'SATI' ISSUE ON SCREEN!

Shabana Azami in Aparna Sen's film 'Sati' (1989).

On birth anniversary of great socio-religious reformist Raja Ram Mohan Roy who abolished the practice of 'Sati';..I remembered two importanat films made on this inhuman burning issue..In this one film made in our India and one at Nepal!

Aparna Sen..director of film 'Sati (1989).

In 1989, our sensible female film maker Aparna Sen raised this issue on screen with title 'Sati' which produced by 'NFDC'! 

Film was based on the story wrote by Kamal Kumar Majumdar. It's about mute orphan girl who is - married to Banyan Tree because her horoscope suggests that she would be Sati and her husband would die!

Aparna Sen directed this film very sensitively with the appropriate cinematography by Ashok Mehta & effective editing of Shaktipada Roy!..And Shabana Azami portrayed this important character intensely.. with artists Arun Banerjee, Kali Banerjee, Pradip Mukhija, Arindam Ganguli, Shakuntala Barua & Laboni Sarkar! The special thing is (Aparna's father) Chidanand Dasgupta composed the music for it! This film was very much discussed & got international recognition with award at 'Montreal Film Festival'!

Yadav Kumar Bhattarai's Nepali film 'Jhola' (2013).

Second film on Sati issue made at Nepal in 2013 with the name 'Jhola'! Malati Shah, Ram Gopal Thapa, Raj Timalsina & Shusil Shah produced this film directed by Yadav Kumar Bhattarai. Film was based on the - novel of same name wrote by Krishna Dharabasi!

It's about the Sati system that was prevalent in the Nepalese society until the 1920s.. in which wife had to immolate herself upon her husband's death on his funeral pyre..but female protagonist of it saved her life with the help of lady reformer & her son! This main character is performed by beautiful Garima Panta with artists Desh Bhakta Khanal, Sujal Nepal, Laxmi Giri & Deepak Chhetri!

Pretty Garima Panta with award!

The director of this film..Bhattarai effectively handled this issue on screen with appropriate cinematography by Deepak Bajacharya. And Garima acted superbly in it! She won 'Best - Actress' award in 'SAARK Film Festival' held at Sri Lanka in 2014. This film was Nepal's.. entry for 'Oscar's Best Foreign Language Film!

I saw this film in our 'International Film Festival of - India' at Goa..and very much impressed! Then wrote about it here & on my blog too!!

It's a tribute to both the films!!

 

- Manoj Kulkarni