Monsoon Wedding (2001): Dir: Mira Nair / Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Vasundhara Das, Lillete Dubey, Shefali Shetty, Vijay Raaz: Study of culture and tradition within the boundaries of one family as they prepare for a wedding. Naseeruddin Shah plays a father stressed and frustrated over wedding preparations. The yard is beautifully decorated with orange flowers and overwhelming trimmings, before being the subject of many guests in attendance. Shah's daughter is placed in an arranged marriage but she has a fling with an ex-boyfriend during a stormy night. The resolution of this is not only surprising but reasonable. Other characters include a sister who dances for an audience but cannot convince her boyfriend to involve himself. One man is a suspected paedophile. Every character is written in fine detail with fine acting performances by Shah, Vasundhara Das, Lillete Dubey, and Shefali Shetty. Vijay Razz plays a wedding planner who discovers romance when smitten during the rousing festivities. Stylish directing by Mira Nair who also made the steamy Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love. Both films regard love and tradition but with this film Nair has a more solid story foundation that isn't based around sex. The film addresses culture and tradition clashed with emotion and deception resulting in a beautifully crafted film well worth attending. Score: 10 / 10

It cannot be called a true Bollywood movie, but it's a true Indian movie, rich with human elements which can be felt by any person. Tradition vs Modern ways - it's the underlying element knitting the sub-plots together.Mira Nair's romantic dramedy 'Monsoon Wedding' has genuine likability value, filled with colour and energy. All the comedy, love, commentary on social issues, and drama are blended well with the music, dance and celebration. Mrs. Nair knows well how to delicately but gracefully deal with the human elements depicted in the movie. Declan Quinn's cinematography and Mychael Danna's score help us to be a part of the festivities.The characters are brutally real, relateable and charming. The unsure bride-to-be who still hasn't gotten over her past relationship, the completely occupied father-of-the-bride dealing with debts and responsibilities, the bored but committed mother trying to find meaning, the usually bad-tongued wedding planner trying to find love, the unmarried cousin still in pain from her childhood molestation trauma - all these and many such characters just fill the story with brimming honesty. The actors have done a brilliant job.

Monsoon Wedding was perhaps one of the most brilliant films I have ever seen. It took me somewhere I'd never been, and by the time two hours were up, I felt at home.A lot of the film's success was in the acting. Talented portrayals of deep complex characters who can make you laugh and cry in just minutes. I was amazed how easy it was to keep tabs on no less than 5 separate subplots without getting the characters mixed up or losing interest.Another key to Monsoon Wedding's success was how the camera told as much story as the actors and dialogue. Lingering shots on a character who doesn't seem part of the action revealed so much more than dialogue could.And the most amazing thing - this film was made in 30 days!! Couldn't believe it. Fantastic production values, mind, not like many other Indian movies I've seen. And down-to-earth realistic, not like Bollywood. Yes, there is singing and dancing, but in context, not every five minutes! I don't have anything against Bollywood, but I'm glad to see that there is a higher standard of Indian film-making out there.

ossia: It Never Rains Put It Pours. This multi-thread wedding romance is a rich feast of culture and drama, fun and tragedy. Even if the thought of a big Indian party as the basis for a film leaves you cold, you can't help but sucked into the stresses and revelations that such an event inevitably churns up.Mira Nair handles the whole melange expertly. The acting is very good - the one performance I was nonplussed by at the beginning, Vijay Raaz's PK Dubey, turns out to be an affecting comic and romantic heart of the film. Beside him is the decorous housemaid of Tillotama Shome, the bride Aditi (glowing Vasundhara Das) and her parents, two actors who I would not be surprised to discover are Indian acting aristocracy, Naseeruddin Shah and Lillete Dubey. Not sure about eating marigolds though. 8/10