''Utsav'' ( Hindi: उत्सव; English: Festival) is a 1984 Hindi

erotic Eroticism () is a quality that causes sexual feelings, as well as a philosophical contemplation concerning the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality, and romantic love. That quality may be found in any form of artwork, including painting, scul ...

drama film, produced by

Shashi Kapoor Shashi Kapoor (pronounced �əʃi kəpuːɾ (born Balbir Raj Kapoor; 18 March 1938 – 4 December 2017) was an Indian actor and film producer who is best known for his work in Hindi films. A recipient of several accolades, including four Nation ...

and directed by Girish Karnad. The film is based on play '' Mrichakatika'' (''

The Little Clay Cart ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'') by

Śūdraka Shudraka (IAST: ) was an Indian playwright, to whom three Sanskrit plays are attributed: '' Mrichchhakatika'' (''The Little Clay Cart''), ''Vinavasavadatta'', and a ''bhana'' (short one-act monologue), ''Padmaprabhritaka''.Bhattacharji, Sukumari ...

. The film stars Shankar Nag,

, Rekha, Amjad Khan, Anuradha Patel, Shekhar Suman, Anupam Kher, Neena Gupta, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Annu Kapoor, Sanjana Kapoor and Kunal Kapoor. The role of Samsthanak is played by Shashi Kapoor, who is also the producer of the movie. It was originally supposed to be played by

Amitabh Bachchan Amitabh Bachchan (; born as Amitabh Shrivastav; 11 October 1942) is an Indian actor, film producer, television host, occasional playback singer and former politician known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of the most succe ...

. However, in July 1982, Bachchan met with a major accident in Bangalore. So the producer himself decided to step in. The film's music is by Laxmikant-Pyarelal and is noted for its songs like, 'Man Kyun Behka Re Behka Aadhi Raat Ko', a famous duet song by sisters Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle. Anuradha Paudwal's 'Mere Man Baja Mridang' for which she won the

Filmfare Best Female Playback Award The Filmfare Best Female Playback Award is given by ''Filmfare'' as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female playback singer who has delivered an outstanding performance in a film song. Although the award cerem ...

in 1985.

Suresh Wadkar Suresh Ishwar Wadkar (born 7 August 1955) is an Indian playback singer. He performs in both Hindi and Marathi films. He has sung songs in some Bhojpuri films, Odia albums and bhajans and in Konkani films. He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Aka ...

also has a song, 'Sanjh Dhale Gagan Tale'. The Central Board of Film Certification of India gave the film an "A" certificate on 23 August 1984.

Overview

The film is an adaptation of ' (''The Little Clay Cart''), a ten-act Sanskrit drama attributed to

, an ancient playwright generally thought to have lived sometime between the second century BC and the fifth century AD whom the prologue identifies as a Kshatriya king and a devotee of Siva who lived for 100 years. The play is set in the ancient city of Ujjayini during the reign of the King Pālaka, near the end of the Pradyota dynasty that made up the first quarter of the fifth century BC.

Plot

The story is about a courtesan,

Vasantasena Vasantasena (Fifth century BC) was a courtesan of Ujjayini according to ancient Indian literature, who earned fame and prosperity due to her finesse in various art forms such as singing, dancing, poetry, and courting as well as for her beauty. She ...

( Rekha), and her chance meeting with a poor Brahmin man, Charudatta ( Shekhar Suman), in

Ujjain Ujjain (, Hindustani language, Hindustani pronunciation: Help:IPA/Hindi and Urdu, �d͡ːʒɛːn is a city in Ujjain district of the States and territories of India, Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the fifth-largest city in Madhya Prad ...

Cast

as Samsthanak * Rekha as Vasantsena * Amjad Khan as Vatsayana, author of Kamasutra; narrator * Shankar Nag as Sajjal, the thief * Kulbhushan Kharbanda as Teacher of Aryak * Shekhar Suman as Charudutt * Neena Gupta as Madanika, courtesan slave in Vasantsena's house * Anuradha Patel as Aditi, Charudutt's Wife * Anupam Kher as Samsthanak's friend * Annu Kapoor as Masseur who is trying to be an ascetic * Sanjana Kapoor as A courtesan slave in Vasantsena's house * Kunal Kapoor as Aryak, the revolutionary. * Harish Patel as Maitreya, Charudutt's friend. * Yunus Parvez as One of the gamblers, who later becomes the owner of the masseur * Satish Kaushik as Cart driver

Production

The film was shot in Kolkebail, Karnataka in 1982–83. Producer Shashi Kapoor incurred a loss of Rs 1.5 crore after the film's release in 1984.

Soundtrack

The film's soundtrack was composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal and the lyrics were penned by

Vasant Dev Vasant Deo (1929-1996) was an Indian writer, lyricist and screenwriter and a Hindi academic at Parle College in Mumbai. He worked in Hindi parallel cinema through the 1980s, working with directors like Shyam Benegal, Govind Nihalani and Mahesh ...

Awards

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 0088335, title=Utsav
A study of film Utsav
1984 films 1980s Hindi-language films Films scored by Laxmikant–Pyarelal Indian erotic drama films Indian films based on plays Films set in the 5th century BC Films about courtesans in India Films whose production designer won the Best Production Design National Film Award 1980s erotic drama films Indian epic films Films directed by Girish Karnad 1984 drama films