Ardent movie-buffs who swoon over period Sanjay Leela Bhansali classics would by now know about the 2005 film ‘Memoirs of a Geisha‘. Actor Alia Bhatt recently gushed about the film and how it helped her prepare for her role in Gangubai Kathiawadi. Quite evidently and thematically, the Sanjay Leela Bhansali film has drawn inspirations from this classic as it is also based on the traumatic yet brave story of a woman forced into prostitution. The film was sadly not available to stream anywhere in India till today. Binged recommends this poetry in motion as it is now streaming on Netflix India.
The film follows a young Japanese girl, Chiyo Sakamoto, who is sold by her impoverished family to a geisha house (okiya) to support them financially. She gets trained and eventually becomes a geisha under the pseudonym “Sayuri Nitta.” The film focuses on the sacrifices and hardships faced by pre-World War II geisha and the challenges posed by the war and a modernizing world to the geisha society.
Memoirs of a Geisha has been an award darling the year it released. With over 6 Academy Awards nominations and three wins to its credit, the film made quite a splash in the Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design categories respectively.
Memoirs of a Geisha is directed by Rob Marshall. Adapted from the 1997 novel of the same name authored by Arthur Golden, Memoirs of a Geisha stars Zhang Ziyi in the lead role. Some of the biggest East Asian stars like Ken Watanabe, Gong Li, Michelle Yeoh, Youki Kudoh, Suzuka Ohgo, and Samantha Futerman also make a meaty ensemble cast.
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