Rarely do Hindi film movies evoke emotions in me. This one did. And partly because it is personal( the kolkata connection). It beautifully brings out the cultural differences between India and the US. I loved the part when it starts out in kolkata and shows those beautiful but cluttered and claustrophobic streets. It was absolutely hilarious when tabu married Irfan Khan for his shoes. So was the scene where she so joyously enjoys her ride in the hand pulled rickshaw after her return from the USA for the first time in 12 long years. I cant forget the surprise in her face when Irfan says that you can drink water straight out of taps in the US.A. Nor the scene when she first arrives in the US only to be greeted by a cold winter .... in stark contrast to warm and sunny kolkata. Kudos to the director who brings out in that subtle manner the Bengali obsession for gogol and russian authors( russian authors and the leftist outlook. see the connection there? They read gogol/marx but want to work and marry their daughters off to the USA. like in the film. hah. funny).
This movie is great both because it makes you laugh and because it makes you sad. Towards the end I couldnt bear to watch it - when tabu is alone - living away from her children - recieves the news of her husbands death - "She is still the bharatiya nari in spite of so many years in the US, totally shattered and helpless, who first calls her son and keeps trying to get in touch with him, instead of going to the hospital herself to collect her husbands body". It makes you wonder, how much of an individual is himself and how much of him is just because of the place where he spends the first 20 years of his life. This movie doesnt give any answers. It doesnt take a stand on the right and the not so right. It just shows things as is .... and yes superb performances by the actors.
I felt like ...
Good Movie