The story centers around a small town entrepreneur named Maniram who makes a major profit by cheating people and selling them tainted food. His business is run by his daughter-in-law Tejo, who is married to Maniram's mentally challenged younger son. When Maniram's elder son comes back into town to get married, things start to go awry.
India
India
"There is austerity in Bresson. But there is a possibility in cinema to have both: austerity and ornamentation. In Bresson, there is mainly austerity even though he aspires to have spectacle. When I work along those lines, I want the ornamentation to stand out. The magic of that reality must appear and we ought to allow that to happen. The notion of ornamentation that we have in India, the alankar, of how we play with it, that is something I like to retain in my work. And this is not there either in Rossellini’s work or Bresson’s in the works of Catholic filmmakers. When they move towards austerity, they really move towards it: Bresson in the tradition of St Augustine and Rossellini more in the manner of notational narratives." -Kumar Shahani
Cinema of stolen moments, and truck drivers who possess the wisdom of saints. A film where everyone is given a chance to sing; whether it is a lament sung in hiding to the moon, or a hymn for the trees. As if to say, the landscape will hold my secrets. Cinema as a unique spatial experience: Shahani understands that windows are the cinema’s best friend. His camera is always pushing through, or following figures as they walk by these openings and gaze out, creating a sense of pure revelation. What is going on outside is always just as important as what is going on inside, and in these moments the film open up to the world. Equally revelatory is the…
Similarly to Mani Kaul, Shahani translates the conventional material of parallel cinema into a Bressonian formal tapestry; the austerity of his framing and rhythms imbued with a distinctively local painterly touch. Modernity’s encroachment on an isolated village as both liberatory and corrosive, the Brahmins on their way out only to be replaced by smugglers. “But now I can’t tell the real from the fake!” One family’s viper’s nest of resentments, lies, and schemes microcosmically standing in for a world caught between the cruelties of the old and the indignities of the new; the long suffering daughter-in-law emerging victoriously from the wreckage, the price of progress not much more than throwing away a soul and any lingering sense of fellow-feeling.
For the third time I'm bowled over Shahani's technicalities and the filmmaking style, it's quite distinct from other Indian filmmakers. The Framing, Imagery and brillant sound, everything just blends in beautifully. Kasba is one of the better portrayals of corruption and greed.
Kasba is an epic of misfortunes, a grand portrait of changing time and it's consequences on a small town entrepreneur Maniram's family which is shaken to the core after their corrupt business is revealed. Adapted from Anton Chekov's short story In The Ravine, Sahani's deadpan drama builds up the spatial and temporal dimensions of human interference in a complex world of steadily changing circumstances. The characters, the scenes are all furnished with minute details and camera position especially among all the other elements teleports you directly into the town of Paror at the Himalayan foothills. The character transformations in an unstable surroundings left me awestruck, Sahani captures the invisible bond of the family which eventually faces a tough test when…
My first Sahani and I'm already swayed by his aesthetics and framing. Completely distinct from his more accessible contemporaries.
Kasba promises a tale of a town catching the sickness of capitalism via the lives of its inhabitants but soon enters the dark waters of greed, corruption, lust, and lies. All characters lose credibility throughout the journey but one and quite wittingly, Kasba leaves us with bitter cynicism in the end. We don't even realize our expectations have been defeated and the termination was something we never demanded but that's how it is when material greed is the prime emotion.
Yearning to settle in a Kasba and sell liquor and groceries
Kumar Sahani's "Kasba" is a film that leaves me with mixed feelings. On one hand, the direction and cinematography are nothing short of extraordinary, offering a serene and calming visual experience. The film's aesthetics are indeed its strongest suit. However, the acting leaves much to be desired, with performances that can only be described as subpar. Among the cast, only Meeta Vasisht and Raghubir Yadav stand out for their commendable efforts. The rest of the ensemble fails to deliver convincing portrayals.
The narrative, adapted from Anton Chekhov's "In the Ravine," is a simple yet tragic exploration of the human condition. It centers on a woman who triumphs over her circumstances, while her family faces inevitable tragedy. The themes of envy…
Another beauty from the lost and forgotten era of Indian cinema
The Godfather: MDH Everest edition
"Kasba" (1991), a magnum opus by Kumar Shahani, emerges as a beacon in the realm of Indian alternative cinema, painting a vivid tapestry of rural life with strokes of artistic brilliance. Shahani's directorial prowess transforms the mundane into the extraordinary, navigating the nuances of tradition and modernity in a captivating dance.
i had trouble staying engaged with the story (which is more the fault of my general exhaustion than the movie i think) but i actually got chills watching some of the camerawork here, especially a few tracking shots, and loved the muted colors and framing/blocking. stunning!!
