Gandu (film)
Encyclopedia
Gandu is a 2010 black-and-white
Bengali film directed by Q. (Vimukthi Jayasundara) who has described the film as a "rap musical". It features Anubrata, Joyraj, Kamalika, Silajit, and Rii in the lead roles. The film's music is by the alternative rock
band Five Little Indians
. Gandu previewed at Yale University
before making its international premiere on October 29, 2010 at the 2010 South Asian International Film Festival in New York City
. Gandu was an official selection at the 2011 Berlin International Film Festival
and was also screened at the Slamdance Film Festival
.
Gandu has received mainly positive reviews from critics. John Reis
called it "a stunning visual and narrative feast" while Variety
said it is "a happily transgressive rhyme-fueled romp". The film has caused some controversy because of language and scenes of full frontal
sex. Media outlets have reported audience walkouts during sex scenes and it has not been publicly released in India.
neighborhood, aspiring rapper Gandu steals money from his mother to finance a trip with his friend Ricksha. The two go off in a heroin-induced haze, finding it increasingly difficult to separate reality from hallucination.
The film is shot mostly in black and white stressing on the bleak existence of the protagonist. At the end of the movie, the film shifts to the color mode showing that the character is enjoying the colorful existence induced by the drug he has consumed with his friend.
The film also ponders on the meaning of life and what we must do with it.
Single-lens reflex camera
to shoot the film. In order to prepare the cast for their nude scenes, (nudity is unusual in Indian cinema) Q. required them to undergo several workshops in which they used Boal
techniques
. Rituparna, who plays several different roles in the film, is Q.'s real life girlfriend.
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
Bengali film directed by Q. (Vimukthi Jayasundara) who has described the film as a "rap musical". It features Anubrata, Joyraj, Kamalika, Silajit, and Rii in the lead roles. The film's music is by the alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Five Little Indians
Five little indians
Five Little Indians , is an alternative rock band based in Kolkata. The band was formed in January 2007. Five Little Indians merges melodic rock and a heavier sound with singer-songwriter sensibilities...
. Gandu previewed at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
before making its international premiere on October 29, 2010 at the 2010 South Asian International Film Festival in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Gandu was an official selection at the 2011 Berlin International Film Festival
Berlin International Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978...
and was also screened at the Slamdance Film Festival
Slamdance Film Festival
As a year-round organization, Slamdance serves as a showcase for the discovery of new and emerging talent in the film industry; it is also the only major film festival fully programmed by filmmakers. Slamdance counts among its alumni many notable writers and directors who first gained notice at the...
.
Gandu has received mainly positive reviews from critics. John Reis
John Reis
John Reis is an American musician, singer, guitarist, record label owner, and disc jockey. He is best known as the singer and guitarist for the rock band Rocket from the Crypt, which he formed and fronted for the entirety of its career from 1990 to 2005...
called it "a stunning visual and narrative feast" while Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
said it is "a happily transgressive rhyme-fueled romp". The film has caused some controversy because of language and scenes of full frontal
Full Frontal
Full Frontal may refer to:* Full Frontal , an Australian sketch comedy series which debuted in 1993* Full Frontal , a 2001 film by Kyle Schickner* Full Frontal , a 2002 film by Steven Soderbergh...
sex. Media outlets have reported audience walkouts during sex scenes and it has not been publicly released in India.
Plot
Frustrated with his life in a poor KolkataKolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
neighborhood, aspiring rapper Gandu steals money from his mother to finance a trip with his friend Ricksha. The two go off in a heroin-induced haze, finding it increasingly difficult to separate reality from hallucination.
The film is shot mostly in black and white stressing on the bleak existence of the protagonist. At the end of the movie, the film shifts to the color mode showing that the character is enjoying the colorful existence induced by the drug he has consumed with his friend.
The film also ponders on the meaning of life and what we must do with it.
Public view
After watching this movie one can realize the awards and reviews by the critics are fake or to draw attention of viewer in India. This movie is a complete disappointment to the audience and considered as a degradation of Bengali movie generation that had received Oscar for movies like Pather Panchali. Satyajit Ray did not use X rated scenes to draw crowds but it was the story and direction that brought the movie an Oscar. After watching Gandu one can feel that the character in the movie was not Gandu but its the director and the crew who got this idea. Audience rated this movie a zero.Cast
- Anubrata Basu/ Anubrata as Gandu
- Joyraj Bhattacharjee/ Joyraj as Ricksha
- Kamalika Banerjee/ Kamalika as Gandu's mother
- Shilajeet MajumdarShilajeet MajumdarShilajeet Majumdar , first name also credited as Shilajit, is an Indian Bengali male singer songwriter and actor. Singer Shilajeet Majumdar lives at Ruchira complex at bypass kolkata-Education:...
/ Silajit as Dasbabu - Rituparna/ Rii as the Girl in the Cafe/Kaali/the Prostitute
Production
Gandu was shot in Kolkata on a limited budget with only eight crew members. It was filmed in black and white with one scene in color and had no official script. Q. used a high-definition Canon EOS 7DCanon EOS 7D
The Canon EOS 7D is an 18.0 effective megapixel APS-C crop CMOS digital single-lens reflex camera made by Canon. It was announced on September 1, 2009...
Single-lens reflex camera
Single-lens reflex camera
A single-lens reflex camera is a camera that typically uses a semi-automatic moving mirror system that permits the photographer to see exactly what will be captured by the film or digital imaging system, as opposed to pre-SLR cameras where the view through the viewfinder could be significantly...
to shoot the film. In order to prepare the cast for their nude scenes, (nudity is unusual in Indian cinema) Q. required them to undergo several workshops in which they used Boal
Augusto Boal
Augusto Boal was a Brazilian theatre director, writer and politician. He was the founder of Theatre of the Oppressed, a theatrical form originally used in radical popular education movements...
techniques
Theatre of the Oppressed
The Theatre of the Oppressed describes a range of theatrical forms that the Brazilian theatre practitioner Augusto Boal first elaborated in the 1960s, initially in Brazil and later in Europe. Boal was influenced by the work of the educator and theorist Paulo Freire. Boal's techniques use theatre as...
. Rituparna, who plays several different roles in the film, is Q.'s real life girlfriend.
Awards
- 2010 - Jury Award for Best Director at the South Asian International Film Festival
- 2010 - Jury Award for Best Film at the South Asian International Film Festival