The Mystic Masseur
by Ismail Merchant
from Sony Pictures
The first film adapted from a novel by Nobel Laureate V.S. Naipaul, The Mystic Masseur follows the rise and decline of an ambitious young man in the expatriate Hindu community in Trinidad. After his father dies, Ganesh (Aasif Mandvi), an aspiring writer, goes to his father's village and takes over his massage business. Though his writing efforts nearly break up his marriage with Leela (Ayesha Dharker, The Terrorist), the publication of his first book brings them back together--but opens up all kinds of other troubles. With the help of a little showmanship, Ganesh builds a reputation as a healer and a wise man; but when his reputation leads him to get into politics, he loses his path. Despite strong performances, the movie's leisurely pace undercuts an already unfocused storyline. Also featuring Om Puri (East Is East, My Son the Fanatic). --Bret Fetzer
Lumiere & Company
by Patrice Leconte
from Fox Lorber
Some of the world's leading directors (David Lynch, Spike Lee, Wim Wenders, Zhang Yimou, John Boorman) use the original Lumiere picture camera to create short films all over the world. Interactive Menus, Production Notes, Scene access, Trailer, Languages: French, Subtitles: English
The Courtesans of Bombay / Street Musician of Bombay [The Merchant Ivory Collection]
![The Courtesans of Bombay / Street Musician of Bombay [The Merchant Ivory Collection]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41653MXTDDL._SL160_.jpg)
by Richard Robbins
from Home Vision Entertainment (Merchant Ivory)
Intriguing, colorful, and revealing, The Courtesans of Bombay is Merchant Ivory's docu-drama about Pavan Pool, the enclosed area where Bombay's singing and dancing courtesans ply their trade. It presents a portrait of the unique location, both exotic and tawdry: crammed tenements housing thousands of men playing up to the camera as they seek out forbidden pleasures—and the courtesans themselves, who appear more as entertainers than sex-workers. Neither sensationalist nor prurient, the film is about a tradition with a special place in Indian society: the entertainment of paying customers—always men—by songstresses and dancers who perform in the classical Hindustani styles of the ancient "nautch" girls, India's version of the Japanese geisha.
In Custody - The Merchant Ivory Collection
by Ismail Merchant
from Merchant Ivory
Based on the Booker Prize-nominated novel by Anita Desai, In Custody—producer Ismail Merchant's directorial debut—is a wry, lyrical drama about the contemporary Indian culture. Nur (Shashi Kapoor) is considered the greatest living Urdu poet, and Deven (Om Pore) hopes to rekindle interest in the language by recording Nut reciting the magical verse. But multiple problems block Deven's path, the greatest these being Nur's two shrewish wives, his love of drink, and the vastly bloated poet himself. Deven's monstrous task quickly becomes a central odyssey that follows humorous paths to an unexpected conclusion.
The Mystic Masseur [Region 2]
![The Mystic Masseur [Region 2]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/518J3AFHJ6L._SL160_.jpg)
by Ismail Merchant
The first film adapted from a novel by Nobel Laureate V.S. Naipaul, The Mystic Masseur follows the rise and decline of an ambitious young man in the expatriate Hindu community in Trinidad. After his father dies, Ganesh (Aasif Mandvi), an aspiring writer, goes to his father's village and takes over his massage business. Though his writing efforts nearly break up his marriage with Leela (Ayesha Dharker, The Terrorist), the publication of his first book brings them back together--but opens up all kinds of other troubles. With the help of a little showmanship, Ganesh builds a reputation as a healer and a wise man; but when his reputation leads him to get into politics, he loses his path. Despite strong performances, the movie's leisurely pace undercuts an already unfocused storyline. Also featuring Om Puri (East Is East, My Son the Fanatic). --Bret Fetzer
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