NYIFF ’19: Draupadi Unleashed

During the heyday of the British Raj, the Indian elites could be just as scandalous as the Colonials. That will be particularly true for Indira. It is not her intention, but her resistance to traditional gender roles will inevitably lead to conflict in Tom Stopperan & “co-director” Nisha Sabharwal’s Draupadi Unleashed, which screens tonight during the 2019 New York Indian Film Festival.

If you blink, you might miss the marriage of Indira’s mother, Sita, whose tragically short tenure was foretold by a mysterious, magically realistic harbinger. Yet, she was rather fortunate, because she was welcomed into her in-laws’ family, becoming a daughter to the lovely and gracious matriarch, Amma.

When Indira reaches marriageable age, her union to the well-heeled Amar is similarly arranged. Initially, she is not entirely opposed to her entitled intended, but she has feelings for someone else: an ardent, but somewhat immature cousin (how Austenian). Her sort-of Aunt Masumi still has feelings for and long history with Amar herself, so sparks are likely to fly. As the drama and resentment ebbs and flows over the course of years, Indira will take the sometimes-dubious advice of Manu, a formerly reclusive guru.

Essentially, Draupadi is an elegant looking, richly furnished soap opera, with all the benefits associated with the genre. It has a classy sheen and a legitimate interest in women’s rights in Indian, which sometimes evokes a vibe similar to that of Deepa Mehta’s Midnight’s Children adaptation. There is simmering passion, long buried secrets, and strange mystical happenings.

Draupadi was a mythic figure, whose own problematic marriage was not healthy or happy. The title is a bit obscure for American audiences, but not completely inapt, because this is very definitely a woman’s story. Yet, Salena Qureshi never really engages as the standoffish Indira. Instead, it is Anna George and Azita Ghanizada who really connect, giving the film tragic heft as Amma and Masumi, respectively. However, Dominic Rains (who established his indie cred in films like Burn Country, a.k.a. The Fixer, and The Persian Connection, a.k.a. The Loner) conspicuously upstages everyone, especially Qureshi, as the petulant Amar.

Draupadi is a juicy period production, filled with scandal and sizzle. It is not exactly high art, but it looks great. Think of it as slightly saucy Merchant-Ivory. Recommended for fans of historical dramas with a touch of spice, Draupadi Unleashed screens tonight (5/8), as part of this year’s NYIFF.

Miss India America: Smile and Wave Everybody

Lily Prasad is deeply concerned about child poverty, in a way that is only possible for a beauty pageant contestant. It is part of her preparation for Miss India Golden State, a contest that includes all the standard pageant fundamentals, but also incorporates elements of traditional Indian culture. The ambitious type A valedictorian will have trouble with both, but she is out to prove something in Ravi Kapoor’s Miss India America (trailer here), which opens this Friday in select theaters.

Prasad’s valedictory speech basically boiled down to “so long slackers.” Unfortunately, that definitely included her football player boyfriend Karim, but Prasad has always prodded him to better himself. Unfortunately, her controlling nature will finally push Karim away from her and into the ditzy arms of an Indian American beauty queen. As part of her ill-conceived plan to win him back, Prasad enters the California pageant, intending to win her way to the national crown.

Despite her single-minded determination, the pre-med Prasad is definitely operating outside her comfort zone, so she recruits her BFF Seema as her coach and stylist. Even with her decidedly un-beauty queen-like manner, Prasad figures her bone structure will be enough to roll over most of the competition, but Sonia Nielson is a different matter entirely. She has the look and the grace. Prasad actually finds herself playing the underdog, which is not a familiar role for her. Of course, there are angles to work, like the aging Bollywood horndog serving as a judge and the equally randy but slightly less sleazy soap opera actor emcee.

Kapoor and co-writer (and co-star) Meerha Simhan nicely balance universal teen angst with specifics of the Indo-American cultural experience. Refreshingly, unlike many teen melodramas, the adults are mostly smarter and more mature than the kids. As exhausting as Prasad can be, Kapoor and Simhan clearly celebrate the success of families like the Prasads rather than apologize for it. Lily the golden daughter just needs to find a healthier balance.

Tiya Sircar is aptly manic and unfiltered as the hard-charging Prasad. Sustaining that kind of energy is just impressive. Hannah Simone offers some effective counterpoint as the cool and collected Nielsen, while nicely delivering a sly third act reversal. As her mother Divya Nielson, Anna George looks like her slightly older sister, but unfortunately does not get a lot of meaty dialogue to work with. Anushka Rani’s Nita Nanji is mostly played for broad laughs, but she pulls off the character’s moments of gravity. However, Simhan really gives the film heart and soul as Prasad’s misunderstood poet mother.

MIA is a spirited film about growing up and taking responsibility that has considerably more edge than you might expect. The ensemble is ridiculously attractive, but they are also poised and professional. Recommended as low-stress but not brainless cross-cultural comedy, Miss India American opens this Friday (3/25) at the AMC Mercado (San Jose market), AMC Rio 18 (Beltway area), and AMC Barrington (Chicagoland).

Radhe, Radhe: the Rites of Holi at BAM

In 1913, the premiere of Stravinsky’s The Rites of Spring caused riots. One hundred years, later it has been codified and canonized to such an extent, considerable programming was commissioned to celebrate its centennial. The music does not directly correlate to Stravinsky’s score, but it served as something of a road map for Prashant Bhargava when he filmed the Holi springtime festival in the Northern Indian city of Mathura. Conceived and commissioned as a collaboration with musician Vijay Iyer, Bhargava’s Radhe, Radhe: the Rites of Holi (trailer here), screens with the composer’s live score accompaniment as part of Iyer’s Music of Transformation concert program at BAM.

Now available on DVD from ECM Records, Radhe, Radhe is sort of an experimental melding music and images in the spirit of Shirley Clarke’s Bridges-Go-Round, but with dramatic and ethnographic components. Bhargava duly captures the eight day Holi festivities in Lord Krishna’s traditional birthplace, but he intersperses the revelry with impressionistic scenes of the goddess Radha, whose ardor for Krishna encompassed and transcended all forms of love.

Although it mirrors the twelve movement structure of Stravinsky’s Rites, viewers will be forgiven if they do not pick up on that point while immersed in the work, especially since the film only identifies two primary sections, “Adoration” and “Transcendence.” Iyer’s solo piano prelude is rather dissonant and free-ish, but it soon gives way to a brightly hued, driving theme with a somewhat Metheny-esque vibe nicely suited to the exuberant crowd scenes. Eventually the flutes evoke the sounds of traditional Indian musical forms, but the trumpets build to a series of rather brassy and jazzy crescendos.

During the “Transcendence” section, Iyer’s skittering piano often announces abrupt mood swings on screen. While Holi is a celebration, nobody is excluded from the customary dousing of colorful dies and powders, regardless of age or general willingness. Indeed, some targets of the merriment clearly do not enjoy the attention, which rather darkens the film’s tone, but it is true to life.

Perhaps the most intimidating challenge fell to actress Anna George, who must convey the passion and devotion of Radha without the benefit of dialogue. Yet, she does so with great power and sensitivity, without ever allowing becoming overwhelmed by Iyer’s roiling score.

The combined artistry of Iyer, Bhargava, and George really transports viewers to an entirely different sphere. Even with the recorded score, it is the darnedest Stravinsky tribute. Hearing it performed live (by Iyer with the International Contemporary Ensemble) should give it a further kick. Recommended for those who appreciate multi-media collaborations, Radhe, Radhe: the Rites of Holi screens during Iyer’s Music of Transformation concerts this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (12/18-12/20) at BAM.