Aseema

Rating:*

Based on an Oriya novel,‘Aseema’ is the story of a woman who brings up her daughter on her own,after her adulterous husband deserts her. Strong material,just right for a strong film,but not when it’s done the way this one is: stodgy and laboured.

New arrival in town Aseema (Gracy Singh) is taken under a friend’s wing. She twists her ankle,and lands in the care of a handsome doctor,who also conveniently happens to the friend’s brother. Love blossoms. But alas,it is not to be. She has to bring up her daughter minus any manly interference,and he is too much of a nice guy to see that her protests are feeble.

The rest of it is filled with archaic dialogue : Aseema calls herself ‘parityakta’ (one who is cast-off),a word which should have no place in anyone’s vocabulary any more.

After the huge success of ‘Lagaan’,and ‘Munnabhai’,Gracy Singh has been struggling to find something worthwhile to do. But Bollywood isn’t too kind to homely girls-next-door: last seen,she appeared in a weird film featuring robbers and ghosts. She tries hard here,but can’t do very much in a film that is so distressingly dated.