Zubeidaa (2001)
SPOILER ALERT (I guess)
Okay, I really don't know where to begin, I'm still slightly reeling from the effect this movie had on me. I think the most appropriate place to start would be the thing I can't stop talking about- Manoj Bajpayee's talent as an actor. That man is worth more than all the nepotism products of Bollywood combined. His genius for method acting shines through in every movie of his I've watched, the most recent being Aligarh (2015) (WATCH IT RIGHT NOW IF U HAVEN'T), so I literally can't wait to watch the rest of his filmography. I am honestly still a little stunned by his presence on screen.
Now, coming to the second thing I really appreciated about this movie- the screenplay. The fact that it was written by Khalid Mohammed, the son of the actual Zubeida Begum, makes it even more heart-wrenching for me. The dialogues are some of the most beautiful that I've heard, and unlike a lot of Bollywood movies that I've seen, they make the characters seem realistic and human. The story is of course a fictionalised account of Zubeida Begum's life, a film actor who married into the erstwhile royal family of Jodhpur to Raja Hanwant Singh, and ultimately, died an untimely death in a plane crash, along with her husband. Karishma Kapoor plays the titular character, and honestly, WHY weren't better roles written for her? Or for other great actresses, like Rekha, who plays the Rajmata, aka the first wife of the Raja in the movie? Why do we have these amazing gems like oases in the desert, instead of their entire filmographies being studded with them? Patriarchy has done us all a great injustice, in every single way possible.
Also, this is another of those movies that has absolutely on-point casting. After watching it, I can't think of anyone except Rekha playing Rajmata, or Surekha Sikri playing Zubeida's mother, or Amrish Puri playing the strict father (legends only). Even the minor roles, like Zubeida's first husband, are played to perfection. And speaking of these lovely actors, the sexual tension between Rekha and Karishma Kapoor was fucking PALPABLE and it gave my poor gay heart some life. Was it too much to expect for a little lesbian scene between the two?? Yeah?? Okay, then. Don't get me wrong, the chemistry between Manoj Bajpayee and Karishma Kapoor was amazing as well, and made you want to root for that couple and all, but ugh, JUST ONCE I'd like to see some gay action in Bollywood.
From a political perspective as well, this film is worth a watch. It deals with Hindu-Muslim relations in a newly independent India, the integration of princely areas with the Indian Union, the politics of siding with India or Pakistan, or even staking claim to an independent nation, and, how the royal families reacted to the dilution of their powers (by contesting elections and winning them, duh). It gave me a lot to think about, and a lot to read up on.
So overall, I would definitely count this movie as one of the better Bollywood movies I've seen, and would recommend it to anyone who's tired of mainstream Bollywood crap and wants to watch a poignant, and brilliantly made film that has a strong female presence, from the lead character to the supporting cast. These hidden gems of the Hindi film industry more than make up for the monstrous mediocrity that the likes of Rohit Shetty, Karan Johar, etc. expose us to, but they also leave you feeling frustrated at so many things with this industry. Oh, well. Whatever. We'll take these gems and cling to them anyway.
Okay, I really don't know where to begin, I'm still slightly reeling from the effect this movie had on me. I think the most appropriate place to start would be the thing I can't stop talking about- Manoj Bajpayee's talent as an actor. That man is worth more than all the nepotism products of Bollywood combined. His genius for method acting shines through in every movie of his I've watched, the most recent being Aligarh (2015) (WATCH IT RIGHT NOW IF U HAVEN'T), so I literally can't wait to watch the rest of his filmography. I am honestly still a little stunned by his presence on screen.
Now, coming to the second thing I really appreciated about this movie- the screenplay. The fact that it was written by Khalid Mohammed, the son of the actual Zubeida Begum, makes it even more heart-wrenching for me. The dialogues are some of the most beautiful that I've heard, and unlike a lot of Bollywood movies that I've seen, they make the characters seem realistic and human. The story is of course a fictionalised account of Zubeida Begum's life, a film actor who married into the erstwhile royal family of Jodhpur to Raja Hanwant Singh, and ultimately, died an untimely death in a plane crash, along with her husband. Karishma Kapoor plays the titular character, and honestly, WHY weren't better roles written for her? Or for other great actresses, like Rekha, who plays the Rajmata, aka the first wife of the Raja in the movie? Why do we have these amazing gems like oases in the desert, instead of their entire filmographies being studded with them? Patriarchy has done us all a great injustice, in every single way possible.
Also, this is another of those movies that has absolutely on-point casting. After watching it, I can't think of anyone except Rekha playing Rajmata, or Surekha Sikri playing Zubeida's mother, or Amrish Puri playing the strict father (legends only). Even the minor roles, like Zubeida's first husband, are played to perfection. And speaking of these lovely actors, the sexual tension between Rekha and Karishma Kapoor was fucking PALPABLE and it gave my poor gay heart some life. Was it too much to expect for a little lesbian scene between the two?? Yeah?? Okay, then. Don't get me wrong, the chemistry between Manoj Bajpayee and Karishma Kapoor was amazing as well, and made you want to root for that couple and all, but ugh, JUST ONCE I'd like to see some gay action in Bollywood.
From a political perspective as well, this film is worth a watch. It deals with Hindu-Muslim relations in a newly independent India, the integration of princely areas with the Indian Union, the politics of siding with India or Pakistan, or even staking claim to an independent nation, and, how the royal families reacted to the dilution of their powers (by contesting elections and winning them, duh). It gave me a lot to think about, and a lot to read up on.
So overall, I would definitely count this movie as one of the better Bollywood movies I've seen, and would recommend it to anyone who's tired of mainstream Bollywood crap and wants to watch a poignant, and brilliantly made film that has a strong female presence, from the lead character to the supporting cast. These hidden gems of the Hindi film industry more than make up for the monstrous mediocrity that the likes of Rohit Shetty, Karan Johar, etc. expose us to, but they also leave you feeling frustrated at so many things with this industry. Oh, well. Whatever. We'll take these gems and cling to them anyway.
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