Namdev Bhau in Search of Silence

Thursday 11 October, Cinema 1, 8:45pm

 

Chauffeur Namdev is at the end of both his career and his wits, driven mad as he has been for years by the cacophony of Mumbai, one of the noisiest cities in the world. To make matters worse, his family can’t stop jabbering. Namdev stops talking, packs his suitcase and leaves for the fabled mountain retreat Silent Valley, where he hopes to find peace at last. However, on arriving in the Himalayas, Namdev is dismayed to find the locals are just as garrulous. Thoughtfully paced and with terrific performances, Dar Gai’s second feature confirms her as an exciting new voice in contemporary Indian cinema, delivering a beautiful portrait of an old man who is tired of life and sick of pretending otherwise.