Mira Nair’s “Monsoon Wedding” has an organic charm that springs up from the screen. It’s funny and heartfelt, and there isn’t a false note in the whole film.
“Monsoon,” which won the top prize at the 2001 Venice Film Festival, follows the Verna family of New Delhi, India, through the days leading up to the youngest daughter’s wedding. The movie drops us into the center of the chaos, then withdraws to juggle three main story lines with style and ease.
There’s the bride-to-be, Aditi, who’s using the arranged marriage as an excuse to escape an ongoing affair with a married man. There’s Rahul, a family friend, who falls for the bride’s beautiful cousin, Ayesha. There’s another cousin, Ria, who hides a dark secret of abuse at the hands of a much-loved uncle, who she fears may be zeroing in on a younger victim in the family.
The father of the bride is Lalit, a well-meaning man who adores his children but is blind to the larger issues that define their lives. In one scene, Lalit stares down at his sleeping children and wonders where the years went, even as he remains distracted by practical matters of the ceremony such as money and weather.
The most enjoyable story line is that of the wedding planner, P.K. Dubey, a hyperactive young man who finds true love with the Vernas’ maid, Alice. The innocent romance puts Hollywood productions like “40 Days and 40 Nights” to shame. When P.K. shows up at the girl’s home with a heart made of marigolds, the audience swoons right along with Alice.
The only relationship that may leave some people cold is that of Aditi and the man she is to marry, Hemant. Though it’s wonderful how the two begin to truly fall for each other after having met just days before the wedding, it lacks the erotic charge of Rahul and Ayesha’s flirtations or the tenderness of P.K. and Alice’s budding romance. Perhaps it’s no accident that the weakest relationship is between the two people getting married.
The charm of “Monsoon Wedding” lies in its unassuming style. Nair and cinematographer Declan Quinn put us smack in the middle of the craziness yet maintain fluidity and grace throughout. The action moves along at a dizzying pace, but Nair knows precisely when to linger on the expressive faces of her actors to clue us into the joy or anguish they are feeling.
The way characters drift between many languages, including English, Hindi and Punjabi, is indicative of the movie’s knack for crossing cultural boundaries to reach the heart of universal truth. This is not exclusively about Indian culture, nor is it a period piece. The characters represent the struggles that arise when young people try to find a place in the modern world while staying true to ancient traditions. They may take part in age-old rituals, but cell-phones still ring at inappropriate moments.
Ultimately, “Monsoon Wedding” is about taking leaps in life. From the most obvious leap of an arranged marriage to the father who must confront the abusive uncle to the simplicity of Rahul’s timidity on the dance floor with Ayesha, all these characters learn to play an active role in their lives. The stories move together so effortlessly and with such colorful zing, it’s a reaffirmation of just how enchanting movies can be. So take the leap and go see “Monsoon Wedding,” now playing at the Bijou Art Cinemas.