Patang (The Kite)

Hundreds of colorful kites sway in the breeze above the ancient western Indian city of Ahmedabad. The January kite festival of Uttarayan celebrates the time when the sun starts traveling north, a sign of coming summer. But this gentle festival sometimes takes on menacing undertones as kites begin to battle for supremacy overhead. THE KITE is a family drama that tells its story through a kaleidoscope, its hand-held camera swooping around the characters like the kites themselves. Jayesh is a successful businessman who brings his teenage daughter from Delhi to visit his family for the holiday. Sudha (Seema Biswas), his late brother's wife, lives with Jayesh's mother. Sudha's son is a drinker and gambler resentful of his rich uncle's intrusion into their lives. When Jayesh announces he's bought a new condo for them to move into, the family's strained relationships begin to fracture. Yet above earth-bound troubles, spirits are buoyed on a current of joy. The kites battle in colorful musical sequences not so different from Bollywood dance numbers. (In English and Hindi with subtitles) –B.B.