Kama Sutra: A Tale of love
This is the title of a film I watched a while ago. I loved it, and this is why I watched it again. I was fascinated by it.
I strongly recommeded it!
It won in 1998 the Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography and the film was also nominated for the Golden Seashell award at the 1996 San Sebastián International Film Festival.
It was directed by Mira Nair. The film takes its title from the ancient Indian text, the Kama Sutra, but this only serves as common thread between the characters.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kama_Sutra:_A_Tale_of_Love
It is inspiried by a short story by author Vājidah Tabassum titled “Utran” from the film’s beginning until the scene where Maya says: “Now something I have used is yours forever.” After that the story is the screenwriters’ creation.
***I will explain to you the meaning of this sentence further on.
The shooting was not obvious. They had to change the name to “Maya & Tara.” in order to record the movie.
Government officials used to visit the set so that they could make sure that proper Indian film etiquette was respected. This is why the actors had to fake scenes avoiding nudity and sexuality.
The film was banned in India afterwards.
A short synopsis of the film is: two girls are raised together even though they came from different social backgrounds (castes).
The beautiful Maya (Indira Varma) is the servant and Tara (Sarita Choudhury) is the princess.
There is a dance in the film that I like very much and this is when the two girls are learning to dance and at the end you see them as adults dancing for the king:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z9RcG-wEzc
Already as adult Tara is getting ready to marry the prince and future king Raj Singh (Naveen Andrews) who´s instantly infatuated by the beauty of Maya, this is why Tara spits in Maya’s face and Maya takes revange in sleeping with her future husband.
Now is when the sentance I mentioned above takes place:: *** “ Now something I have used is yours forever”, which relates as well to the fact that Maya had to wear Tara´s used clothes all her life.
This results in Maya forced to leave her home. Wandering on her own, she meets a young stone sculptor Jai Kumar. He will be her true and only love.
At the end the King sentences Jai to death.
Maya walks away away forever meditating on her new spiritual freedom: “My heart is as open as the sky
“Knowing love, I can allow all things to come and go , to be as supple as the wind and to face all things with great courage. My heart is as open as the sky” Maya, Kamasutra: A Tale of Love.
The beauty of this film is enormous . The exquisite colours of India and the charm of the landscapes.
official Trailer :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c0JTj9sl_Y
Film Teaser :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpxPTRZLCpM
Film´s soundtrack: