It is not very often that you are treated to an Indian film as meticulously constructed as debutante Achal Mishra’s Maithili language drama Gamak Ghar(translated to ‘village house’ and pronounced as ‘गामक घर’).The young filmmaker’s control over the cinematic form is impressive, especially his mis-en-scene. The sources of his inspiration also filled me with much delight.
Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda is one of my most favourite contemporary directors and I spent a better part of the last month devouring his oeuvre. I am still under the spell of his subtle, minimalist cinema that unexpectedly leaves you emotionally wrecked, much like another Japanese master Yasujiro Ozu’s films. Many a movie buff has lamented over the absence of such intimate domestic dramas in Indian cinema, despite the large potential. Imagine my delight on spotting the influence of these legendary filmmakers in Gamak Ghar.

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