Monsoon Wedding

Starring: Naseeruddin Shah, Lillete Dubey, Shefali Shetty,Vijay Raaz, Tilotama Shome,Vasundhara Das , Parvin Dabas ,Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Kamini Khanna , Rajat Kapoor and Neha Dubey
Directed by: Mira Nair
Rated: R

Monsoon Wedding is one of the finest "foreign" films I've seen since Once Were Warriors (New Zealand). Though they are decidedly two different scenarios they both captured their cast and story to create a scripted film that appears to be a documentary. The people are so real, the emotions so true.

Director Mira Nair takes Sabrina Dhawan's script and transforms a family event into a memorable film. Monsoon Wedding is, as the title suggests, about a wedding. As mundane as that sounds, it's the cast and direction that brings us a pleasant surprise. They share unrestrained happiness, wildly fun energies and even a few dark secrets of the Vermi family as they prepare for the wedding of a daughter to an arranged mate. The traditional India clashes with modern Dehli.

We meet the Vermi father (Naseeruddin Shah) in a bit of hysterics as his wedding planner Dubey (Vijay Raaz) is once again late for the wedding day setting up. Like any father on the edge of a daughter's wedding he's frantic to make things perfect.

There are beautiful marigolds (tradition Indian wedding flower) saturating the grounds. Workmen building the wedding tent and love blossoming in the shadows amongst the mayhem. But it's not where you'd expect.

The wedding planner Dubey has arrived to order about his men for the anxious father. While Dubey is blindly barking orders at his crew, he is stung, and stung hard, by the smit bug.

He notices the beautiful house servant Alice (Tilotama Shome) and in a classic-styled love affair akin to Charlie Chaplin's tramp courting an unsuspecting lady friend, the two slowly realize their hearts' calling.

While love is growing between the maid and the wedding planner the bride, Aditi Verma (Vasundhara Das), is secretly meeting with her ex-boyfriend (who's married). She's filled with fear and loathing--and she hasn't even met her husband to be yet. She's the unhappiest bride to be I've ever seen.

The emotions are strong and gloriously real as family member after family member joins for the celebration.

The film's wedding is as elaborate as the family we meet. The actors, each, bring a warmth to their characters so filled with raw, real emotion, you question that this isn't a documentary at times.

Shefali Shetty as Rai, the cousin with a secret, is extraordinary at working her charm on your emotions.

Monsoon Wedding is a visual feast, abundant with colorful characters that have an animated lust for life. The middle class Vermi household becomes like a beehive of excitement and that excitement is catchy. Relatives, wedding planners, music and food fill the screen. Traditional and modern rituals are brilliantly interwoven as old world traditions collide with modern morals. You leave the theater filled with a broad grin of pure happiness as well as an odd unsettling feeling that you just attended a real wedding…now that's film making. Hooray for Bollywood!

Snack Recommendation: Pakoras