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{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2015}}
{{Infobox film
|name = Gaja Gamini
|image = Gaja Gamini .jpg
|border =
|caption =
|director = [[M. F. Husain]]
|producer = Rakesh Nath
|writer = Kamna Chandra (writer) M. F. Husain
|screenplay =
|starring = [[Madhuri Dixit]] [[Shabana Azmi]] [[Inder Kumar]] [[Naseeruddin Shah]]
|music = [[Bhupen Hazarika]]
|cinematography = [[Ashok Mehta]]
|editing = Waman Bhosle Virendra Gharse
|studio =
|distributor = [[Yash Raj Films]]<ref>[http://www.yashrajfilms.com/movies/MovieIndividual.aspx?MovieID=7a60adf3-3140-489d-90bd-9f268856329c Gaja Gamini] [[Yash Raj Films]].</ref>
|country = India
|runtime = 122 minutes
|released = 1 December 2000
|language = [[Hindi]]
|gross =
}}

'''''Gaja Gamini''''' (English: ''One with a walk like an elephant'') is a [[Bollywood films of 2000|2000]] Indian film written and directed by [[M. F. Husain]] and is his ode to womanhood and his muse of the time, [[Madhuri Dixit]], who stars as the lead in the film with [[Shah Rukh Khan|Shahrukh Khan]] and [[Naseeruddin Shah]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://geocities.com/MotorCity/3506/gajgamini.html |title=This film is my tribute to women: M F Husain |quote="cinematic essay of Indian womanhood" |access-date=8 October 2009 |archive-date=20 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091020123403/http://geocities.com/MotorCity/3506/gajgamini.html |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/246203/Gaja-Gamini/overview|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071106053809/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/246203/Gaja-Gamini/overview|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 November 2007|department=Movies & TV Dept.|work=[[The New York Times]]|publisher=[[Baseline (database)|Baseline]] & [[All Movie Guide]]|author=Mark Deming|date=2007|title=Gaja Gamini Overview|access-date=8 October 2009}}</ref> The film was a box office disaster.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110610/jsp/nation/story_14095070.jsp|title=Through the eyes of the besotted|work=Telegraph India|author=Priyanka Roy|access-date=1 July 2011|date=10 June 2011}}</ref>

==Plot==
The central figure of the film is represented by a mysterious figure called "Gaja Gamini" ([[Madhuri Dixit]]), who inspires, arouses, and confuses the common man. "Gaja Gamini" is the inspiration behind Leonardo da Vinci's ([[Naseeruddin Shah]]) 'Mona Lisa', Kalidas' poem "Shakuntala", and a photojournalist named Shahrukh's ([[Shah Rukh Khan]]) photographs. The mysterious "Gaja Gamini" appears as four characters, one of them being Sangeeta, a blind girl from Banaras at the beginning of time, who inspires village women ([[Farida Jalal]], [[Shilpa Shirodkar]], and [[Shabana Azmi]]) to revolt against a male-dominated system and carve a niche for women forever. Another character is Shakuntala, who is the subject of Kalidas' poem of the same name. Shakuntala incites jealousy in the women and love in the men around her, charming humans and animals alike in the forests of Kerala. "Gaja Gamini" is also Mona Lisa during the Renaissance, the object of painter Leonardo da Vinci's obsession. Finally, Monika, the most confusing sector of the film, is supposed to represent the woman of the New Millennium. Kamdev, the God of Love ([[Inder Kumar]]), walks the earth throughout history, attempting to win the love of "Gaja Gamini".

Thrown into this mix is a large black wall, separating two different periods, and confrontations between Science ([[Ashish Vidyarthi]]) and Art ([[Mohan Agashe]]) at different points in history, showing that the world itself can change, but its original ideas will always be the same. For example, a play by Shakespeare wrote and performed by actors in the 15th century will still be performed in the 21st century, but with different actors. The confrontations between art and science also bring about the idea that while science is firmly set on believing that which can only be proved, the basis for art is that which can be proved and an intuitive sense that can be felt. Science uses the brain, while Art uses the brain and the heart. Another facet of the film is a "gathri", a small bundle which a woman carries upon her head, like a burden, with which she must walk forever.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thebollywoodfan.blogspot.com/2009/06/paradox-of-progress-ii-gaja-gamini-2000.html|title=The Paradox of Progress II: Gaja Gamini (2000)|access-date=8 October 2009}}</ref><ref>[http://in.movies.yahoo.com/movies/Gaja-Gamini/details-9090.html Gaja Gamini] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080905024400/http://in.movies.yahoo.com/movies/Gaja-Gamini/details-9090.html |date=5 September 2008 }} [[Yahoo! Movies]].</ref>

==Cast==
*[[Madhuri Dixit]] as Gaja Gamini / Sangeeta / Shakuntala /Monika / Monalisa
*Tanvi Hegde as Gaja Gamini / Baby Shakuntala
*[[Shabana Azmi]] as Premchand's Nirmala
*[[Naseeruddin Shah]] as Leonardo da Vinci
*[[Shilpa Shirodkar]] as Sindhu Tej Sapru Tanseen
*[[Farida Jalal]] as Noorbibi
*[[Mohan Agashe]] as Kalidasa
*[[Ashish Vidyarthi]] as Scientist
*[[Shah Rukh Khan|Shahrukh Khan]] as Shahrukh in a special appearance
*[[Inder Kumar]] as Kamdev

==Crew==
*Art direction – Sharmishtha Roy
*Costume design – Reza Shareefi
*Choreography – [[Saroj Khan]], Jojo Khan
*Sound – Buta Singh
*Background music – Anuradha Pal

==Review==
Sumnan Tarafdar of ''[[Filmfare]]'' gave a positive review of the film, calling it "not something that comes along every day".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tarafdar |first1=Suman |title=Gaja Gamini |url=http://www.indiatimes.com/movies/reviews/gajagamini.html |access-date=13 October 2020 |work=[[Filmfare]] |agency=Indiatimes Movies |publisher=[[The Times Group]] |date=2000 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010208075944/http://www.indiatimes.com/movies/reviews/gajagamini.html |archive-date=8 February 2001}}</ref> [[Taran Adarsh]] said "The film has a very colourful look, with the visuals being eye-catching. But as a director, Hussain fails to convey his thoughts on celluloid. On the whole, Gaja Gamini is an artistic film which will not be understood by any strata of an audience - classes or masses. Business-wise, the film is sure to spell disaster. A waste of precious celluloid".<ref name=bh>{{cite web|url=http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/moviemicro/cast/id/534450|title=Gaja Gamini|work=[[Bollywood Hungama]]|access-date=8 October 2009}}</ref>

==Soundtrack==
{{Infobox album
| name = Gaja Gamini
| type = [[Soundtrack]]
| artist = [[Bhupen Hazarika]]
| cover =
| alt =
| released = 1 January 2000 (India)
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = [[Film soundtrack]]
| length =
| label = [[Sa Re Ga Ma]]
| producer = [[Bhupen Hazarika]]
| prev_title = [[Daman (film)|Daman: A Victim of Marital Violence]]
| prev_year = 2001
| next_title = [[Darmiyan]]
| next_year = 1997
}}

Hussain approached [[A. R. Rahman]] to compose the music for the film, but due to time constraints, he had to turn down the offer. The music was composed by [[Bhupen Hazarika]].

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
! Song !! Singer(s) !! Lyricist
|-
| "Gaja Gamini"
| [[Bhupen Hazarika]]
| [[Maya Govind]]
|-
| "Meri Payal Bole"
| [[Kavita Krishnamurthy]]
| [[Maya Govind]]
|-
| "Hamara Hansa Gaya Videsh"
| [[Kavita Krishnamurthy]]
| [[Maya Govind]]
|-
| "Shloka - Part 1"
| [[Suman Devgan]]
| [[Kalidas]]
|-
| "Shloka - Part 2"
| [[Suman Devgan]]
| [[Kalidas]]
|-
| "Yeh Gathri Taj Ki Tarah"
| [[M. F. Hussain]]
| [[M. F. Hussain]]
|-
| "Do Sadiyon Ke Sangam"
| [[Udit Narayan]], [[Kavita Krishnamurthy]]
| [[Javed Akhtar]]
|-
| "Deepak Raag"
| [[Shankar Mahadevan]]
| [[Maya Govind]]
|-
| "Protest March"
| Instrumental
|
|-
| "Yeh Gathri Taj Ki Tarah"
| [[Kavita Krishnamurthy]]
| [[M. F. Hussain]]
|-
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb title|id= 0221982}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090525094959/http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/cast/6578/index.html Gaja Gamini] at [[Bollywood Hungama]]

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:2000s Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:2000 films]]
[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:Indian fantasy drama films]]
[[Category:Films about women in India]]
[[Category:Films distributed by Yash Raj Films]]
[[Category:2000 fantasy films]]

Gaja Gamini - Revision history

>GreenC bot at 23:56, 13 April 2021