28 March,2009 08:23 AM IST | | Bryan Durham
What's it about: Chand (Zinta), the daughter of the soil (saada Punjab) is spunky for all of 10 minutes. She's the kind of girl that reminds you of the vivaciousness we associate with the state. All that goes out the window when she's sent to Kanayda (read: Canada) to marry cab driver, Rocky.
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They're wed in a gurudwara soon enough. Chand finds work with sis-in-law at a sweatshop. Singing sis-in-law isn't much help when Chand suggests she find 'better work'.
Her big shock comes when they're rolling rotis in the kitchen at home. Freaked out by her ma-in-law's screams, Chand pushes her away. She screams blue murder.
Sonny boy Rocky sarcastically strolls in to find mom on floor. The trashing and the kicking starts. While Chand cowers in a corner, bruised and battered, she mumbles an old fable/limerick about a sheshnaag her mother taught her.
At work, a Jamaican colleague gives her "magic root" so the husband can give her "some lovin'". No such luck for the eager-to-please wifey. The hubby faints in a heap. When he comes to, there's more pushing around.
Then, there's the matter of the snake in the backyard...
What's hot: Preity Zinta has never been at the receiving end (of a stinging slap, a thuggish kick) in any film. By that standard, her choosing to play a battered housewife was a brave career choice. She's one of the few reasons to watch this film. And Ekta, you'll definitely want this bad ma-in-law for one of your shows. She's pure evil.
What's not: This has to be one of Deepa Mehta's worst films ever. It's laudable that she tries to sympathise with the victims in domestic violence.
But it's completely laughable that she's trying to get us to believe the notion that Chand's probably been to bed with a sheshnaag (her guardian angel and safe harbour) who takes on the guise of her pati.
Chand goes from being a vivacious woman to being a docile biwi to being a complete doormat.u00a0u00a0
What to do? Snakes aren't bad at all. In any case, they're a whole lot better than paying to watch this self-defeating flick. Stay away. Far, far away!
Videsh: Heaven On Earth
A; Drama
Dir: Deepa Mehta
Cast: Preity Zinta, Vansh Bhardwaj
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At a cinema near you
Churchgate Inox (10.30 am, 3.30 pm, 8.45 pm)
Marine Lines Metro Big (11 am, 6.50 pm, 10.55 pm)
CST Sterling (12.15 pm, 6 pm, 10.30 pm)
Goregaon PVR (12.15 pm, 2.15 pm, 6.45 pm, 10.50 pm)
Juhu PVR (12.45 pm, 3.45 pm, 5.45 pm, 10.35 pm)
Lower Parel PVR (12.25 pm, 4.40 pm, 8.45 pm, 10.45 pm)
Colaba Regal (7 pm)
Wadala Imax Big (12.05 pm, 8.45 pm)
Mulund R Big (3.55 pm, 11 pm), PVR (10.50 am, 3.40 pm, 8.30 pm, 10.50 pm)
Grant Road Apsara (10 am, 2.15 pm, 6.45 pm, 11 pm)
