hey,

the film, "Mitr-My Friend", directed by ‘Revathi’ & acted by my all-time favourite ‘Shobana’, is really a wonderful film to watch, truly made from the heart... I watched the film again yesterday after 4 long yrs, when it was released in theatre & it still looked fresh...

Very sensitively portrayed, with superb direction and a good background musical score, I liked it immensely... It brings out very effectively feelings, emotions and happenings in a real family... Its really a delightful fare & Shobana is fantastic!

If anybody of u havent seen the film yet, i will make sure u don’t miss it after reading the movie-review of the film below.... luv...pravins.

Prithvi (Nasir Abdullah) is a successful software engineer living in California with his family in Mitr - My Friend.

All he is concerned about is earning his bread. In so doing, he neglects his family, leaving his wife to take care of the house and their daughter.

Lakshmi (Shobhana) comes from a small town in South India and is catapulted straight into California after marriage.

A meek housewife, she lives for her husband, daughter and home, ignoring her own likes and dislikes.

Mitr - My Friend highlights the differences between the married couple. Their daughter Divya (Preeti Vissa) adopts the Western lifestyle faster than her mother.

Divya rebels against the 'foolish Indian traditions' her mother believes in. And Lakshmi cannot tolerate Divya's Western attitude and American boyfriend.

As the differences between mother and daughter widen, Lakshmi longs for her Indian roots. She longs for companionship and a friend in an alien land.

Her loneliness only increases with her husband ignoring her.

Caught up in his work, Prithvi fails to notice the widening gap between mother and daughter. The relationship between father and daughter is strained since he fails to share Lakshmi's concern about their daughter.

Lakshmi's search for companionship leads her to Internet chat rooms. She finds a chat friend, a stranger.

Her loneliness brings her closer to her mitr [friend], whom she can scold in her native tongue, confide in and care about. And through her chat friend, she re-discovers herself.

WHY 'Mitr My Friend'?

There are millions of women out there, all over the world, who give their all to their marriages, homes, children but somewhere down the years stop thinking about their own feelings and needs.

The strong pillars of any relationship - COMMUNICATION and FRIENDSHIP, disappear and emotional poverty sets in.

There are very few Indian films that look at this aspect of a women's life and even fewer from a woman's perspective.

Revathy decided that the first film she directed would be this.

Thus was born 'Mitr My Friend'.

This is what Revathy had to say on the online message board, published before the release of the film, from Toronto on Thu Jan 17 2002:


Hi,

I wish to introduce myself as Revathy,film actress,from Chennai, INDIA.

I have acted in over a 125 films in Tamil,Telugu,Malayalam and my Hindi films include Love, Anjali, Muskurahat and Raat.

I have just directed a film Mitr-My Friend .

When I decided to direct a film,I wanted to make a film that talks about feelings,emotions and happenings in a real family....

All the Indians working abroad have left loved ones back home in India and gone to make a new life.... I decided that this would be my base for the story.

The story is of an Indian family in the US and the relationships and emotions between the husband-wife, the mother-daughter and the father-daughter.

A story we feel will be identifiable not only with the Indian families, but with Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Srilankan communities, specially the women.

The film is scheduled for release on the 15th of February,2002.

This kind of film needs all the support it can get, as the success of films like this will pave the way for more of its kind. Please ask your friends to see the film when released.

THIS FILM WAS SHOT IN THE USA and has an all women technical crew.

Wishing you all the very best ,

Regards,

Revathy.



STORY RE-TOLD: 'Mitr My Friend'

'Mitr - My Friend' explores the emotions of an Indian family which has been living in America for 18 years. Prithvi (Nasir Abdullah), born and raised in America marries Lakshmi (Shobana), from a small town in India.

Lakshmi: He swept me off my feet with his charm and the fact that he is in 'America - The land of dreams' fascinated everyone around me.

Prithvi: Her innocence struck a chord in me that I did not know existed.

Lakshmi's life revolves around her husband and daughter Divya (Preeti Vissa). As Divya gets older her dependence on her mother reduces and the cultural differences between the two become huge barriers.

Divya: You are living in a world that you left 18 years back. Even in India people are more forward in their thoughts than you are.

While Divya cannot understand why her mother remains so steeped in "foolish Indian traditions", Lakshmi cannot understand Divya's outlook towards life. Prithvi too fails to see Lakshmi's growing loneliness and thirst for her roots.

Prithvi: You have to learn to let go..... you are too immersed in yourself and you are making things difficult for both of us.

Lakshmi: If caring is clinging.... then how do you express love?

At one point Lakshmi sits up and realises that she does not want to be taken for granted anymore. For the first time in 18 years she questions herself on her wants and desires, likes and dislikes. And she rediscovers the myriad possibilities of living.

Lakshmi: I have lived for my husband and my daughter all along and have forgotten who I am. There are millions of Lakshmis out there, all over the world, who give their all to their marriages, homes, children and somewhere down the years stop thinking about their own feelings and wants. The strong pillars of any relationship - communication and friendship disappear and emotional poverty sets in. This film explores these nuances of women's lives, firmly believing in every Lakshmi's strength and capacity to make things better.