What took me so Long!

I am wondering why didnt I watch "Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara" earlier.I did try to watch it once in a Theatre in Delhi.However my company was way too choatic for me to enjoy and understand the movie.Surfing through one of the P2P sites I wonder what was it that pulled me to re-watch it!Here's what I feel...

There's no doubt that this movie stands way out of the mainstream. Produced by Anupam Kher and directed by Jahnu Barua, it tells a gripping tale with the barest minimum of histrionics. It gets full marks for creating just the perfect atmosphere. Kher is simply superb as Professor Uttam Chaudary, an ageing ideologue whose personal trauma is a mirror for India's neglect of Mahatma Gandhi's values. The film smoothly translates the physical act of murder into the abstract erosion of a moral legacy. Most of the drama happens around the family's dining table and the focus throughout is on their domestic circle; Uttam Chaudary's actions and the varying reactions of those who hold him dear. His daughter Trisha(Urmila Matondkar) is the most important of these characters. One of the most touching scenes shows us how Chaudary remembers his daughter's birthday and brings her flowers, but recalls nothing about his erratic behavior in the presence of her prospective in-laws the night before, behavior which effectively puts an end to Trisha's hopes of marriage. A few impressions: Urmila Matondkar can act; this is now a proven fact :) Especially if the role is tragic, as in 'Pinjar', 'Ek Haseena Thi' and 'Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara'. It's strange, but she doesn't assay fluffy or comedic parts as well. I wonder where an actress's true test lies; it's hard to weigh tragedy vs comedy. I did feel that Urmila could have been a tad less glamorous and her boyfriend a little less of a cad. Apart from Urmila Matondkar, Rajat Kapoor and the kid 'Addy', Waheeda Rehman and Prem Chopra were very good in their respective cameos. The plot thickens unexpectedly in the second half and loose ends are tied up very neatly; maybe that was too clear-cut? The psychiatric technique employed is not something I can comment on, though it seems reasonable!

All said and done,though, this was a beautiful film...

A wonderful potrayal of a father-daughter relationship..

I wonder what took me so long to watch it!