In Amu, a twenty-one year old Indian girl named Kaju goes back to her homeland after eighteen years to discover her roots. Adopted at age three by doctor Keya, Kaju was taken to the United States to escape the political turmoil of 1984 riots in India. Upon Kaju's return, she soon discovers that her stroll down memory lane has some obstacles and at the end awaits a bitter truth about her family.
Most of the cast fit their roles wonderfully, especially Konkona Sen Sharma as Kaju and Brinda Karat as Keya. Ankur Khanna did seem out of place as Kabir, whose Keanu Reeves' (The Matrix, Constantine) type of unenthusiastic, hardened character wasn't played out well in this dramatic film.
The story also seemed a bit weak, especially the tie between Kaju's background and the 1984 riots in India. The history of the riots was summed up in a few short dialogues and an approximate 10-minute clip during the climax. The dialogue for Kabir also seemed a bit repetitive as he frequently asked the same question concerning the 1984 riots.
The directing was another great element in this film along with the great performances by Sharma and Karat. The scenes were well staged; especially the scene with the dancing boy and the scenes at the train station. The flashbacks that Kaju experienced were also exceptional and helped the story give a sense of depth, the feeling that something deeper has happened that Kaju's relatives are hiding from her.
With the exception of Kabir's roles and the slightly melodramatic tone in some of the scenes, Amu was directed well and great performances by the other main and supporting characters. Amu also showed the true political chaos that corrupts India today. Eight out of ten.
Most of the cast fit their roles wonderfully, especially Konkona Sen Sharma as Kaju and Brinda Karat as Keya. Ankur Khanna did seem out of place as Kabir, whose Keanu Reeves' (The Matrix, Constantine) type of unenthusiastic, hardened character wasn't played out well in this dramatic film.
The story also seemed a bit weak, especially the tie between Kaju's background and the 1984 riots in India. The history of the riots was summed up in a few short dialogues and an approximate 10-minute clip during the climax. The dialogue for Kabir also seemed a bit repetitive as he frequently asked the same question concerning the 1984 riots.
The directing was another great element in this film along with the great performances by Sharma and Karat. The scenes were well staged; especially the scene with the dancing boy and the scenes at the train station. The flashbacks that Kaju experienced were also exceptional and helped the story give a sense of depth, the feeling that something deeper has happened that Kaju's relatives are hiding from her.
With the exception of Kabir's roles and the slightly melodramatic tone in some of the scenes, Amu was directed well and great performances by the other main and supporting characters. Amu also showed the true political chaos that corrupts India today. Eight out of ten.