Dance of the Wind

Though visually arresting and making beautiful use of classical Indian music, this film by British-based Rajan Khosa never opts for a picture postcard view of life in contemporary Delhi. It centres on an acclaimed singer who finds herself unable to perfom after the death of her mother and mentor. The loss affects her career, and her relationship with her students and her husband. Lyrical and meditative it may be, but the film shows us things seldom depicted in Indian cinema (the heroine vomiting in the lavatory) and firmly contextualises the singer's life, steeped in art, tradition and taste, within a world that also includes poverty, violence, injustice and bhangra. Simple, elegant and as resonant as the lovely sounds heard throughout.