The Indian movie `Monsoon Wedding` is a film by Mira Nair that presents colourful settings of a traditional Punjabi marriage in New Delhi. This is an exuberant family drama where ancient tradition and dot-com modernity combine in unique and perfect harmony as the romantic monsoon rains appear, the extended Verma family reunites from around the globe for a last-minute arranged marriage in New Delhi. The Bollywood movie `Monsoon Wedding` traces five intersecting stories, each navigating different aspects of love as they cross boundaries of class, continent and morality. The film celebrates a contemporary India never before seen on screen. The director interweaves the ancient and the modern, the old-fashioned and the irreverent, the innocent and the sexual in today`s globalized Delhi. The robust, lively, earthly and colourful side of Punjabi wedding has come up in this Bollywood film. The family`s hopes, anxieties and long-guarded secrets emerge amid excited wedding preparations. The wedding is juxtaposed with arresting montages of real-life Delhi. The relentless summer heat mirrors the story`s building intensity as the city anticipates the cooling torrent of the monsoons. And when the rain comes, the cathartic downpour brings romance, revelation and liberation.
The film was a box office hit with excellent star cast and story. Although it is set entirely in New Delhi, the film was an international co-production between companies in India, the United States, Italy, France and Germany.
Synopsis of the Indian movie `Monsoon Wedding`
The film`s central story concerns a father, Lalit Verma played by Naseeruddin Shah, who is trying to organize an enormous, chaotic, and expensive wedding for his daughter, for whom he has arranged a marriage with a man she has known for only a few weeks.
Lalit Verma and his wife Pimmi played by Lillete Dubey have endured the ups and downs of a fairly traditional marriage for years. As their daughter prepares to marry and leave home, they reach out to each other once again, finding deep comfort in the history they have shared.
The bride, Aditi played by Vasundhara Das on the rebound from an aborted love affair with her former boss, Vikram played by Sameer Arya agrees to marry Hemant played by Praveen Dabas. He is an engineer from Houston. Suddenly apprehensive about becoming a housewife in Texas, Aditi re-visits her lover the day before the wedding, throwing her future into turmoil. Vikram is a television producer and promises to divorce his wife but never does. The film also includes several subplots and several characters as well.
P.K. Dubey played by Vijay Raaj is the upwardly mobile Tent and Catering contractor for the elaborate wedding celebrations. A cellphone-wielding wheeler-dealer, he is a member of India`s emerging urban middle class. Dubey`s tough pragmatism is outdone by the innocence and virtue of the family`s maid, Alice played by Tilotama Shome. He accidentally spies on Alice as she secretly dresses in the ornaments of her mistress and finds himself falling hopelessly in love with her. This is the pure and completely unexpected love story in the film, echoed by their bizarre shared habit of eating the core of marigolds - the Indian wedding flower.
Ria Verma played by Shefali Shah is Aditi`s first cousin wants to go to school in the United States and becomes a writer. But her family would prefer her to follow a more traditional path, and they claim that money is the reason. As she watches Aditi plunge recklessly into marriage, Ria begins to assert herself to her family, defying convention and revealing a disturbing secret she has suppressed for years. She reveals to the whole family that she was abused by her uncle who is Lalit`s brother-in-law and the family`s patriarch played by Rajat Kapoor some years earlier. In this marriage she speaks out to prevent his abuse of another young girl in the family. Lalit asks his `Bhaisaab` to leave the marriage ceremony as he loves Ria as his own daughter.
A story of steamy unconsummated teenager Ayesha played by Neha Dubey, who is another cousin of the bride, is a sexy Delhites who meets Rahul. Rahul is a second year undergraduate at the University of Sydney returning to India after five years. Surprised by Ayesha`s boldness, Rahul becomes infatuated with this brazen young Indian woman who challenges all his assumptions about contemporary Indian culture. Another character is the bride`s brother, Varun he constantly struggles with his family`s disapproval of his longing to be a chef and also displays some feminine characteristics. Lalit is in deep trouble for him as he is not at all interested in studies.
The film has a happy ending as all the stories ends in a happy note. Aditi gets married to Hemant leaving Vikram aside. Ria gets chance to go to abroad as one of her uncles becomes ready to sponsor her. P. K. Dubey gets married to Alice and Rahul gets his opportunity to do according to his wish.
Cast and Crew of the Indian movie `Monsoon Wedding`
The star cast of the film includes Naseeruddin Shah, Lillete Dubey, Shefali Shah, Vijay Raaz, Roshan Seth, Rajat Kapoor, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Tilotama Shome, and Vasundhara Das in pivotal roles. The film is directed by Mira Nair while it is produced by Carolina Baron and Mira Nair. It is written by Sabrina Dhawan. Mychael Danna is the music composer while Declan Quinn is the cinematographer.
Awards for `Monsoon Wedding`
The movie won the Golden Lion, the highest prize at the Venice Film Festival. Mira Nair was the first woman to win this award, and the second Indian after Satyajit Ray for Aparajito. The film was also nominated for the award for Best Foreign Film at the Golden Globes.