In Bollywood, soft thriller and elegant movie are rarely blended. Both of them are in Hey Kameeni, and the tension builds until the big reveal. It is well deserving of the praise from critics and the accolades it won at nine international film festivals.
Anjali Joshi and Mani Shankar have written a great piece of entertainment. It's a humorous interpretation of a very serious social subtext.
It's a tale of millennial attitude and anguish in which social and gender conceptions are constantly at odds. "I made a film on a little girl confronting life-she doesn't need villains to screw things up, she just needs to stop being afraid, get her act together, and find the 'Kameeni' inside," says director Mani Shankar.
Hey Kameeni is a breath of fresh air, especially after the "Animal" and its strong misogynistic alpha Male posturing came so quickly. It is deserving of its many international honors.While the discussion about nepotism rages on, this movie features a number of excellent newcomers in both the acting and musical departments.
Asheema Vardhan portrays a vibrant and flawless Gauri. You completely understand her. "Director Mani Shankar's rigorous workshops and subtext analysis brought out the best in me," said Asheema.
The portrayal of Kamini by debutante Drishika Chandar, who is kind but cunning, giving but obnoxious, is perfect.This is the tale of Kamini, a young lady. She must hide her identity in order to live on the streets of a foreign city.
She spends the night in the hospital waiting area in quest of protection. It also tells the tale of the close friendships that are formed along the road and how millennials are redefining morality.
With a distinctive melody, "Dice," a song by Japanese composer Ken Guma, who is making his Bollywood debut, is guaranteed to make its way onto many well-known playlists. You should definitely add the passionate "Dil Awara" and the poignant "Tu hai kahan" by singer-composer Rinki Sharma to your play list.
Veterans Supriya Karnik and Avijit Dutt brilliantly portray their succinct but powerful characters.
The portrayal of Tashi by well-known modern dancer Somnath Hota is endearing. Somnath Hota, Bhuvan, Kela, Shubham Singh, and Adesh Srivastav leave their mark.
Hey Kameeni will make you feel thoughtful and happy. "Wakt aane par aurat se bada koi mard nahin hota," the movie further claims.
Director - Mani Shankar
Cast - Aasheema Vardaan as Gauri, Drishika Chander as Kamini.
Script and Screenplay - Mani Shankar and Anjali Joshi