DVD/VCD reviews

Kallpana G. Lajmi’s Chingaari (Shemaroo; DVD Rs 349, VCD Rs 149) fuelled up quite a bit of controversy and stories surrounding its actors throughout its making, keeping the interest alive about a film based on a prostitute, a priest and a postman. The focus of the film is Sushmita Sen and her gripping performance in the film. It’s a statement on the society that makes the life of a prostitute a living hell, in a distant village. But Lajmi always has her female protagonists stand up for their rights and Sushmita here rises in revolt against the evil village priest, Mithun Chakraborty. Anuj Sawhney plays the postman, a key role in the prostitute’s life. The film also has Anjan Srivastava and Ila Arun.

Dilip Roy’s Amrita Kumbher Sandhane (Angel, VCD Rs199) is a film that documents one of the largest Indian fairs, the Kumbh Mela, which is held at the confluence of river Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. People from all over the country get together to participate in this fair and it’s deemed sacred. Sages and yogis, pilgrims and preachers all gather at the Kumbh Mela. The film has this mela as the backdrop to tell stories of several protagonists while the narrator, a doctor played by Subhendu Chatterjee, takes us through their life as he perceives it, in a very touching manner. The journey represents the journey of life that reveals some happy, some sad facts of life. He gets to know human beings better and in the process rediscovers himself as well. Aparna Sen, Bhanu Banerjee, Samit Bhanja, George Baker, Robi Ghose, Anup Kumar, Lily Chakraborty, Sumitra Mukherjee brings alive the complicated human milieu. The film won an international award at Shantarem International Film Festival 1987.

The scoreboard says 400 not out! The cricketer: Brian Lara. And it’s a world record. This charismatic criketer stunned the world with a record score of 375 not out and again within the space of two months another 501 not out achieving the record for the highest Test and First Class Cricket score. 400 Not Out (Shemaroo; DVD Rs 349, VCD Rs 149) plays out his astonishing feat against England in Antigua, 2004 (in highlights form) and with which he reclaimed the world Test batting record from Mathew Hayden. This record-breaking feat has been anchored by another great left-handed batsman David Gower. Great to keep.