Producer & Director: Prakash Jha
*ing : Shabana Azmi, Madhuri Dixit, Shilpa Shirodkar, Om Puri,
Mohan Joshi, and Ayub Khan
Music : Anand Milind
Reviewed by: Radhika Kumar
radhika@indolink.com
Rating : 
(out of 
)
Women rule!!!
That is what I felt while watching Madhuri Dixit, Shilpa
Shirodkar, and Shabana Azmi in MRITYUDAND. MRITYUDAND is a movie
that should win awards. A different (but brilliant) plot and
excellent acting from all the players has made this movie what it
is. MRITYUDAND is a Bihari story of three village women revolting
against thier husbands and ultimately rushing to thier doom. The
three women are played by Madhuri, Shilpa, and Shabana. Madhuri
plays a girl who has just gotten married to a well to do business
man (AYUB KHAN) and has been absorbed into all his families
problems. Madhuri watches her hired help's (SHILPA SHIRODKAR)
husband forced to leave the village to pay off a debt, forcing
Shilpa into prostitution and other such dealings to help her
husband. Madhuri views her husband's sister in law (SHABANA AZMI)
crumble pitifully when her husband made the decision to leave her
to become a pandit. She also watches as her own kind husband
becomes an abusive drunk because of a bad buisnes deal. Finally,
deciding to do something about the bad treatment of the female
gender, she teaches the women to fight back. Madhuri starts
fighting her husband while he man handles her. Shilpa revolts
against an antagonist and his gambling partner when she calls
them both pimps and shows them what women are capable of (a great
scene in the movie). Shabana fights back in a less violent way by
falling in love and having sex with the family's kind hired help
(OM PURI) while still being married to her pandit husband. With
her lover does she find solace and heaven. Madhuri's husband is
killed by his buisness partners right after he apologizes to her,
eaving a pregnant Maduri to grieve. She decides to take revenge
on all the men in the village who have wronged her or any of her
family. Meanwhile, Shabana is caught by her husband when she gets
pregnant. A mass execution in the village is planned for Shabana
and her love. What will happen?? Will Madhuri get revenge?? Will
she save Shabana from dying?? Watch Mrityudand.
Acting is four star caliber on the part of the three heroines. Maduri Dixit has proved that she has acting skills as well as dance talent. Shilpa Shirodkar really surprises with her bold and polished acting talent. She is truly a brilliant actress. Shabana Azmi and Om puri have done a marvelous job playing the doomed lovers. Ayub Khan is good in her small role, though not as good as the other performers. After the horrible SALMA PE DIL AAGAYA, he has made a nice recovery. Music is brilliant by the recovering Anand Milind. Lyrics are excellent by Javed Akhtar. Prakash Jha's screenplay and directing is excellent. Nothing is shabby about this film. It should win awards.
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