Sardari Begum

Benegal's 'Sardari Begum' follows the same line of Benegal's 'Zubeidaa'. Both films are said to be part of a trilogy of which the third film is 'Mammo'. I haven't seen 'Mammo' but while both 'Zubeidaa' and 'Sardari Begum' tell the story of an enigmatic woman who lived her life on her own terms, the latter film is a lot less polished and much more raw. This only adds to the somberness and deglamour of the film making it look much more real. While the glamour works very well in 'Zubeidaa' as it deals with the upper class, the lack of it works for 'Sardari Begum' as it deals with the middle class.

Benegal is already known as a masterful storyteller, especially when it concerns women. Here he certainly does not let his viewer down. the writing is brilliant and the characters are very interestingly defined as we see them from different perspectives. The editing is crisp.

He extracts some fine performances from his actors. This is perhaps the first role that does full justice to Kiron Kher's talent. She's simply phenomenal. In the title role, Smriti Mishra does a very good job. Rajeshwari Sachdev too standouts especially in the final sequences. Newcomer Rajina Raj Bisaria adds a freshness with a sincere performance. Rajit Kapoor, Salim Ghouse and Amrish Puri lend sufficient support.

The songs are very simplistic, created with beautiful lyrics and minimal use of instruments. The cinematography, especially the use of the zoomlens shot from multiple angles is very effective.

Like 'Zubeidaa', 'Sardari Begum' is a beautiful film. It's just a different kind of beautiful. Watch it and you will see what I mean.