, TV and films. Success in a cut-throat, predominantly masculine industry attests to her abilities. The middle class has long been subject and audience with this director, but she retains her versatility.