Dear Maya is a 2017 Indian drama film directed by Sunaina Bhatnagar in her debut feature. The film stars Manisha Koirala in the title role of a lonely woman residing in the hill town of Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. Pakistani actress and newcomer Madiha Imam and Shreya Chaudhary play supporting roles and filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra makes a special appearance in the film which released theatrically on 2 June 2017.
| Dear Maya | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Sunaina Bhatnagar |
| Written by | Sunaina Bhatnagar Dialogues: Sanjeev Dutta |
| Produced by | Shobhna Yadav Sandeep Leyzell |
| Starring | Manisha Koirala Madiha Imam Shreya Chaudhary |
| Cinematography | Sayak Bhattacharya |
| Edited by | Aarti Bajaj |
| Music by | Anupam Roy Sandman |
Production company | Bake My Cake Films |
| Distributed by | Wave Cinemas |
Release date |
|
Running time | 131 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
Plot
editThe film opens into the lives of teenage girls Anna and Ira, students at a convent (Catholic) school in Shimla. They are particularly close and divide their daytime between school and romance novels and boys and, occasionally, sleepovers. They are very intrigued by their reclusive middle-aged neighbor Maya Devi, who lives alone in a large house (with her two dogs) and rarely goes out. Anna's mother explains that Maya Devi lost her father early and lived in that house with her chacha (father's brother) and mother. Maya Devi was, and still is, a beautiful girl, but her chacha constantly thwarted her marriage (by berating her and chasing away suitors). This was because he stood to inherit her estate. In time he died, and Maya resigned herself to a dreary and solitary life.
Ira devises a plan to write love letters to Maya. The girls hope that this prank may bring some light into Maya's life. They write letters, vivid and touching and steamy, pretending to be a former suitor, now in Delhi, still pining for Maya. Ira takes the prank further by breaking into Maya's house one evening to steal a photograph. This goes badly; Ira breaks her ankle, as does Maya's maid; the girls are reprimanded, and Anna is tasked with filling in for the maid until the maid recovers. During this time, Anna gets a little closer to Maya. The letters still arrive, and Anna observes that Maya becomes happier with each new letter.
One day Maya stuns everyone by announcing that she is selling the house and moving to Delhi to find the letter writer, her long lost suitor. Anna discovers, to her horror, that the letter which prompted the decision was written by Ira and had an explicit invitation. She runs to dissuade Maya but is unable to do so. She confides in her mother. Anna is reprimanded and sent away to boarding school, away from Ira. Anna leaves without saying goodbye to Ira and they never speak again. Ira is shattered.
Torn by the guilt of her prank, Anna makes it her mission to find Maya in Delhi. Over the next six years, she sticks posters, makes phone calls, and follows every lead to find Maya. She finds a boyfriend, Rahul, who ultimately proposes to her but she is unable to accept. She returns to Shimla to discuss this with her parents. Ira visits her, but Anna is still angry and turns her away. Ira is profusely sorry and persists and ultimately accompanies Anna back to Delhi. Anna is still mad at Ira for her selfish and childish behaviour which likely destroyed Maya's life, but Ira reveals that she, too, had fallen in love with Shimla and had lost her love to a motor accident, and now, having lost love, is fully aware of the true consequences of her pranks. Anna forgives Ira and persuades her to transfer to a college in Delhi. But Ira decides to return to Shimla. As Anna bids goodbye to Ira at the train station, she receives a phone call from Maya.
The girls hurry to meet Maya. To their astonishment, they find her, bright and sparkling and happy, at the zoo garden. Maya reveals her story. She had arrived in Delhi and tried to trace the letter writer but found nothing. Instead, over time, she found that Delhi and the world outside Shimla were not so frightening after all. People were helpful and kind. And she eventually met a kind and charming man who owned a jewelry shop. In time she became close to this man, Ved, and they married. And today Maya is blissfully happy with her Ved. The letters changed her life, and she tells them to say 'yes' to life. Anna and Ira are stunned. They joyfully hug Maya, and she embraces them and invites them to call at any time.
The film ends as Anna accepts Rahul's proposal and Ira transfers to a college in Delhi.
Cast
edit- Manisha Koirala as Maya Devi
- Madiha Imam as Anna
- Shreya Chaudhary as Ira
- Iravati Harshe as Anna's Mother
- Reuben Israel as Anna's Father
- Sahil Shroff as Rahul
- Rohit Suresh Saraf as Neal
- Madhu Rajesh as Ira's Mother
- Sahiba Bali as Radha
- Jared Savaille as Maya Devi's son
- Naila Grewal as Hostel Roommate
- Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra as Ved (special appearance)
Production
editDear Maya was written and directed by debutante director Sunaina Bhatnagar.[1] The film marked the return of actress Manisha Koirala, who was on sabbatical from the film industry after being diagnosed with cancer.[2] It also features debutante actress Shreya Chaudhary and Madiha Imam in pivotal supporting roles.[3] Principal photography for the film took place in Loreto Convent, Tara Hall, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh in March 2016.[4]
Marketing and release
editThe three-minutes long trailer for the film was released on YouTube on 5 May 2017, to positive response from critics and audience.[5] Manisha Koirala's ability to play versatile roles was met with praise; as noted by a commentator from The Indian Express it was a perfect comeback for Koirala who is, "doing what she does best, playing interesting characters onscreen". The film had its theatrical release on 2 June 2017 in India.[2] The film had limited screen shows as it only screened on 75 screens. It clashed with seven films at the box office.
Soundtrack
edit| Dear Maya | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Anupam Roy & SandMan | |
| Released | 19 May 2017[6] |
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack |
| Length | 21:04 |
| Label | Zee Music Company |
The soundtrack of Dear Maya was composed by Anupam Roy & SandMan, while the lyrics were written by Irshad Kamil.[7]
| No. | Title | Music | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Saat Rangon Se" | Anupam Roy | Rekha Bhardwaj | 04:37 |
| 2. | "Sune Saaye" | Anupam Roy | Harshdeep Kaur | 05:08 |
| 3. | "Kehne Ko" | Anupam Roy | Jonita Gandhi | 04:26 |
| 4. | "Saat Rangon Se (Acoustic)" | Anupam Roy | Anupam Roy | 04:35 |
| 5. | "Buri Buri" | SandMan | Rashi Mal | 02:16 |
| 6. | "Background Score" | Anupam Roy | Anupam Roy | 09:24 |
| Total length: | 21:04 | |||
Reception
editUpon release in India, Dear Maya received a mixed response. There was praise for Koirala's performance, but criticism of its overstretched narrative.[8][9][10][11][12][13][14]
References
edit- ^ "Spotted: Manisha Koirala on 'Dear Maya' sets in Shimla". Mid-Day. 5 April 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
- ^ a b "Dear Maya Trailer: Manisha Koirala's film is about a lonely woman's search for love". The Indian Express. 5 May 2017. Archived from the original on 10 June 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
- ^ "Dear Maya". Sify. Archived from the original on 5 May 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
- ^ "Manisha Koirala shooting her next film in Shimla". The Indian Express. 31 March 2016. Archived from the original on 14 May 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
- ^ "Manisha Koirala is back with Dear Maya trailer". Hindustan Times. 5 May 2017. Archived from the original on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
- ^ "Dear Maya (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". iTunes.
- ^ "Dear Maya - Full Movie Audio Jukebox". YouTube. Archived from the original on 31 August 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
- ^ Singh, Suhani (2 June 2017). "Dear Maya movie review: Manisha Koirala is the star in this mawkish coming-of-age story". India Today. Archived from the original on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
- ^ Ghosh, Stutee (2 June 2017). "'Dear Maya' Review: Manisha Koirala's Grace Makes It Worth a Watch". The Quint. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
- ^ Gupta, Shubhra (2 June 2017). "Dear Maya review: Manisha Koirala's film works in fits and starts". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
- ^ Bhave, Nihit (2 June 2017). "Dear Maya Movie Review". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 7 June 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
- ^ Verma, Sukanya (2 June 2017). "Review: Dear Maya: For the love of Manisha Koirala". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 9 April 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
- ^ Kaushal, Sweta (2 June 2017). "Dear Maya movie review: Manisha Koirala shines like a diamond in a coal mine". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
- ^ "Dear Maya, Manisha Koirala's film on the power of epistolary love, says both too much, and too little". Firstpost. 5 June 2017. Archived from the original on 8 June 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2017.