*** Welcome to piglix ***

Mandi (film)

Mandi
Mandi film.jpg
Movie poster for Mandi
Directed by Shyam Benegal
Screenplay by Shyam Benegal
Story by Ghulam Abbas
Based on Urdu short story Aanandi
by Ghulam Abbas
Starring Shabana Azmi
Naseeruddin Shah
Kulbhushan Kharbanda
Smita Patil
Amrish Puri
Music by Vanraj Bhatia
Cinematography Ashok Mehta
Distributed by Blaze Entertainment
Release date
Running time
167 min
Country India
Language Hindi

Mandi (Hindi: मंडी, translation: Market Place) is a 1983 Hindi film starring Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil.

The film is a satirical comedy on politics and prostitution, and stars Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah and Smita Patil. Based on a classic Urdu short story Aanandi by writer Ghulam Abbas, the film narrates the story of a brothel, situated in the heart of a city, an area that some politicians want for its prime locality.

The film won the 1984 National Film Award for Best Art Direction for Nitish Roy. It was selected at Indian Panorama at Filmostav, Bombay 1984, and was invited to the Los Angeles Exposition (FILMEX), the Hong Kong International Film Festival 1984, and London Film Festival 1983.

For years an aging Rukmini Bai (Shabana Azmi) has been the Madame of a brothel in Hyderabad, India. One day she gets the news that she now has a new landlord in Mr. Gupta (Kulbhushan Kharbanda), whose daughter is to marry the mayor's son Sushil, shortly. Led by City Councillor, Shantidevi, the people in this town demand that this brothel be moved elsewhere, preferably on the outskirts of the town, and they do succeed, compelling Rukmini to move with her women to their new location, which happens to be near the Dargah of Baba Karak Shah. Ironically, this attracts a lot of people, and the patronage to Rukmini's bordello increases. Then complications set in when Sushil refuses to marry his father's choice, childlike Malti, and wants to marry Zeenat (Smita Patil) - a prostitute, not entirely by choice and seeking for a better existence, who resides with Rukmini.

All lyrics written by Mir Taqi Mir, Bahadur Shah Zafar, Insha, Makhdoom Mohiuddin and Sarwar Danda.; all music composed by Vanraj Bhatia.


...
Wikipedia

...