Bombay (film)

This article is about the film. For other uses, see Bombay (disambiguation).

Bombay
Directed by	Mani Ratnam
Produced by	S. Sriram
Written by	Mani Ratnam
Starring	Arvind Swamy Manisha Koirala Prakash Raj
Music by	A. R. Rahman
Cinematography	Rajiv Menon
Editing by	Suresh Urs
Distributed by	Aalayam Ayngaran International
Release date(s)	11 March 1995
Running time	138 mins
Country	India
Language	Tamil
Box office	14 crore (US$3.08 million)

Bombay (Tamil: பம்பாய்) is a critically acclaimed and national award-winning 1995 Tamil film directed by Mani Ratnam, starring Arvind Swamy and Manisha Koirala, with music composed by A. R. Rahman. The film met with a strong reception upon release.

The film is centred on events, particularly during the period of December 1992 to January 1993 in India, and the controversy surrounding the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya and its subsequent demolition on December 6, 1992. Increased religious tensions in the city of Bombay (now Mumbai) led to the Bombay Riots. It is the second in Ratnam's trilogy of films that depict human relationships against a background of Indian politics, including Roja and Dil Se.

Eventually becoming one of the highest grossing films of the Chennai film industry, the film was well-received both critically and commercially, and it was screened at many international film festivals including the Philadelphia Film Festival in 1996 where it was an audience favourite. The film's soundtrack sold 15 million units, becoming one of the best-selling film soundtracks of all time, and earning composer A. R. Rahman his fourth consecutive Filmfare Best Music Director Award (Tamil). However, the film caused considerable controversy upon release in India and abroad for its depiction of inter-religious relations and religious riots. The film was banned in Singapore and Malaysia upon release.

In July 2005, a book on the film by Lalitha Gopalan was published by BFI Modern Classics, looking at the film's production, the several issues it covered, and its impact upon release in India and abroad. The film was ranked among the top 20 Indian films in the British Film Institute's rankings. The film was also dubbed in Hindi and Telugu.

Plot

Shekhar (Arvind Swamy) is the son of a traditional Hindu father in a seaside village in Tamil Nadu. A journalism student studying in Bombay, Shekhar visits back home to see his family. On one of his return trips, he lays eyes on Shaila Bano (Manisha Koirala), a Muslim schoolgirl in the village. Initially shy, Shaila seeks to distance herself from Shekhar, but after frequent run-ins, and days of pursuit, Shaila begins to like Shekhar. Eventually, they both fall in love.

A marriage proposal is vehemently opposed by the lovers' fathers. Shekar's father refuses to accept Shaila as his daughter-in-law, telling Shekhar to find another partner, whilst Shaila's father announces the need for an immediate marriage between his daughter and a Muslim man. Shekhar's father says if the two ever get married, he will cease talking to his son. Shekhar reacts angrily to his father's refusal to accept Shaila, and so leaves, back to Bombay. Shaila, under increasing pressure from her father, escapes from the village and joins Shekhar. At first, Shaila is overwhelmed by the city, having relocated for the first time from rural surroundings to a city life. However, with time she adapts to her new lifestyle. The two get married. The newlyweds move into a new apartment.

A few months later, Shaila becomes pregnant and gives birth to twins, Kabir Narayan and Kamal Basheer. The twins are raised in both religions. Shekar continues to work as a journalist, whilst Shaila works at home, looking after the children. For six years, the family live in Bombay, settling in well, and begin the process of repairing relations with their respective families. The relatives visit the family in the city for the first time in over half a decade, and are overjoyed to see their two grandchildren.

Meanwhile, in India, religious extremism launches each community against the other, causing a wave of Hindu/Muslim riots that leave hundreds dead in Bombay. Targets of violence from both sides, Shaila and Shekhar worry increasingly over the safety of their children, whom they raised with both Hindu and Islamic traditions. They are constantly under threat. The growing tension threatens to bring tragedy to the family and how they cope with it form the crux of the story.

Cast

• Arvind Swamy as Shekhar Narayanan Pillai
• Manisha Koirala as Shaila Bano
• Prakash Raj as Prakash Kumar
• Nassar as Narayanan Pillai
• Vasudevan as Basheer
• Sonali Bendre in an Item number

Production

When film director Mani Ratnam approached cinematographer Rajiv Menon to shoot Bombay, he described it as a film about the riots and said that he (Menon) needed to "make the riots as beautiful as possible". So, Menon suggested shooting in the rains to achieve the effect. They shot the interiors of homes in Pollachi in Tamil Nadu and the exteriors were shot in Kasargod in Kerala. Several scenes of the city of Mumbai during riots were recreated with the help of photographs. Menon also explained in his interview that "The camera moves a lot-there would be long takes followed by three-four small cuts. It made lighting continuity easier for me and I was able to move fluidly." He said that Mani and him, both have a fascination for how Guru Dutt shot his song sequences. They were also inspired by Satyajit Ray's style.

Awards

The film has won the following awards since its release:

National

1996 National Film Awards

• Won – Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration – Mani Ratnam
• Won – National Film Award for Best Editing – Suresh Urs

1996 Filmfare Awards

• Won – Best Film (Critics) – S. Sriram
• Won – Best Performer (Critics) – Manisha Koirala

1996 Filmfare Awards South

• Won – Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Film – S. Sriram
• Won – Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Director – Mani Ratnam
• Won – Filmfare Best Actress Award (Tamil) – Manisha Koirala
• Won – Filmfare Best Music Director Award (Tamil) – A. R. Rahman

1995 Tamil Nadu State Film Awards

• Won – Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Music Director – A. R. Rahman
• Won – Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Lyricist – Vairamuthu

International

1995 Edinburgh International Film Festival (Scotland)

• Won – Gala Award – Bombay – Mani Ratnam

2003 Jerusalem Film Festival (Israel)

• Won – Wim Van Leer In Spirit for Freedom Award – Best Feature – Bombay – Mani Ratnam

1996 Political Film Society Awards (United States)

• Won – Special Award – Bombay – Mani Ratnam

Soundtrack

Main article: Bombay (soundtrack)

Further reading

• Gopalan, Lalitha (2005). Bombay: BFI Film Classics. London: BFI Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85170-956-7. 

External links

• Bombay at the Internet Movie Database
• Bombay film review by James Berardinelli (1996)
• Bombay Lyrics & Notations