Sunday, 25 December 2022

Dostoevsky, Bresson & Badshah!

"The Idiot" was one of Fyodor Dostoevsky's favourite novels. He created the character of Prince Myshkin, a totally good man, who carries the moniker of the title.

Mani Kaul, one of the makers of art house films in India, adapted the novel to make a Hindi film, 30 years ago. It was made for Doordarshan & never got a theatrical release. Mani Kaul, was inspired by the spare, austere film style of the French auteur, Robert Bresson, who famously discouraged any "acting" from his cast, & instructed them to deliver their dialogues in a monotone. 

In "The Idiot", Shah Rukh Khàn, who later became the "Badshah of Bollywood" had a role as a friend of the title character. Mita Vasisht, who in her later films also, used the non-dramatic delivery of her dialogues, (a la Bresson), played the role of Nastasya.

This film thus had the unique confluence of a Russian novel, film technique influenced by a French Master & the national language of this country.

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