Janmadinam (The Day of Birth) (1997)

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Janmadinam is a psychological drama about two generations of women who have spiritual links. The plot revolves around Sarasu, a TV reporter who is having a baby. She is unhappily married to Raghu and still dreams of her former love, Ajay. The actual time span of the film is a single night, which a… More Janmadinam is a psychological drama about two generations of women who have spiritual links. The plot revolves around Sarasu, a TV reporter who is having a baby. She is unhappily married to Raghu and still dreams of her former love, Ajay. The actual time span of the film is a single night, which a mother and daughter spend at a maternity ward. By dawn, a baby is born. During the hours of waiting, time and space lose their meaning. The non-linear structure of the film is a novelty for Indian cinema, but it often unnecessarily obscures the plot. The same can be said of the sub-texts, one of which is violence -- violence within self (question of abortion), in the family, and communal riots in Mumbai (Bombay) on larger scale. Janmadinam was screened as part of the International Forum of New Cinema at the 49th International Berlin Film Festival, 1999. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, Rovi