Monsoon Wedding

-- Video Business, 9/13/2002

Color, R (mature themes, language), 114 min., VHS rental, DVD $32.99 English/Hindi/Punjabi with occasional English subtitles

Street: Sept. 24, Prebook: now

First Run: L, Feb. 2002, $13.6 mil.

Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Lillete Dubey, Shefali Shetty, Vijay Raaz

Director: Mira Nair

UNIVERSAL

Story Line: Lalit Verma (Shah) and his wife Pimmi (Dubey), parents of a young daughter betrothed to a non-resident Indian via arranged marriage, are worried about more than their daughter's happiness. Lalit frets about the weather, the wedding's cost, his duties as host and the various intrigues involving his extended family.

Bottom Line: One of the most charming films to come out of India, Monsoon Wedding is a joyous comedy that has some drama and universal appeal. It's an ensemble piece very much in the Robert Altman tradition, with a large and diverse array of mostly interesting characters. Director Nair deftly interweaves various plot threads; most of them are comical, although a hint of menace is provided by one wedding guest who had previously assaulted another. As in most Indian films, musical numbers contribute a great deal, but they're organic to the story and not just plopped in at intervals. What really helps is the fact that most of the characters speak English, so it's easy to understand what's going on. Also, since Monsoon Wedding takes place in modern-day India among fairly well-to-do people, middle-class American renters can relate more easily--in other words, there's no jarring cultural class. With a little promotion, this delightful little movie could be one of the year's true sleeper titles. --Ed Hulse