Deepti Naval's Freaky Chakra, a Rectangular Love Story

          MUMBAI: Lately, the Indian film industry seems to be producing a series of films on the older woman and younger man romance. After recent releases like Farhan Akhtar's 'Dil Chahta Hai', Shashilal Nair's 'Ek Choti Si Love Story', Somnath Sen's 'Leela', the latest to join the bandwagon is Deepti Naval starrer 'Freaky Chakra' directed by VK Prakash which was formally launched in Mumbai for release on February 7.

          'Freaky Chakra' is a film about an edgy 40-year-old widow played by Deepti Naval, whose life comes to a standstill after her husband's death. Her life becomes lonely and ritualistic. A retired banker named Sundaram (Sachin Khadekar) who has a soft corner for the lady doesn't have the guts to confess his feelings for her. But it's the relationship with her 19-year-old paying guest that brings changes in her life overnight.

           Former ad-film-maker-turned-film-director, VK Prakash's debut film 'Punaradhivasam' featuring Nandita Das won the National Award for best Malayalam film. His second venture 'Freaky Chakra' which is in English with Hindi songs, might seem to be repetitive in its content but he insists that structure-wise it is completely different from what the Indian audiences have been used to viewing, which sets the film apart from the others.

           Says VK Prakash: After Subhash Ghai's 'Saudagar' in 1991 and Feroz Khan's 'Yalgaar' in 1992 Deepti Naval kept away from films out of choice. Her come-back as a social worker in Jagmohan Mundra's 'Bawander' set the release of a series of her films like Boney Kapoor's 'Shakti', Somanath Sen's 'Leela' and Raj Basu's 'Wings of Hope'. All these films have given her the creative vent that Deepti found missing in formula films. Her eccentric character as Ms Thomas in 'Freaky Chakra' is the kind which was never performed and she believes that it gives a new perspective to the portrayal of Indian women in Indian cinema.

           Deepti Naval says: Another character which has helped the director in giving the film its unique structure is VJ-turned actor Ranvir. Ranvir has the key role of a narrator in the film and is also involved in the plot of the film.

          Ranvir has to say: The whole film was conceived and shot in a month!

           According to producer/distributor of Freaky Chakra, Sunil Mutreja, whose last film 'American Desi' was a hit, feels that films like these which have a different subject are more bankable than other big-budget films which can account to severe losses.

          Sunil Mutreja: Freaky Chakra has a punch line which reads 'a rectangular love story'. This has built up a lot of curiosity among audiences.

February 2,  2003