Directed by Mahesh Dattani India, 2002, 35mm, 90 min. East Coast Premiere

A visually vibrant and emotionally heartfelt tale of gay love and coming out in modern-day India. One hot weekend, depressed young gay fashion designer Kamlesh (the lovable Ankur Vikal) invites his best friends to his family's lavish summer home to help him forget a romance-gone-bad. But there are unexpected visitors - Kamlesh's sister Kiran (the astounding Rinkie Khanna), who's recovering from being rejected in an arranged marriage, and her new fiancé, Ed (brilliantly tormented Atul Kulkarni), a man with explosive secrets.

One of the most sublime pleasures of Mango Soufflé is its distinctly Indian style of cinematic storytelling. In a delirious sequence that cuts between three different settings and times at breakneck speed, we get the entire tangled history of a love triangle that ensnares poor Kamlesh. And when his friends sprint through the mango orchard to retrieve an X-rated photo blowing in the wind, the scene can only be described as screwball-comedy-meets-Hollywood. Then there's a manic pop-Indian score over slow-motion shots of wide-eyed emotion, a technique that's downright hallucinatory. But the joys are more than sensory here.

Writer-director Mahesh Dattani, a world-renowned playwright, has created a delicate drama; one that skillfully compares the shame of the closet with the cruelty of arranged marriage. The combination of stylized melodrama and gritty humanity brings to mind the cinematic genius of classic Fassbinder films. Don't miss your chance!

	Regal South Beach 8:00 pm screening $12 non-members/$10 members

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