Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola (2013) (Hindi Movie / Bollywood Film / Indian Cinema ) - BLU RAY (2013)

I like Vishal Bhardwaj's films. I believe it can be said that he is an intelligent director. MAQBOOL, OMKARA and KAMINEY are very impressive compelling films with wonderful actors who obviously love to have the chance to work with Bhardwaj. Wiki says that Bhardwaj came to Mumbai to become a music composer; he took to directing films only to create the opportunity to compose music. He collaborated with Gulzar, the Indian poet, lyricist and director.

Interesting that Bhardwaj began in music, he also sings and his wife Rekha Bhardwaj is a wonderful Indian 'playback' singer with her own recognizable, haunting and soulful sound. Musicians don't often possess a keen visual ability, but Bhardwaj's painterly frame compositions and use of color transfer his films' feelings beautifully.

Although MATRU KI BIJLEE KA MANDOLA does not hold together as well as the other three I mentioned, what did interest me is that Bhardwaj is using this film to expose the use of bank loans to appropriate land from the farmers who have no understanding of usury and debt. One might say that he has revealed the true nature of the corporatization of India and the world in this whimsical often silly and absurd comedy.

In this film Bhardwaj is an activist who gives his audience a lesson in corporate economics explaining the recycling of money flow from the corporations who pay the workers, who spend their pay in shopping malls filled with seductive stuff made by the same corporations, and therefore the money flows right back into the corporations. Here Bhardwaj is an activist who lectures with humor and farce honey with medicine so to speak.

I admire Shabana Azmi, but she is a bit out of character as the evil politician. I expected more from Pankaj Kapur it seemed to me that he never got deeply into his character's soul searching suffering. He was better in DHARM. Maybe the pink buffalo outstaged him? Never perform with an animal. I'm getting used to Anushka Sharma who is quite pleasant, joyful and really can get up and dance shake that...! Still I perceive no real depth in her yet.

The film is definitely entertaining fun and if you are beginning to mistrust the corporate take over of planet Earth worth it! The Indian environmental activist and anti-globalization author Vandana Shiva might have laughed along with the humor in this film, if she wasn't too busy saving land and lives.

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