Makdee is a Hindi movie released on 22nd November, 2002. The movie is directed by Vishal Bhardwaj and featured Shabana Azmi and Shweta Basu Prasad as lead characters. Makdee is the story of a witch who supposedly turns children into animals if they stray into her villa. The village is abuzz with stories about children who walked into the witch`s lair and never returned.
Synopsis of Makdee
The story revolves around "Chunni" and "Munni", twin sisters played by Shweta Basu Prasad living in a village where all is peaceful. Munni is innocent and takes life as it comes whereas Chunni is clever, challenging and is just opposite to Munni. Being a look-alike of her twin, Chunni is in the habit of impersonating as Munni to fool the villagers.
In that village a mansion is there, which the villagers believe is frequented by a wicked witch called "Makdee" played by Shabana Azmi. Legend, stories and beliefs lace the mansion and the villagers believe that the witch changes completely the nature or the appearance of anyone who ventures into the mansion into an animal form. The village school-teacher scoffs this legend as a mere superstition of the villagers.
One day Chunni lets loose the hens of the village butcher "Kallu" played by Makrand Deshpande. Angry Kallu sets out to `straighten` the notorious girl. Kallu chases Chunni and is able to corner her at last. It is then when Chunni plays her customary trick. She impersonates as Munni and redirects Kallu to chase Munni instead. A confused Kallu sets out in Munni`s direction. Seeing the village butcher coming for her, terrified Munni runs into the village mansion haunted by Makdee.
When Chunni comes to know that her sister has gone into the mansion feared by all, she in order to help out her sister runs from house to house seeking help. However, no one believed because of her habit of lying. Ultimately, Chunni gathers the courage to go into the mansion all by herself. Once inside, Chunni is confronted by the haunting scene inside spider"s webs, dark passages and bloodstained creatures creeping about the place. She almost faints when she confronts the witch Makdee. But it is already too late. The wicked witch has transformed Munni into a hen.
Chunni pleads Makdee to let her sister go. Finally the witch yields and strikes a deal with Chunni to get her 100 hens in return for her sister. The little motherless child is confused and is burdened with a mammoth task. She has to hide the fact that Munni is missing. Quite ideally therefore she plays the role of Chunni as well as Munni to her father and grandmother. She even studies a lot to get good rank as Munni. In this way Chunni is able to hide the fact from the entire village that the hen that is a new entry into the household actually is her dear sister Munni.
But Chunni gathers courage and does not fulfil the wishes of the witch. She one day discloses the secret of the witch and is able to rescue all those who were considered to be transformed into animals. The witch actually wants to take the jewellery hidden in the palace and when her fraud comes to light she becomes violent. Lastly after much fight with the witch the villagers win and Chunni unites with her sister Munni.
Cast and Crew of Makdee
The star cast of the film "Makdee" includes Shabana Azmi, Makrand Deshpande, Shweta Basu Prasad, Daya Shankar Pandey, Vineet Kumar, Mohini Mathur, Chittaranjan Giri, Vijay Raj and Alaap Mazgaonkar. The music and direction is given by Vishal Bharadwaj while cinematography is done by Hemant Chaturvedi. The film "Makdee" is produced by Percept Picture Company.
Awards won by Makdee
The Bollywood movie "Makdee" won many awards in different award giving ceremonies. The film won the second prize at the Chicago International Children"s Film Festival. Shweta Basu Prasad won the Indian National Film Award for Best Child Artist for 2003 for her role in the film.