Amu (2005)

A Brilliant Conflict

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

This was a very well made movie and a very daring movie. Such movies usually fade away in India. Konkona Sen acted well and her American Accent was almost perfect and commendable. Shonali has poured everything in the movie. Konkona Sen shows why she is clearly apart and far above the run of the mill actresses of Bollywood. Other artists did their part well. About why the Great Govt. of India has banned the movie, there could be several reasons. Apparently the common reason is that the movie might have "raked up the long lost past". I'm not sure about that. Every sane person knows that the Govt. had a large role in the riots of '84 and I'm not saying this because I'm a sikh (because I'm not). I'm saying this as an Indian. Just like there was hand of the govt. when innocent Muslims were butchered in Gujrat a few years ago. Truth is easily suppressed in a country like India, but that didn't stop Shonali Bose from creating an award winning movie. Go see it.

First of all it's a delight to watch such unselfconscious acting and to hear English (and Hindi, Bengali) spoken so naturally. First time director Shobnali Bose elicits wonderful performances from most of her cast - many of whom are 'non-actors'. The script, too, is deliciously funny in parts, which off-sets well with the powerful and serious message underlying the film. The locations chosen capture the actual places represented so that the whole has the verisimilitude of a documentary film, even while the spectator is drawn into the lives of the characters whose stories are being told. All in all a very satisfying film, and a great debut.

I just went to screening locally as part of an Asian American Film festival. Amu was the opening movie for the festival. I liked the film a lot. Not your typical Indian movie by any means. After the movie they had Q&A with the director, producer, and lead actress. The discussion gave some neat insight regarding the movie. For example a lot of the filming / subject matter was done in fear of govt censorship. The version shown, as well as the one to be released later this fall in the US, is different than what those in India saw at the theater. For example in the scene with the widows discussing with Amu & Kabir the riots and how the government tolerated the violence, that the widows voices are left silent as Amu & Kabir sit in silence.

In Amu, a twenty-one year old Indian girl named Kaju goes back to her homeland after eighteen years to discover her roots. Adopted at age three by doctor Keya, Kaju was taken to the United States to escape the political turmoil of 1984 riots in India. Upon Kaju's return, she soon discovers that her stroll down memory lane has some obstacles and at the end awaits a bitter truth about her family.Most of the cast fit their roles wonderfully, especially Konkona Sen Sharma as Kaju and Brinda Karat as Keya. Ankur Khanna did seem out of place as Kabir, whose Keanu Reeves' (The Matrix, Constantine) type of unenthusiastic, hardened character wasn't played out well in this dramatic film.The story also seemed a bit weak, especially the tie between Kaju's background and the 1984 riots in India. The history of the riots was summed up in a few short dialogues and an approximate 10-minute clip during the climax. The dialogue for Kabir also seemed a bit repetitive as he frequently asked the same question concerning the 1984 riots.The directing was another great element in this film along with the great performances by Sharma and Karat. The scenes were well staged; especially the scene with the dancing boy and the scenes at the train station. The flashbacks that Kaju experienced were also exceptional and helped the story give a sense of depth, the feeling that something deeper has happened that Kaju's relatives are hiding from her.With the exception of Kabir's roles and the slightly melodramatic tone in some of the scenes, Amu was directed well and great performances by the other main and supporting characters. Amu also showed the true political chaos that corrupts India today. Eight out of ten.