A hard-hitting film, Banaras breaks away from stereotypes. The best part of the film is that it dares to be different. Earnest in intentions, director Pankaj Parashar weaves emotional patterns with his able craftsmanship.
Brahmin girl Urmila Matondkar falls for music professor of low caste Ashmit Patel, causing much havoc in temple town. Her parents Raj Babbar and Dimple Kapadia are not terribly excited with the match, but agree to get the two of them married when they learn that the boy may not actually have dodgy roots after all.
But even before the sound of wedding bells can resonate, the groom-to-be is mysteriously killed. Even as Urmila grapples to deal with her loss and turns to spirituality for answers, she discovers that her parents were never really going to let this wedding take place, and that they’d been secretly urging her fiancé to call off the wedding himself.
Hurt and betrayed, but also suddenly blessed with the power to read people’s minds, Urmila abandons her parents and her home and moves to Mauritius where she continues to live as a spiritual healer.
The film tackles the novl theme with utmost sincerity and makes one sit up and think. The director has a complete grip over the script and a few sequences bear testimony to the fact. Some instances – Urmila’s sequence with Ashmeet Patel, and prior to that the scene with her mother , Dimple revealing the mystery and many more.
But the film suffers in two departments – One, the setting and the mood of the film would restrict its appeal to a niche audience; Two, the narrative, at times, gives the feel of a docu-drama.The songs aren’t the type that would excite the hardcore movie buff. Dialogues are dipped in acid. Cinematography is first-rate.
Urmila is in form yet again. From a simple girl to a preist, her transformation is amazing. She showcases her talent with remarkable ease. Ashmeet enacts his part with maturity. Dimple shines in a negative role. Naseer is quite nice.
Banaras holds appeal for lovers of realistic cinema. From the box-office point of view, it has chances at select cinemas of metros mainly.