Dance Like a Man

Dance Like a Man is a 2004 Indian English-language dance drama film directed by Pamela Rooks based on the play of the same name by Mahesh Dattani.^[1] The film stars Shobana, Arif Zakaria and Anoushka Shankar in her acting debut.^[2] The film won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in English.^[3]

Dance Like a Man
DVD cover
Directed by	Pamela Rooks
Based on	Dance Like a Man by Mahesh Dattani
Produced by	NFDC Rooks A. V.
Starring	Shobana Arif Zakaria Anoushka Shankar
Cinematography	Sunny Joseph
Edited by	Bina
Music by	Ganesh—Kumaresh
Release date	1 May 2004 (2004-05-01)
Country	India
Language	English

Cast

• Shobana as Ratna
• Arif Zakaria as Jairaj Parekh
• Anoushka Shankar as Lata
• Mohan Agashe as Amritlal Parekh
• Samir Soni as Vishal

Production

Shobana and Anoushka Shankar were cast in the film due to their expertise in Bharatanatyam.^[4] After liking Arif Zakaria's performance as a eunuch in Darmiyaan (1997),^[5] he was cast in this film and underwent training in Bharatanatyam. The film was shot in Bangalore akin to the play.^[6][7] Shobana didn't watch the play because she didn't want to be influenced by it.^[8]

Reception

Critical response

Film critic Subhash K. Jha wrote that "Unlike Mahesh Dattani, who has deliberately denuded his film Morning Raga of the theatrical element, Pamela Rooks seems to revel in the staginess of the original material".^[9] A critic from Rediff.com and wrote that "Dance Like A Man can be lauded for trying, though it could have done much better to rise above the bookishness that often hampers the script".^[10] Reviewing the film at its Chennai screening in October 2004,^[5] a critic from The Hindu wrote that "On the whole the story and the time zones lend themselves to visual poetry at times eventhoughthe dialogue is painfully studied. The director uses the past and present in alternating sequences to tell the story and the visual imagery contrasts and merges with the narration. Adding mood to the striking frames are the classically tuned background score by Ganesh-Kumaresh, which heightens the sense of time and ambience in an artiste' s environment. But this is the kind of film that will attract only a niche audience".^[11]

References

1. Jha, Subhash K. (26 October 2004). "'Don't poke your audience, stroke them!'". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
2. "'I am not aching to pursue acting'". Rediff.com. 15 February 2003. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
3. Chatterjee, Saibal (5 October 2004). "Dance like a winner". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
4. Gahlaut, Kanika (29 December 2003). "Shobana ready with Pamela Rooks' 'Dance Like a Man'". India Today. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
5. "From stage to screen". The Hindu. 2 October 2004. Archived from the original on 7 February 2005. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
6. "All set to shoot Dance Like a Man". The Times of India. 13 December 2002. Archived from the original on 30 September 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
7. "'Dance Like A Man is an intimate story'". Rediff.com. 19 February 2003. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
8. Roy, Saumya (5 February 2022). "Shobhana". Outlook. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
9. Jha, Subhash K. (30 September 2004). "Dance Like A Man Review". Archived from the original on 26 September 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023 – via Nowrunning.
10. Venugopal, Bijoy (1 October 2004). "When a man dances". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 14 December 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
11. Mahesh, Chitra (1 October 2004). "Dance Like A Man". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 27 November 2007. Retrieved 8 October 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)

External links

• Dance Like a Man at IMDb