Pankh: Wings of freedom
cast Bipasha Basu, Maradona Rebello, Mahesh Manjrekar
director Sudipto Chattopadhyaya
rating G
Film-maker Sanjay Gupta who made a career out of lifting plots from Hollywood action thrillers has turned over a new leaf with the launch of his production house White Feathers Art House Films. Now he's got his hands on the original and small-budget arty flicks. And the first movie out of Gupta's stable is Pankh.
It narrates the story of Kusum a popular child artiste who is forced by his parents to hide his identity to get more work in Bollywood. Jerry (Rebello) grows up with an identity crisis as he achieves success and fame being a girl on-screen. This leads to a turbulent relationship with his mother and he turns to drugs to find solace. Hope comes in the form of an imaginary woman Nandini (Basu) who questions his every move. Pankh delves deeper into the psyche of a child who is forced to be someone else.
"Pankh is a film that will touch every sensitive soul. It's a story that needs to be told. Pankh is Bollywood's wildest take so far," says national award-winning Bengali director Chattopadhyaya.
The film will see Basu sport nine different looks. Since she plays an imaginary alter-ego, her looks change depending on Jerry's mood. Basu's looks are worked out by designer Rocky S, Chattopadhyay and Gupta. "Pankh is an unconventional subject where I play an unusual character. It is challenging to do a film like this," says Basu.
