Amal (film)
Encyclopedia
Amal 2007, is a Canadian
drama film
directed and written by Richie Mehta
. Set in modern-day New Delhi
, India
, it tells the story of a poor autorickshaw driver, Amal Kumar.
The film was originally released as a short film in 2004, with the same lead actor but a mostly different cast, before it was readapted and expanded into a feature film three years later http://www.indianfilmfestival.org/press08/gr54_amal.pdf.
) is a hardworking sweet-natured autorickshaw driver. Driven by senses of honesty and responsibility, he charges the metre rate and is never late to pick up his regular fares: store merchant Pooja (Koel Purie
) and a schoolboy, son of exacting lawyer Sapna Agarwal (Seema Biswas
).
While riding in Amal's autorickshaw on one occasion, Pooja has her handbag snatched out of her hands by a beggar girl (Tanisha Chatterjee). Amal immediately starts pursuing the girl despite Pooja telling him to let it go, as the purse does not contain anything of value, and the chase ends when the beggar girl is hit by a car and falls unconscious on the ground. Horrified with what they have witnessed, Amal and Pooja take the girl to hospital. From then on, Amal regularly pays visits to the girl, speaks to her doctor and makes sure to remind the nurses to take good care of her.
One day Amal offers his services to an old man who has just been denied a ride by a different autorickshaw for the sake of another fare, a female tourist. Throughout the drive the old man who does not reveal his identity, that he is in fact local billionaire G.K. Jayaram (Naseeruddin Shah
) and has been wandering the streets of New Delhi searching for an honest man. After asking Amal some questions about his life, making insulting comments about his driving skills, and going back on his words with regard to his destination, G.K. pays his fare, and surprised that Amal does not accept a three rupee
tip, leaves.
After a short while, G.K. Jayaram dies and leaves his entire estate to the one honest and decent man he believes to have encountered – Amal. His will is not to be read out until Amal reports to the Jayarams' lawyer Sapna, who has no idea that Amal is her son's longtime autorickshaw driver. If Amal is not found within a month, G.K.'s estate will be inherited by his family members. Sapna deploys Suresh (Roshan Seth
), G.K.'s old companion (who has his own eye on G.K.'s fortune), to find out Amal's whereabouts. Convinced that it is unfair for the estate to be inherited by a stranger autorickshaw driver while the Jayarams get nothing, Suresh and G.K.'s son Vivek (Vik Sahay
) secretly develop a plan where Suresh will not look for Amal, so that after a month the Jayarams inherit what belonged to their father, with Suresh also being allocated a share. Vivek is desperate to get his hands on that fortune, as he is sinking in poker debts to a loan shark
.
In the meantime the condition of Priya, the beggar girl who was run over by a car, improves; she befriends Amal and enjoys talking to him during his visits. However, it is revealed that she is in need of a difficult surgery that would cost 50,000 rupees, or she will probably die. It is then that Amal decides to sell his autorickshaw, which was passed on to him by his father, to the loan shark in order to pay for the girl's surgery. The operation is not successful; Priya dies on the operating table, which terribly saddens Amal. He then takes up the longtime offered janitor position at a local post office. Touched by Amal's kindness and self-sacrifice, Pooja digs into the money she has been saving for her dowry and buys a carburettor that she knew was needed to fix an abandoned autorickshaw lying by his house (which Amal's neighbour has been trying to fix desperately but to no effect). She then brings it to Amal, so he could install it and return to his usual business again.
Meanwhile, Suresh starts questioning his actions after sneaking in Sapna's office at night (by bribing her maid) and reading G.K.'s letter addressed to Amal. He later does find Amal and witnesses his true honesty and sweet nature first-hand. He is reluctant to notify Sapna he has found G.K.'s heir but eventually does so the night before the deadline. On the same night he has a talk with Vivek and informs him that he is abandoning their original plan and is taking Amal to Sapna's the next day. Unable to convince him otherwise, Vivek attacks Suresh and chokes him to death.
The morning after, Sapna cannot get a hold of Suresh. Using some of Suresh's notes, to her great surprise, she finds out that Amal Kumar picks up their son from school all this time. She manages to get home before Amal drops the son off at home, and tries to explain the situation to Amal and get him to come inside so he can sign some paperwork. Amal comes along despite needing to pick up a fare. In her office, Sapna hands Amal, who is still unaware of the inheritance and does not understand the situation, G.K.'s letter in which he wrote that as the honest man he had been looking for all these years, Amal deserves to inherit the Jayaram estate. Amal opens the letter and takes a long look at it, but before Sapna provides any additional information, she receives a phone call in which she is informed that Suresh has died. Shocked and drawn into the conversation, she does not notice Amal leave with the letter in his hands. On his way out, he is approached by a homeless girl who asks him for a piece of paper to draw on. Amal hands her the letter and gets into his autorickshaw. Sapna rushes outside only to find out that Amal has already driven away. Meanwhile the homeless girl approaches Sapna's son who has just arrived home from school and tells him that the paper Amal has given her to draw on has got writing on it and may be of some importance. To that Sapna's son replies that it would make no difference, as Amal cannot read. The movie ends with Amal picking up Pooja, the two smiling at each other, and a voice over by G.K. of text from the letter saying that he could not imagine what the man who did not want three rupees would do with three-hundred million.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed and written by Richie Mehta
Richie Mehta
Richie Mehta is a Canadian film director. His first feature film, Amal, was released in 2008, and has been nominated for Best Motion Picture and Best Director at the 29th Genie Awards....
. Set in modern-day New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, it tells the story of a poor autorickshaw driver, Amal Kumar.
The film was originally released as a short film in 2004, with the same lead actor but a mostly different cast, before it was readapted and expanded into a feature film three years later http://www.indianfilmfestival.org/press08/gr54_amal.pdf.
Synopsis
Amal Kumar (Rupinder NagraRupinder Nagra
Rupinder Nagra is an actor who has been working Internationally. He has worked extensively in Canada and now finds his work taking him to India and the UK. He was a nominee for Best Actor at the 29th Genie Awards for his role in the film Amal....
) is a hardworking sweet-natured autorickshaw driver. Driven by senses of honesty and responsibility, he charges the metre rate and is never late to pick up his regular fares: store merchant Pooja (Koel Purie
Koel Purie
Koel Purie Rinchet is an Indian film actress who made her debut with Rahul Bose's directorial venture Everybody Says I'm Fine! in 2001 and later featured in Road to Ladakh starring alongside Irrfan Khan...
) and a schoolboy, son of exacting lawyer Sapna Agarwal (Seema Biswas
Seema Biswas
Seema Biswas is an Indian film and theatre actress from Assam who shot into prominence with the role of Phoolan Devi in Shekhar Kapur's film Bandit Queen . She has a reputation for performing strong character roles.Biswas won the 1996 National Film Award for Best Actress for her role in the film...
).
While riding in Amal's autorickshaw on one occasion, Pooja has her handbag snatched out of her hands by a beggar girl (Tanisha Chatterjee). Amal immediately starts pursuing the girl despite Pooja telling him to let it go, as the purse does not contain anything of value, and the chase ends when the beggar girl is hit by a car and falls unconscious on the ground. Horrified with what they have witnessed, Amal and Pooja take the girl to hospital. From then on, Amal regularly pays visits to the girl, speaks to her doctor and makes sure to remind the nurses to take good care of her.
One day Amal offers his services to an old man who has just been denied a ride by a different autorickshaw for the sake of another fare, a female tourist. Throughout the drive the old man who does not reveal his identity, that he is in fact local billionaire G.K. Jayaram (Naseeruddin Shah
Naseeruddin Shah
Naseeruddin Shah is an Indian / Bollywood film actor and director. He is considered to be one of the finest actors of Indian cinema. In 2003, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Bhushan for his contributions towards Indian cinema.-Early life:...
) and has been wandering the streets of New Delhi searching for an honest man. After asking Amal some questions about his life, making insulting comments about his driving skills, and going back on his words with regard to his destination, G.K. pays his fare, and surprised that Amal does not accept a three rupee
Indian rupee
The Indian rupee is the official currency of the Republic of India. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India....
tip, leaves.
After a short while, G.K. Jayaram dies and leaves his entire estate to the one honest and decent man he believes to have encountered – Amal. His will is not to be read out until Amal reports to the Jayarams' lawyer Sapna, who has no idea that Amal is her son's longtime autorickshaw driver. If Amal is not found within a month, G.K.'s estate will be inherited by his family members. Sapna deploys Suresh (Roshan Seth
Roshan Seth
Roshan Seth is an Indian-born British actor, who appears mainly in British and American films. He is known for his critically acclaimed performances in the films Gandhi, Mississippi Masala, Not Without My Daughter, My Beautiful Laundrette, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Such a Long...
), G.K.'s old companion (who has his own eye on G.K.'s fortune), to find out Amal's whereabouts. Convinced that it is unfair for the estate to be inherited by a stranger autorickshaw driver while the Jayarams get nothing, Suresh and G.K.'s son Vivek (Vik Sahay
Vik Sahay
Vikram "Vik" Sahay is a Canadian actor best known for playing Lester Patel, a member of the Nerd Herd in the NBC television series Chuck on which he became a series regular from the second season, and Rama in the Roxy Hunter Saga.-Life and career:...
) secretly develop a plan where Suresh will not look for Amal, so that after a month the Jayarams inherit what belonged to their father, with Suresh also being allocated a share. Vivek is desperate to get his hands on that fortune, as he is sinking in poker debts to a loan shark
Loan shark
A loan shark is a person or body that offers unsecured loans at illegally high interest rates to individuals, often enforcing repayment by blackmail or threats of violence....
.
In the meantime the condition of Priya, the beggar girl who was run over by a car, improves; she befriends Amal and enjoys talking to him during his visits. However, it is revealed that she is in need of a difficult surgery that would cost 50,000 rupees, or she will probably die. It is then that Amal decides to sell his autorickshaw, which was passed on to him by his father, to the loan shark in order to pay for the girl's surgery. The operation is not successful; Priya dies on the operating table, which terribly saddens Amal. He then takes up the longtime offered janitor position at a local post office. Touched by Amal's kindness and self-sacrifice, Pooja digs into the money she has been saving for her dowry and buys a carburettor that she knew was needed to fix an abandoned autorickshaw lying by his house (which Amal's neighbour has been trying to fix desperately but to no effect). She then brings it to Amal, so he could install it and return to his usual business again.
Meanwhile, Suresh starts questioning his actions after sneaking in Sapna's office at night (by bribing her maid) and reading G.K.'s letter addressed to Amal. He later does find Amal and witnesses his true honesty and sweet nature first-hand. He is reluctant to notify Sapna he has found G.K.'s heir but eventually does so the night before the deadline. On the same night he has a talk with Vivek and informs him that he is abandoning their original plan and is taking Amal to Sapna's the next day. Unable to convince him otherwise, Vivek attacks Suresh and chokes him to death.
The morning after, Sapna cannot get a hold of Suresh. Using some of Suresh's notes, to her great surprise, she finds out that Amal Kumar picks up their son from school all this time. She manages to get home before Amal drops the son off at home, and tries to explain the situation to Amal and get him to come inside so he can sign some paperwork. Amal comes along despite needing to pick up a fare. In her office, Sapna hands Amal, who is still unaware of the inheritance and does not understand the situation, G.K.'s letter in which he wrote that as the honest man he had been looking for all these years, Amal deserves to inherit the Jayaram estate. Amal opens the letter and takes a long look at it, but before Sapna provides any additional information, she receives a phone call in which she is informed that Suresh has died. Shocked and drawn into the conversation, she does not notice Amal leave with the letter in his hands. On his way out, he is approached by a homeless girl who asks him for a piece of paper to draw on. Amal hands her the letter and gets into his autorickshaw. Sapna rushes outside only to find out that Amal has already driven away. Meanwhile the homeless girl approaches Sapna's son who has just arrived home from school and tells him that the paper Amal has given her to draw on has got writing on it and may be of some importance. To that Sapna's son replies that it would make no difference, as Amal cannot read. The movie ends with Amal picking up Pooja, the two smiling at each other, and a voice over by G.K. of text from the letter saying that he could not imagine what the man who did not want three rupees would do with three-hundred million.
Cast
- Rupinder NagraRupinder NagraRupinder Nagra is an actor who has been working Internationally. He has worked extensively in Canada and now finds his work taking him to India and the UK. He was a nominee for Best Actor at the 29th Genie Awards for his role in the film Amal....
as Amal Kumar - Naseeruddin ShahNaseeruddin ShahNaseeruddin Shah is an Indian / Bollywood film actor and director. He is considered to be one of the finest actors of Indian cinema. In 2003, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Bhushan for his contributions towards Indian cinema.-Early life:...
as G.K. Jayaram - Seema BiswasSeema BiswasSeema Biswas is an Indian film and theatre actress from Assam who shot into prominence with the role of Phoolan Devi in Shekhar Kapur's film Bandit Queen . She has a reputation for performing strong character roles.Biswas won the 1996 National Film Award for Best Actress for her role in the film...
as Sapna Agarwal - Koel PurieKoel PurieKoel Purie Rinchet is an Indian film actress who made her debut with Rahul Bose's directorial venture Everybody Says I'm Fine! in 2001 and later featured in Road to Ladakh starring alongside Irrfan Khan...
as Pooja Seth - Vik SahayVik SahayVikram "Vik" Sahay is a Canadian actor best known for playing Lester Patel, a member of the Nerd Herd in the NBC television series Chuck on which he became a series regular from the second season, and Rama in the Roxy Hunter Saga.-Life and career:...
as Vivek Jayaram - Roshan SethRoshan SethRoshan Seth is an Indian-born British actor, who appears mainly in British and American films. He is known for his critically acclaimed performances in the films Gandhi, Mississippi Masala, Not Without My Daughter, My Beautiful Laundrette, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Such a Long...
as Suresh - Tanisha Chatterjee as Priya
- Siddhant Behl as Harish Jayaram
- Amardeep JhaAmardeep JhaAmardeep Jha is an Indian film actress and a television personality.-Filmography:* Murder 2 Reshma's mother * 3 Idiots Mrs. Rastogi * Amal Radha Kumar * Naina Somabai * White Rainbow Roop...
as Radha Kumar - Maya Mankotia as Simran Jayaram
- Dr. ShivaDr. ShivaDr. Shiva is the stage name of Ramier Siva-Nandan, an Indo-Canadian musician and actor. Born and raised in India, he moved to Canada in 1995....
as Dr. Shiva - Gurpreet Chana as the Tabla Guy
- Fenulla Jiwani as Poker Woman #2
- Ellora PatnaikEllora PatnaikEllora Patnaik is a Indian Canadian film and theatre actress and Odissi dancer.-Early life:Ellora was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Ellora is the first child of her parents , Promod and Chitralekha Patnaik, who were born in the state of Orissa, India, and emigrated to Canada in the 1960s...
as Casino Director
Crew
- Director: Richie MehtaRichie MehtaRichie Mehta is a Canadian film director. His first feature film, Amal, was released in 2008, and has been nominated for Best Motion Picture and Best Director at the 29th Genie Awards....
- Screenplay: Richie Mehta & Shaun Mehta
- Story: Shaun MehtaShaun MehtaShaun Mehta is a Canadian writer. He has published one novel and one short story collection to date, and also collaborated with his brother, film director Richie Mehta, on the screenplay for Richie's debut film Amal, which was based on one of Shaun's short stories.Shaun and Richie Mehta were...
- Producer: David Miller & Steven N. Bray
- Music: Dr. ShivaDr. ShivaDr. Shiva is the stage name of Ramier Siva-Nandan, an Indo-Canadian musician and actor. Born and raised in India, he moved to Canada in 1995....
- Cinematography: Mitchell T. Ness
- Editing: Stuart A. McIntyre
- Casting: Mukesh Chhabra and Harish Khanna
- Production Design: Mark Gabriel
- Art Direction: Anthony Morassutti
- Set Decoration: Avani Batra
- Costume Design: Kelsey Hart
- Assistant Director: Ryan Hyland
- Production Manager: Jessie Wallace
- Executive Producer: Robin CassRobin CassRobin Cass is a Canadian film and television producer. His projects include the feature films High Life, Falling Angels, and Lilies...
Awards
- 2007, San Francisco International Asian American Film FestivalSan Francisco International Asian American Film FestivalThe San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival presented every March is the nation’s largest showcase for new Asian American and Asian films, annually presenting approximately 130 works in San Francisco, Berkeley and San Jose, USA...
for Best Narrative Award - 2008, Whistler Film FestivalWhistler Film FestivalThe Whistler Film Festival is an annual film festival in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. It was established in 2001. The festival, which is held the first weekend in December, includes six juried competitive sections and one audience award...
for Best Actor, Rupinder NagraRupinder NagraRupinder Nagra is an actor who has been working Internationally. He has worked extensively in Canada and now finds his work taking him to India and the UK. He was a nominee for Best Actor at the 29th Genie Awards for his role in the film Amal....
Release dates
| Region | Release date | Festival or Distributor |
|---|---|---|
| Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
September 13, 2007 | Toronto Film Festival |
| Czech Rep. | July 5, 2007 | Karlovy Vary Film Festival |
| Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
August 8, 2008 | Seville Pictures |
| U.S.A. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
September 20, 2008 | New Jersey Independent South Asian Cine Fest New Jersey Independent South Asian Cine Fest Established in 2007, New Jersey Independent South Asian Cine Fest is based in New Jersey and dedicated to South Asian independent films. The annual festival is produced by the Asian American Film and Theater Project, a 501 tax exempt US based non profit organization committed to the promotion,... |
| U.S.A. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
November 16, 2008 | St. Louis International Film Festival St. Louis International Film Festival The St. Louis International Film Festival is an annual film festival in St. Louis, Missouri, which has been running since 1992. The coordinating organization changed its name to "Cinema St. Louis" in 2003... |
External links
- New filmmaker Mehta to screen debut Amal at TIFF. CBC NewsCBC NewsCBC News is the department within the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on CBC television, radio and online services...
. September 10, 2007. Retrieved September 16, 2008 - Film Review: The last good man by Alison Gillmor. CBC NewsCBC NewsCBC News is the department within the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on CBC television, radio and online services...
. August 8, 2008. Retrieved September 16, 2008