Review : Zubeida

Zubeida is an almost experimental film, offering great acting, deft direction and a well-crafted screenplay. Benegal presents the tale with all the accompanying emotions, emotions that permeate through to the viewer. An off-beat, but true and biographical story by journalist Kalid Mohammed, is one of the strengths of this movie.The film begins with Riyaz (Rajat Kapoor), Zubeida’s son setting out to research her life, and to meet the people who knew her. The story is thus told in the form of memories/reminiscences. Zubeida is a Muslim actress, who’s career aspirations are thwarted by her film-producer father (Puri) who looks down upon a woman in acting. He arranges her marriage to her friend’s son, but that breaks up after the birth of her son. Zubeida is now back at her parent’s home, sad and depressed. Rose (Lilette Dubey) her father’s mistress tries to cheer-up Zubeida by taking her out. On one of these outings, Zubeida meets Prince Vijayendra (Victor) Singh of Fatehpur (Bajpai). Quite taken with her, the Prince woos and marries her.

Zubeida, now the 2nd wife of a Hindu prince, leaves her son behind with her mother (Sikri) and comes to live at Fatehpur. Here she meets the much older Mandira Devi (Rekha) the Prince’s first wife, learns about the etiquettes of being a Rani, and of the duties her husband has towards his first wife. Zubeida’s relationship with Mandira (whom she calls Mandy didi) is tumultous, seesawing between affection and jealousy. She frets about the restrictions on her as Rani and the chokehold of royal duties on Victor, often venting out her frustrations at not having her husband to herself.

When Victor decides to contest the elections, he relies on Mandira, as his Hindu consort (as opposed to Zubeida), to accompany him on his political jaunts. Zubeida, angry at being spurned, in obstinacy takes a decision, which has fatal consequences.

This film while slow-paced draws the viewer into an intriguing drama about love, life and its illusions. Karisma is stunning as the young and effervescent Zubeida, expressing the young woman’s desires, and zest for life, as well as her negative tendencies well. Manoj Bajpai, comes across convincingly as a suave and debonair Raja, expressing unending love to Zubeida on one hand, but stoking her jealousy unwittingly with his dutiful loyalty to Mandira. Rekha is the quintessential queen of all she surveys, as Mandira, beautiful, mature and crafty, as opposd to Zubeida’s wide-eyed innocent.

The supporting cast does its job well. Dialogues are apt, and vivid. Music by A.R. Rahman is good, has an old-world feel to it, and fits the genre of the movie well. Realistic and lacking the traditional “happy” ending, “Zubeida” is a quality film and a good watch.