Mammo

Description

13-year-old Rizal feels like the odd one out among his small group of friends at his English-speaking school -- he has no parents and far less money than his wealthy friends. He lives harmoniously with his grandmother, who had gone through much hardship to raise him. One day, Rizal's grandaunt, Mammo, comes to live with them, disrupting the domestic peace in the household. The relationship between the two sisters is a tumultuous one, much like the relationship between India and Pakistan, which had both been part of the British India. Meanwhile, Rizal resents Mammo's presence as she pokes her nose into his affairs but slowly bonds with her over their mutual love for literature. Over time, Rizal learns of the hardships of Mammo's life -- from her migration to Pakistan with her husband after the partition of India, to the abuse she had suffered at the hands of her in-laws following her husband's death. With no relatives in Pakistan, Mammo hopes to live permanently with her sister in Bombay, but without citizenship, visa issues prove to be a terrible hurdle. In a cruel twist of events, Mammo is forcibly thrown out of India and Rizal is left to wonder what has become of her. Awards/Festivals: Best feature Film in Hindi, National Awards; Best Supporting Actress, National Awards; Filmfare Critics Award for the Best Supporting Actor & Actress; International Film Festival of India; Jerusalem Film Festival; Brisbane Film Festival; Birmingham Film Festival; Cairo Film Festival; Australian Film Festival, Canberra; Festival of Contemporary Indian Cinema, Seychelles.

Runtime

119 min

Creator

Benegal, Shyam, 1934- drt

Series

Subjects

Geography

Genre

Date of Publication

1994

Database

Alexander Street

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