The 80s was a strange era in Bollywood. On one hand, we had absolutely crappy mainstream films that won it a label of the black period. But at the same time, a few artists were making some films that are still regarded as one of the finest films ever made.
Naseeruddin Shah, Faruq Shaikh, Om Puri, Shabana Azmi, Smitha Patil and a few more were leading such films. The new genre that emerged was called parallel cinema. It is still a treasured hole and you never know what kind of brilliantly shocking film comes out of it.
One such film is Mandi: Marketplace. It is based on a Pakistani short story Aanandi. The full title of the film translates the meaning but the film is based on the Mandi of prostitutes. There have been several films on the subject of prostitutes, a lot of them have romanticized their profession but Mandi is not one of them.
It doesn’t even take a noir turn like Gangubai Kathiawadi to present the agonies of prostitutes.
The film is directed by Shyam Benegal. He presents the narrative of the film in a very funny and engaging manner. However, the climax of the film is such that it changes your perspective of seeing things in a big manner.
The movie has an ensemble star cast of Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah, Neena Gupta, Soni Razdan, and more. The actors are insanely talented and they shake you from within. The story is super strong and you will love it only if you can handle such films.
It may not be the story you enjoy but it is exactly the kinda story that you carry within yourself. Mandi has a brilliant direction, screenplay, and overall cinematic experience.
You may watch the film for free on YouTube or even Prime Video if you have a subscription.
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