The Wild Bull

Although Indian film production is huge, only few art house movies appear in Marathi, the language of the third largest state with the capital Mumbai. This film comes from the flourishing city of Pune, the place known for India’s oldest and much respected Film Institute. The film is a multilayered lyrical tale of a small Maharashtrian village, where the events around an untamed bull succeed in bringing to the surface various affairs hidden in the community - from political rivalry and hypocrisy to forbidden love. The bull works as a catalyst for the interwoven ties between villagers, their inner dramas, dark sides and silent hopes. The story takes off when city officials arrive at the village to catch the bull, a task which proves far more difficult than they anticipated. A documentary film maker from the city accompanies them to film the mission, a fact which excites and involves the villagers far more than catching the bull does. The very lyrical and calm photography contributes to the gradual creation of the film's dynamics and tension. The Maharashtrian landscape in the film is not only an appealing background: it becomes one of the characters in the story itself. A great performance by Atul Kulkarni, one of the new stars of Indian cinema. (RS)