The much awaited and talked about magnum opus of Maqbool Fida Hussain hit the theatres last weekend. Dashaka Films Pvt Ltd's Gajagamini is a metaphor for the journey of a woman called Gajagamini, who is suspended in time and space. She is a blend of art, history, music and poetry; she is the amalgamation of all the feminine characters of today, tomorrow and yesteryears presented from the point of view of India's most well-known artist.

All the characters act as point of reference and are in constant interaction with one another about the essence and identity of a woman, Madhuri Dixit. She was portrayed as the power (shakti) to consolidate womankind in a man's world. Madhuri plays different characters ranging from Shakuntala of Kalidas, Monalisa of Leonard Da Vinci, to the beloved of Shahrukh Khan (who has a very brief role).

The film is nothing but an operatic ballet, interspread with colours and music. It looks more like an illusion of the director, where he has tried to convey his ideas through various shapes. The music is scored by the famous music director Bhupen Hazarika. The song Do sadiyoon ke ....., sung by Udit Narayan, is a melodious piece.

Like a painting, the film has a very colourful look, with eye-catching visuals. However, these are perhaps not so impressive considering the past work of the ace cameraman Ashok Mehta. The choreography is the one aspect which deserves special mention and the credit for this goes to Saroj Khan.

Even actors like Shabana Azmi, Naseerudin Shah, Mohan Agashe and Ashish Vidyarthi cannot hold the audience for three hours, and ultimately, Gajagamini seems nothing more than an extension of the director's thoughts and illusions on celluloid.

By: Sharmistha Chakraborty

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