MAQBOOL
October 4, 2018
6:30-9:30 PM
Highland Park Village Theatre
Q&A with Vishal Bhardwaj following screening
The film is based on William Shakespeare's Macbeth, with the Mumbai underworld as its backdrop. Maqbool (Irrfan Khan) is the right-hand man of Jahangir Khan (alias Abba Ji) (Pankaj Kapur), a powerful underworld don. Maqbool is grateful and feels a close connection and personal indebtedness to Abba Ji. Seeing their close relationship, but also sensing Maqbool's ambition, two corrupt policemen (Om Puri and Naseeruddin Shah) predict that Maqbool will soon take over the reins of the Mumbai Underworld from Abba Ji.
Nimmi (Tabu) is Abba Ji's mistress, but she and Maqbool are secretly in love. Nimmi encourages Maqbool's ambitions and persuades him to kill Abba Ji to take over as Don. Maqbool is torn between his love for Nimmi and his loyalty to Abba Ji, but he begins to prepare the ground for becoming a Don, by ensuring that others in the line of succession cannot interfere. Finally, Maqbool murders Abba Ji in cold blood while he is in bed at night, with Nimmi next to him. Maqbool gets away with the murder and takes over as Don, just as planned; but both he and Nimmi are haunted by guilt, seeing Abba Ji's ghost and unable to wash the blood from their hands. There is also suspicion, within the gang, of Maqbool's role in the death of Abba Ji, and eventually the lovers meet a tragic end.
Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Tabu, Pankaj Kapoor, Om Puri, Naseerudidn Shah
Hindi, 132 minutes, 2014, India
OMKARA
October 5, 2018
12-3 PM
Highland Park Village Theatre
Q&A with Vishal Bhardwaj following screening
The story is based on William Shakespeare's classic play, Othello. A play that has been made four times in Hollywood but is being brought to life for the first time as a mainstream Hindi film in a commercial format.
Advocate Raghunath Mishra has arranged the marriage of his daughter, Dolly, with Rajan, knowing fully well that Dolly loves Omkara Shukla. Before the marriage could take place, the groom's party is attacked, they flee, and Dolly is reportedly abducted. Raghunath is able to trace Dolly to Omkara, a criminal and hit-man, a verbal confrontation ensues until Politician Bhaisaab telephonically intervenes, and a crestfallen Raghunath faces the reality that Dolly was not abducted but is here with Omkara by her own free will. He warns Omkara, and departs. Shortly thereafter, Bhaisaab is shot at and wounded, announces that Omkara should stand in the next election, and as a result, Omkara appoints one of his lieutenants', Keshav Upadhyay in his place as the 'Bahubali". Omkara realizes that he may have blundered in having Keshav succeed him, as Keshav is unable to control his temper when under the influence of alcohol, which puts him in the bad books of Omkara. Then Omkara suspects that Keshav is having an affair with Dolly, as both had been fellow-collegians. With Omkara's marriage with Dolly getting close, he asks his other lieutenant, Ishwar Tyagi, to obtain proof of Keshav's affair with Dolly or face the consequences, as Omkara remembers Raghunath's warning that when a daughter is not true to her father, she will never be true to anyone. Watch what happens when Ishwar produces proof shortly after the marriage, and the impact this has on Dolly, Omkara, Keshav, Ishwar, and Ishwar's wife, Indu.
Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Saif Ali Khan, Vivek Oberoi, Bipasha Basi, Kareena Kapoor, Konkona Sen Sharma
Hindi, 155 minutes, 2006, India
HAIDER
October 5, 2018
6:30-9:30 PM
Highland Park Village Theatre
Q&A with Vishal Bhardwaj following screening
Vishal Bhardwaj's adaptation of William Shakespeare's 'Hamlet', Haider - a young man returns home to Kashmir on receiving news of his father's disappearance. Not only does he learn that security forces have detained his father for harboring militants, but that his mother is in a relationship with his very own uncle. Intense drama follows between mother and son as both struggle to come to terms with news of his father's death. Soon Haider learns that his uncle is responsible for the gruesome murder, what follows is his journey to avenge his father's death.
Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj
Starring: Tabu, Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Narendra Jha, Kay Kay Menon
Hindi, 162 minutes, 2014, India