I rated it high because it is not the typical Bollywood film:
* There are no force-fitted song-and-dance scenes.
* The story is unfolded in an atypical style - through the journalist's interviews.
* The vignettes resemble real life in India of those times.
The movie is a musical, woven around the life of a music-lover in conflict with the traditions of mainstream society, especially her own family.
Her love of self-expressive music takes her down the path of a courtesan's life in India (esp. Uttar Pradesh) of those Nawabi times. Sardari Begum begins taking her daughter down the same path. The story of her journey brings out the social issues of those times. Thus, the movie has an important social theme and message - another reason for my high rating.
While many of the songs have religious motifs, they are expressions of romantic moods with mild eroticism. The body language of the singer enhances the sensuality. For example, the song "Moray Kanha jo aaye palat ke" connotes mischievous eroticism. The last song (also the closing song), "Chali pee ke nagar" is touching. It is symbolic of Sardari Begum's last journey - leaving this life, going to the land of the Beloved (the Supreme Being).
If you enjoy light classical music of this style, you will enjoy this movie very much. It is one more reason in support of my rating.
* The story is unfolded in an atypical style - through the journalist's interviews.
* The vignettes resemble real life in India of those times.
The movie is a musical, woven around the life of a music-lover in conflict with the traditions of mainstream society, especially her own family.
Her love of self-expressive music takes her down the path of a courtesan's life in India (esp. Uttar Pradesh) of those Nawabi times. Sardari Begum begins taking her daughter down the same path. The story of her journey brings out the social issues of those times. Thus, the movie has an important social theme and message - another reason for my high rating.
While many of the songs have religious motifs, they are expressions of romantic moods with mild eroticism. The body language of the singer enhances the sensuality. For example, the song "Moray Kanha jo aaye palat ke" connotes mischievous eroticism. The last song (also the closing song), "Chali pee ke nagar" is touching. It is symbolic of Sardari Begum's last journey - leaving this life, going to the land of the Beloved (the Supreme Being).
If you enjoy light classical music of this style, you will enjoy this movie very much. It is one more reason in support of my rating.