Komal Gandhar

A hard to follow but subtle story of two independent theater troupes and the developing attraction of one woman for the director of the other troupe. The restrained (sometimes stiff) acting is a bit overshadowed by the extraneous song and dance numbers so prevalent in Indian film.

At another level, given the then recent history of turmoil in South Asia after independence, this film can be read as commentary on the messiness of democracy and the demands of making art. Here mixing democracy and art fails because of individual whims and resentment.