Monsoon Wedding (2001)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Mira Nair

Writer:

Sabrina Dhawan (writer)

Release Date:

12 December 2001 (France)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

The Rain is coming... and so is the Family.

Plot:

A stressed father, a bride-to-be with a secret, a smitten event planner, and relatives from around the world create much ado about the preparations for an arranged marriage in India.

Plot Keywords:

Wedding | Bride | India | Marriage | Culture

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 6 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Naseeruddin Shah	...	Lalit Verma
Lillete Dubey	...	Pimmi Verma
Shefali Shetty	...	Ria Verma
Vijay Raaz	...	Parabatlal Kanhaiyalal 'P.K.' Dubey
Tillotama Shome	...	Alice
Vasundhara Das	...	Aditi Verma
Parvin Dabas	...	Hemant Rai
Kulbhushan Kharbanda	...	C.L. Chadha
Kamini Khanna	...	Shashi Chadha
Rajat Kapoor	...	Tej Puri
Neha Dubey	...	Ayesha Verma
Kemaya Kidwai	...	Aliya Verma
Ishaan Nair	...	Varun Verma
Randeep Hooda	...	Rahul Chadha
Roshan Seth	...	Mohan Rai

Also Known As:

Le mariage des moussons (France)
Monsoon wedding - Matrimonio indiano (Italy)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, including some sex related dialogue.

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

India | USA | France | Italy | Germany

Language:

English | Hindi | Punjabi | Urdu

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Portugal:M/12 | Finland:K-7 | Iceland:L | Malaysia:18SX (uncut) | Malaysia:U (cut) | Hungary:14 | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:PG (Ontario - 2007) | India:A | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:Livre | France:U | Germany:o.Al. | Italy:T | Peru:14 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

New Delhi, India

Company:

IFC Productions

Trivia:

Lillete Dubey (Pimmi Verma) and Neha Dubey (playing Ayesha Verma) are mother and daughter in real life.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Reflection of cameraman in car window when Tej starts to drive away with Aliya.

Quotes:

Aditi Verma: I don't really know how he might think. What he expects of me.
Ria Verma: So then call him instead of Vikram. Now please go inside before these aunties come out and start dancing on our heads.

Movie Connections:

Featured in 2006 Independent Spirit Awards (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Aj Mera Jee Kardaa

An absolutely irresistible triumph for all involved

I've seen a lot of great films recently, but this has to be one of the best, one of the upper crust, one of the elite. Inspired by Thomas Vinterberg's 'Festen' (1998) and Robert Altman's 'A Wedding' (1978), this massive ensemble drama goes through the preparation, planning and execution of a wedding at the height of New Delhi's rainy season in touching, hilarious and exciting fashion. Even if the plots may occasionally get a bit melodramatic for some viewers, there's a welter of compensatory pleasures.

The gorgeous soundtrack showcases Indian music of all stripes - pop, folk, dance, you name it. The dance sequences are exuberantly wonderful. The digital cinematography makes the abundance of primary-coloured clothes, tents and plants glow. The central romance pushes itself to the front of the pack of proudly unironic modern romances. The lead actress, Vasundhara Das, is one of the most beautiful women I've laid eyes on recently. Must I go on?

Apparently, I must. I don't know how many times I'm going to have to tell people that Mira Nair is one of the best directors in the world today. She elevates a web of superior soap opera plots to an incisive, brilliant portrayal of India as a country struggling between its traditional roots and modernising influences, and never loses sight of the human dimension of her story either. Dealing with a potentially problematic subplot about child abuse seems no more difficult to her than staging a comic sequence with the contractors hired to raise and decorate the tent.

The whole film can be best summed up by a line from one of its most touching scenes, as stern patriarch Nasseruddin Shah looks at his sleeping daughter and niece and says he has "more love for them than I can bear." Fortunately, a wider audience is about to see precisely why Nair is so brilliant with her forthcoming adaptation of 'Vanity Fair' (2004). The poster alone hints at a fascinating mix of Indian and English styles. She'll have to go a long way to top this film, of course. But won't it be fun to see her try?