The Great Indian Butterfly
The Great Indian Butterfly is a 2007 Indian romance drama film, written and directed by Sarthak Dasgupta. It is the story of a typical modern Indian couple and their journey to Goa in quest of a magical insect, and in turn, peace, love and happiness in life, which lies within ourselves. The language of the film was English.[1]
The Great Indian Butterfly | |
---|---|
Directed by | Sarthak Dasgupta |
Produced by | Sanjay Gupta Parth Arora |
Written by | Sarthak Dasgupta |
Starring | Aamir Bashir Sandhya Mridul Koel Purie Barry John |
Cinematography | Shanker Raman |
Edited by | Vivek Shah Shan Mohammed |
Release date |
|
Running time | 94 minutes |
Country | India |
Language | English |
Plot
A planned vacation to Goa goes awry for two stressed-out Mumbai-based employees, after Krish (Aamir Bashir) oversleeps, and as a result he and his wife, Meera (Sandhya Mridul) miss the plane. They, nevertheless, decide to make use of their time and drive there by car so that he can locate and view The Great Indian Butterfly. Last seen by the unknown Portuguese explorer Carodiguez, in a remote Karthikey valley located in erstwhile colonial Goa, the butterfly possesses a magical aura, granting immense happiness to the person who catches it.
In the journey that takes the couple from the smog filled, concrete jungle of the Megalopolis of Mumbai through the little discovered coastal landscapes of the western Sahyadris, to the sun soaked land of Goa, the couple lose more than what they want to rediscover. It becomes a passage, which seems to travel with a metaphor of its own and an insect as elusive as a fossil trapped in prehistoric resin.
Their journey will be acrimonious as Meera must also deal with work-related stress, loss of a promotion, as well as accuse her husband of not being intimate with her on one hand, and on the other remaining in close contact and having an affair with his ex-girlfriend, Liza (Koel Purie).
Will they find the Butterfly? Can they survive the journey? Can it cost them their lives? Will the Great Indian Butterfly wreak havoc on their souls? Will there be redemption? Or is it a futile hunt for an answer to their crumbling lives? Is happiness a rare insect? A simple tale in the complex miasma of a changing India.
Cast
- Aamir Bashir as Krish Kumar
- Sandhya Mridul as Meera K. Kumar
- Koel Purie as Liza
- Barry John
- Gourov Dasgupta
- Shibani Kashyap as Herself
Release
The film was released on 2 April 2010.
Reception
The film did not perform well at the box office.[2]
The film received generally good reviews and was commended for the themes it boldly raised and honestly depicted. Both Sandhya Mridul and Aamir Bashir were praised for their top notch performances. The film also received praise for its peaceful and calm atmosphere, as compared to the loud dialogues and fights commonly seen in films today.[3][4][5]
References
- Adarsh, Taran (2 April 2010). "Film review: The Great Indian Butterfly Published: Friday,". DNA.
- "All India 2010 (Figures in INR Crore)". BoxOfficeIndia. Archived from the original on 20 October 2013.
- "The Great Indian Butterfly is an honest attempt". Rediff.com. 2 April 2010.
- "The Great Indian Butterfly- Movies Review". MiD DAY. 3 April 2010.
- "Film Reviews:The Great Indian Butterfly and Pankh". Mint. 2 April 2010.