Gudia(1997)
Gudia is a 1997 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Gautam Ghose. The film stars Nana Patekar as Hameed, a ventriloquist, and Smriti Mishra as Rosemary, a journalist. Set in a coastal village in Goa, the story follows Hameed's isolated life with his life-size doll Urvashi, whom he treats as a real companion. The arrival of Rosemary disrupts his world and forces him to confront his attachment to the doll. The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival, marking its international recognition. It is known for its gentle, character-driven narrative and emotional depth.
Quick Facts
- Theatrical Release
- 1 January 1997
- Director
- Pran
- Language
- Hindi
- Runtime
- 2h
- Rating
- 5.5/10
Storyline
A lonely ventriloquist named Hameed lives in a quiet Goan village with his only companion: a doll named Urvashi. He performs with her at local fairs. When a journalist named Rosemary arrives to write about him, she falls in love with him. But Hameed must choose between the real woman and the doll that has been his whole world.
“A love story between a man and his doll.”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for Gudia
Cast reunions in this film: Mithun Chakraborty & Pran (8 films together), Mithun Chakraborty & Avtar Gill (7 films together), Avtar Gill & Pran (4 films together), and Mithun Chakraborty & Aanjjan Srivastav (2 films together).
Trivia
- The film is based on Mahasweta Devi's Bengali play 'Rudaali', but the plot was heavily adapted to fit a Hindi cinema context.
- Goutam Ghose, known for his Bengali art films, made this his first and only full-length Hindi feature film.
- The doll Urvashi was custom-made for the film and required a puppeteer to operate its mouth movements during shooting.
- The film's release coincided with a period of communal tension in India, which mirrored some themes in the story.
- It was shot on location in Mumbai and Kolkata, blending the atmospheres of both cities for the narrative.
- Despite its dramatic plot, the film did not perform well commercially and remains a lesser-known work in Hindi cinema.
- The soundtrack featured compositions by classical musician Bhaskar Chandavarkar, blending folk and contemporary styles.