Monsoon Wedding 

directed by Mira Nair

Review of the film  by Albert Michael 

**** ½  out of *****

Perhaps the movie “ Monsoon Wedding “ could be re-titled an “Ode to the Punjabi Life Style in Delhi” !   Mira Nair, with such directorial credits as “ Salaam Bombay”, “ Mississippi Masala “ and “ The Perez Family “ has certainly created an ode which pays  tribute to both her Punjabi  family roots and to her original native city of Delhi.

The main story line is a straight forward one of an Indian wedding complete with it’s attendant characteristics of color, costumes, culinary delights, music, dancing, flowers, garlands and the groom riding on a horse back to meet his bride to be – in other words, a complete package of Indian culture.

However, Mira Nair has done a deft job of exploring a few other themes in the movie –

1. Relationships – The approach to arranged marriage as seen by the bride who is still in love with her married ex-boy friend and waits till the last minute to agree to marry the groom.  The groom, an Indian living in the U.S.A who is shocked to realize that his bride to be would have been in love with someone else while agreeing to an arranged marriage. They do overcome their mutual reluctance and  start to fall in love with each other. A neat lesson that before you marry someone, love does not have to be in full bloom but that there be a willingness to accept and love each other. 

2. With international travel, movies and high tech jobs in the West, Indian life style is taking on such Western ways of doing things – who ever heard of “Event Planner” and “ Wedding Planner “ in India say, of a decade ago ? The movie does a humorous piece on the character, role, foibles and mannerisms of an Indian wedding planner – he’s no Jennifer Lopez in her role as the wedding planner but the characterization of the role by Dube in the movie is quite hilarious.

4. Family life and memories good and bad – it is no secret that family and especially children are a big part of Indian life. The movie examines the destructive part pedophilia plays on a family and the strain it places on relationships that have lasted a life time.  The movie shows that family elders need to stand up for what is right and in defense of their loved ones even if it means losing  life long and lucrative associations. 

5. Romance on the outside – while the wedding planner is busy organizing an arranged marriage he is in fact falling in love with the Christian house maid for the Varma family.  Eventually Dube and Alice do get married.  This is an interesting theme to realize that in the India of arranged marriages people do fall in love and get married to each other from different cultures and religions. 

Punjabis like Mira Nair have moved to a number of countries all over the world.   They are a successful group of people and many of them are internationally famous. And yet, they do not seem to lose their Punjabiness or Indianness ! Monsoon Wedding essentially celebrates both these characteristics in a very colorful manner. They like to work hard, live the good life, celebrate, dance, sing and play golf.  Like Indians in general, they are willing to spend a lot  on a daughter’s wedding even if it means borrowing money.  Why, the Varma family even has a Christian girl as  the house maid – surely a status symbol !  Are “ Punjabis too ostentatious” the movie asks. It depends who you ask – perhaps the Bengalis would think so but then they are “ too pretentious “ !

The movie brings out all the foibles, fights and humour of an Indian, a Delhi and a Punjabi life style.  As in all Indian movies there is the regular quota of song, dance, music, drama as well as  family trauma. As I watched the movie I felt that while it explored the Punjabi approach to life there was so much of commonality with all cultures when it comes to family life , children and relationship with family and friends. In exploring these themes the movie had a universal appeal regardless of country or culture. This would explain it’s phenomenal success at the box office all over North America.

There were some neat camera shots of smog and pollution in Delhi with people using masks to cover their noses; the eerie glow of night time on the streets of  Delhi  ; the streets awash in pouring rain and people going about their daily lives. The final scene with the wedding party dancing in pouring rain is such a happy event.  The rain and dance are almost cathartic in cleansing away all the tension and sadness in some of the issues in the movie.  Weddings are to be happy occasions for celebration and joy. And that’s what the final scene is all about. Ah those Punjabis!! They certainly know how to express their “ joie de vivre “.

Are there any deficiencies in the movie ? I wondered at the excessive swearing used in the dialogues.   I was in Delhi in 2000 and I do not remember people talking this way.  The sub-titles for the dialogue were not highly readable – they could have been placed with a dark background to give it a brighter readability factor.

The movie serves a delicious slice of an Indian wedding cake – sweet and spicy in parts – delicious all the same.