Hotel Salvation

The young director Shubhashish Bhutiani (26) takes on the hard topic of death with this movie and the conflict that arises once the dilemma between a death in dignity and the everyday life arises.

An old man feels like his time has come and wants to depart from life in a way, that suits him. This of course causes quite a fuss within the family and the lack of understanding of a few other people is unsettling but understanding as well. Palomi Ghosh who plays the daughter is just stunning! You will probably see more of her very soon.

The only negative thing I can say about the movie is, that Hindi seems to bee a pretty fast language, so the subtitles are actually not on screen long enough on a few occasions and also the translation does not seem to be spot on. Luckily the director could clarify my questions in the Q&A after the movie and he said that I'm not the first one who asked these. So bare that in mind, that the translation can cause confusion.

Anyway... Watch out for more from this director!

A poetic yet very realistic, rather incredibly humane and enthralling meditation on life, death and karma, set and shot in Varanasi, India. The film is based on the author's experiences backpacking around his home country and stumbling upon hotels where some Hindus go to die.

It was more than a pleasure to meet and have a chance to talk to the very talented and sensitive young Indian director Shunhashish Bhutiani. His debut feature at the age of 26 has an all star Indian cast (kudos to Adil Hussain - Life of Pi - and Lalit Bhel - Tetli).

The film follows a real story of father and son who go to one of these hotels on the banks of the Ganges looking for salvation. What was meant to be the end of it all turns into an enlightening journey of self discovery and family bonding. Sounds rather heavy when reading the synopsis, but having attended the premiere of Hotel Salvation at the BF LondonI, I was emotionally humbled by this story with the perfect balance between drama and comedy, turning it into a colourful, humorous and enlightening experience. Not to mention the amazing cinematography, with wide shots of the Ganges, its people, boats and rituals.

The story itself, of a father sharing his premonitions of an impending death, demanding to be taken to Varanasi to die, is so unique! On top of that, once there, moments where the elderly joke about jealousy when someone dies before them, are absolutely beautiful, and ironic. Adil Hussain, as the man balancing between the stubbornness of his father and the rebellion of his daughter, is absolutely brilliant in showcasing that struggle. This is a movie that stays with you, days after you have watched it. Must-Watch!

Mukti Bhawan, as it is originally known, can be seen as a slow-paced look at a man and his attempt at redemption. Much like the film's pace, it takes some time for him to figure out what's up as he moves to near the Ganges with his son (brilliantly played by the talented Adil Hussain) and awaits his death. Shubhashish Bhutiani tries to answer few questions about death and salvation some of which were hard for me to comprehend. Nonetheless, Mukti Bhawan is a decent film that keeps you engaged with its subtle narrative and score but ends at an exclamation mark!

Positive points - brilliant performance by Adil Hussain, locales of Kashi and philosophy of the film

negative points - quite slow paced, needs patience.

overall those who can watch a slow paced art film, should go for it.