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This is an archive article published on September 6, 2010
Market Economics
Marathi filmmaker Ankush Bhatt screens his first Hindi film Bhindi Bazaar at the Venice Film Festival In the heart of south Mumbai,the 18-acre residential settlement of Bhendi Bazaar has been a symbol of apathy and a metaphor for neglect by the citys civic bodies. The narrow bylanes are occupied by crumbling housing clusters and hawkers […]
Marathi filmmaker Ankush Bhatt screens his first Hindi film Bhindi Bazaar at the Venice Film Festival
In the heart of south Mumbai,the 18-acre residential settlement of Bhendi Bazaar has been a symbol of apathy and a metaphor for neglect by the citys civic bodies. The narrow bylanes are occupied by crumbling housing clusters and hawkers with their carts are the only constants. For Mumbai filmmaker Ankush Bhatt,that imagery presented the potential for a thriving racket,where petty thieves skillfully rob people of their belongings in broad daylight. My friends son was once a pickpocket in the area. So over an informal conversation he was narrating various incidents of how his son would pick pockets in the area, says Bhatt,who is making his foray into Hindi cinema with the movie Bhindi Bazaar (spelt so because of numerological reasons). Though the movie is still two months away from theatrical release,Bhatt is having a screening at the Venice Film Festival today before an audience of 30-40 distributors and sales agents. This is a good exposure into international markets, remarks the 31-year-old. This is the second Indian presence at the Festival,after Anurag Kashyaps showcase of That Girl in Yellow Boots,directed by Kashyap,besides Mani Ratnams Raavan.
The film which stars Kay Kay Menon,Deepti Naval,Prashant Narayanan,Piyush Mishra,Pawan Malhotra and American newcomer Caterina Lopez,portrays the story of the people of Bhendi Bazaar uniquely. The story is told through the game of chess,which acts as a metaphor for the scheming designs of people and highlights the trail of deceit and manipulative tactics in the community of pickpockets in Bhendi Bazaar. So there is a continuous reference to Vazir in the film,through one of the characters. The bazaar is notorious for petty crimes since it is tiny and crowded. So there are misconceptions that women are unsafe in that area. I havent been there often except for Ramzan time with friends to enjoy the delicacies, says Bhatt,who shot the movie within a span of six months in the Bazaar,including the neighbouring area of Mohammad Ali Road,with a young crew.
The story revolves around two rival gangs in the bazaar who run an organised racket of petty theft. The whole symbolism is of people who are trying to get from the lowest level of society to an affluent lifestyle. The market only forms the backdrop of the story. But the essence of the story can be compared to any place in Mumbai,where the gap between the rich and the poor is rising, says Bhatt,who spent nine years producing TV serials. His last venture was the 2008 critically acclaimed Marathi feature film,Man Pakru Pakru.
In his film,Bhatt highlights 80-90 different techniques used by pickpockets. This was possible with the help of two convicted criminals from the area,who served their jail terms and showed the nuances of picking someones pocket tactfully when he is in a crowd of 50 people. Though the film deals with the politics of underworld gangs,it is not,insists Bhatt,similar to the numerous gangster flicks that come out of Bollywood.
You will not see drug trafficking,pre-meditated murders,and senseless violence. Rather it is about how gangs at the lower level of the criminal hierarchy function like a group, says Bhatt.
At present,the film is in the digital colourisation and sound mixing stages with a tentative release in November.
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