‘Henna’ Mixes Poignancy, Flamboyance

The late, legendary Indian star-director-producer Raj Kapoor’s final project, “Henna,” at Laemmle’s Grande in downtown Los Angeles. Directed by his son Randhir and starring another son, Rishi, “Henna” is not in the tradition of the Chaplinesque films that brought Kapoor international renown, but is a typical, popular Indian blockbuster with a 200-minute running time (not including intermission), lots of singing and dancing, flamboyant emoting and gorgeous scenery and costumes in color. It’s also fun, if you’re in the mood for extravagant melodrama and not expecting Satyajit Ray.

Its claim to distinction is that it apparently is the first Indian production permitted to shoot in Pakistan. (Ironically, much of the film’s Indian portions were actually filmed in Austria because of political turmoil in Kashmir.) Rishi Kapoor plays a pudgy Kashmiri playboy, who, while rushing to his engagement party in the rain, skids off the road in his sports car, crashing into a river, which carries him eventually into a Pakistani mountain village. In a state of amnesia, he’s cared for by kindly, happy peasants, and falls in love with the local beauty Henna (Zeba Bhaktiar, a top Pakistani TV star). As corny as “Henna” is, it does evoke the poignancy of the painful legacy of Partition.

Presented by distributor Anthony Sunil, ‘Henna” (Times-rated Family) marks the first local theatrical release in years of a commercial Indian picture--as opposed to an art film--to be shown with English subtitles. Sunil plans to follow “Henna” next Thursday at Sheraton Grande with another popular three-hours-plus hit with English subtitles, “Saudagar.”

(Indian films also are shown at the Old El Portal Theater on Lankershim Boulevard, which recently reopened as the Rani. Films here have so far been shown without subtitles.)

Information: India Impact at (310) 878-5555. Laemmle Grande show times: (213) 617-0268. Rani Theater information: (800) 400-RANI.

‘Henna’ Rishi Kapoor: Chandra Prakash Zeba Bhaktiar: Henna Ashvini Bhave: Chandri Saeed Jaffrey Henna’s uncle

An India Impact presentation of an R.K. Film production. Director Randhir Kapoor. Screenplay by Jainendra Jain; based on a story by K.A. Abbas & J. Sathe. Cinematographer Radhu Karmarkan. Editor Suresh Bhatt. Costumes Banu Tiya. Music Ravindra Jain. Running time: 3 hours, 10 minutes, plus intermission. In Hindi, with English subtitles.

Times-rated Family (suitable for all ages).