kamlabai

while watching kamlabai i could not but help superimpose her with padmatai. the same quick wit, sharp tongue, dedication to their art, and irritable, affectionate diva-like personality. kamlabai was the first woman who acted in a film made in india- an aging stage actress who lives alone in a pune apartment. sometimes her children and grandchildren visit her. but mostly her company are the caretakers and cleaners whom she reprimands cantankerously and, at the risk of sounding corny, her memories. the film was beautifully made and very moving. through her stories the history of marathi theater and film seemed rich and varied. i wonder sometimes whether it still exists as a vital force or has it been completely submerged under the jingoistic marathi manoos notion of culture- shivaji and dombivili fast.