Bariwali explores the gender roles of widowed women living without a man’s support in Indian society. Banalata (Kirron Kher) is a lonely, middle-aged woman living a solitary existence after her husband-to-be died the night before their wedding from a snake bite. All this changes when she agrees to allow a film production crew to shoot in a wing of her sprawling estate. Suddenly, her house is filled with movie stars and glamorous people, including the beautiful actress Sudeshna (Rupa Ganguly) and charming director Deepankar (Chiranjeet Chakraborty). Though she knows that not only is Deepankar married, but that his former lover, Sudeshna, still holds a torch for him, the lonely widow finds herself drawn to the director. The director flirts back and even persuades Banalata to appear in a bit part in the movie. Yet once the film crew decamps, things at the estate return to the same grinding tedium as before. The letters that Banalata writes to Deepankar go unanswered, and her bit part in the movie ends up on the cutting-room floor.
Director :
RITUPARNO GHOSH One of the most prolific contemporary regional director in India at the moment, Rituparno Ghosh has been called the new Satyajit Ray of Bengal. Ghosh was born and raised in Kolkata, West Bengal. He attended high school at South Point High School, and studied economics at Jadavpur University. His father was a documentary filmmaker, a painter, and introduced his mother to film making. He began directing in advertising. In 1992, he made a low-key film debut with a children's feature titled Hirer Angti (The Diamond Ring). His second movie Unishe April (19 April), won the 1995 National Film Award in India for best film. Since then, Ghosh has directed Dahan, Utsab, Chokher Bali, Asukh, Bariwali, Antarmahal and Raincoat (in Hindi).
Accompanying Actor :
KIRRON KHER A mature and versatile actress, Kirron Kher has been celebrated through awards and critical acclaim all throughout her career in the Film & entertainment industry. Two time national award winner, she has had a prolific career as a TV host as well. The wife of Anupam Kher, actually, began her career as a television host before moving on to Hindi films. Born on June 14, 1955, the actress has her roots in theatre. Her first film was a Punjabi one, Aasra Pyar Da, made in 1983. Then came her first major role in Shyam Benegal's Sardari Begum, where she played the main role of the singer. It was followed by Darmiyaan (1997) also made in the same year. In between the years, 1988 to 1996, she decided to concentrate on bringing up her son, Sikander, and stayed away from films. But after the sabbatical, she came back with a bang with films like Rituparno Ghosh's Bariwali, which won her a National Award for Best Actress. In 2003, she won an international award at the Locarno Film Festival for her role in the Pakistani film Khamosh Paani. She followed it with a fiery performance in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas for which she won a best supporting actress award from Filmfare.
Kirron has also won accolades for her many successful portrayals of mother and wife in innumberable films like Main Hoon Na (2004), Hum Tum (2004), Veer-Zaara (2004). Rang De Basanti, Fanaa (2006), Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), Om Shanti Om (2007), Saas Bahu Aur Sensex and Singh Is Kinng (2008). Besides her flair for histrionics, the actress is also known to have a mindboggling collection of sarees and generally wears her own sarees in films.
Special Screening with Q&A, Accompanied by Kirron Kher, August 30, 3pm - 6pm at Asia Society
