Ashok Vijayakumar: cleaned up content additionally and fixed typos as per guidelines

2026-03-26T22:31:44Z

cleaned up content additionally and fixed typos as per guidelines

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:01, 27 March 2026
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	\| released = {{Film date\|df=yes\|2002\|11\|01\|[[India]]}}		\| released = {{Film date\|df=yes\|2002\|11\|01\|[[India]]}}
	\| runtime = 97 min		\| runtime = 97 min
	\| country = United States		\| country = India<br/>United States
	\| language = English		\| language = English
	\| budget =		\| budget =
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	The film was shot mostly in [[Los Angeles]] with funds raised by Kavita Munjal and Anjalika Mathur. This is the directorial debut of Somnath Sen.<ref name="The Independent">{{cite news		The film was shot mostly in [[Los Angeles]] with funds raised by Kavita Munjal and Anjalika Mathur. This is the directorial debut of Somnath Sen.<ref name="The Independent">{{cite news
	\|url=http://aivf.org/node/295		\|url=http://aivf.org/node/295
			\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604092647/http://www.aivf.org/node/295
			\|url-status=usurped
			\|archive-date=4 June 2008
	\|title='The new, new, Indian Cinema'		\|title='The new, new, Indian Cinema'
	\|date=1 July 2005		\|date=1 July 2005
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	Anil. S. Arora, of Chowk, wrote that film could be considered "the first art film made on the Indian community in north America". He added that the film was about the taboo that sex still is to the Indian Community and their "inability to accept them as the basis for family relationships". He though was dissatisfied with the way Leela is portrayed as a faithful wife to a straying husband, which he wrote is quite outdated for a Mumbai woman who dwells on sexual equality.<ref name="Chowk">{{cite news		Anil. S. Arora, of Chowk, wrote that film could be considered "the first art film made on the Indian community in north America". He added that the film was about the taboo that sex still is to the Indian Community and their "inability to accept them as the basis for family relationships". He though was dissatisfied with the way Leela is portrayed as a faithful wife to a straying husband, which he wrote is quite outdated for a Mumbai woman who dwells on sexual equality.<ref name="Chowk">{{cite news
	\|url=http://www.chowk.com/Arts/Sex-in-the-Indian-Family		\|url=http://www.chowk.com/Arts/Sex-in-the-Indian-Family
	\|title='IA review of Somnath Sen's film 'Leela''		\|title=IA review of Somnath Sen's film 'Leela'
	\|date=6 November 2002		\|date=6 November 2002
	\|last=Anil. S. Arora		\|last=Anil. S. Arora
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	''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' declared it as a flop in its positive review on Shantanu Moitra.<ref name="The Telegraph">{{cite news		''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' declared it as a flop in its positive review on Shantanu Moitra.<ref name="The Telegraph">{{cite news
	\|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1051210/asp/weekend/story_5563284.asp		\|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1051210/asp/weekend/story_5563284.asp
			\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060922174022/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1051210/asp/weekend/story_5563284.asp
			\|url-status=dead
			\|archive-date=22 September 2006
	\|title='The new melody moguls '		\|title='The new melody moguls '
	\|date=10 December 2005		\|date=10 December 2005
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	[[Category:2002 films]]		[[Category:2002 films]]
	[[Category:~~Indian films]]~~		[[Category:2002 Hindi-language films]]
	~~[[Category:2000s~~ Hindi-language films]]
	[[Category:Films scored by Shantanu Moitra]]		[[Category:Films scored by Shantanu Moitra]]
	~~[[Category:Sexuality and age in fiction]]~~
	~~[[Category:Hindi-language films]]~~
	[[Category:Indian remakes of American films]]		[[Category:Indian remakes of American films]]
			[[Category:2002 English-language films]]
			[[Category:Films about Indian Americans]]
			[[Category:Films set in Mumbai]]
			[[Category:Films set in California]]
			[[Category:Foreign films set in the United States]]
			[[Category:Indian erotic drama films]]
			[[Category:Indian coming-of-age drama films]]
			[[Category:Films about juvenile sexuality]]
			[[Category:Films about virginity]]
			[[Category:Films about puberty]]
			[[Category:English-language Indian films]]

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{{short description|2002 Indian film}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Leela
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| director = Somnath Sen
| producer = Kavita Munjal <br> Anjalika Mathur
| screenplay =
| based_on = 
| narrator =
| starring = [[Dimple Kapadia]]<br/>[[Deepti Naval]]<br/>[[Vinod Khanna]]
| music = [[Shantanu Moitra]]
| cinematography =
| editing =
| studio =
| distributor = Lemon Tree Films
| released = {{Film date|df=yes|2002|11|01|[[India]]}}
| runtime = 97 min
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget =
| gross =
}}

'''''Leela''''' is a 2002 [[drama film]] directed by Somnath Sen. The movie stars [[Dimple Kapadia]] and [[Deepti Naval]]. The film's story is loosely based on ''[[Summer of '42]]''.<ref name="The Hindu">{{cite news
|url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2002/11/15/stories/2002111501040203.htm
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030627192307/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2002/11/15/stories/2002111501040203.htm
|url-status=dead
|archive-date=27 June 2003
|title='Leela'
|date=15 November 2002
|work=[[The Hindu]]
|last=Ziya US Salam
}}</ref> The film premiered at Reel World Film Festivalm, Toronto, in 2005.<ref name="The Statesman">{{cite news
|url=http://www.deeptinaval.com/writeups/poet/grn_pastures_statesman_feb26_05.htm
|title='Deepti Naval in conversation with Shoma A. Chatterji'
|date=26 February 2005
|work=[[The Statesman (India)|The Statesman]]
|last=Shoma A. Chatterji
}}</ref> It also was featured in the 2002 edition of the IAAC Film Festival,<ref name="Business Wire">{{cite news
|url=http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices/5997789-1.html
|title='Indian Diaspora Film Festival Runs Nov 6-10 at Clearview Cinema, New York; Event Highlights...'
|date=15 October 2002
|work=[[Business Wire]]
|last=Aroon Shivdasani
}}</ref> conducted by the Indian diaspora, which works to showcase the Indian films to the West.

==Plot==
Leela is a professor from Bombay. Married to a popular poet, her life has always been prefixed with the title 'Nashaad's wife'. She wins a chance to be sent as a visiting professor to California, where she rediscovers herself, the woman she is, beyond the duties of a wife that she had always devoted her life to. Kris comes as a bright sunshine in her life, who makes her realise her own desires, the desires of the body. Is it going to be an happily ever after fairy tale? Or another Bollywood melodrama?

==Cast==
* [[Dimple Kapadia]] as Leela
* [[Deepti Naval]] as Chaitali
* Amol Mhatre as Kris/ Krishna
* [[Vinod Khanna]] as Nashaad
* [[Gulshan Grover]] as Jai
* Brendan Hughes as Summer
* Kelly Gunning as JC
* Garrett Devereux as Chip
* Kyle Erby as Jamaal
* Michelle Van Wagner as Jennifer
* [[Sarayu Rao]] as Mira
* Partha Dey as Shantanu
* Sandeep Walia as Harsh
* Delna Rastomjee as Joya Chatterjee
* Gargi Sen as Maheed

==Music==
#"Champai Dhoop Ke Saye" - [[Shubha Mudgal]]
#"Dhuan Uttha Hai" - [[Jagjit Singh]]
#"Jaag Ke Kaati Raina" - [[Jagjit Singh]]
#"Jabse Kareeb Ho Ke Chale" - Jagjit Singh
#"Jabse Kareeb Ho Ke Chale v2" - Jagjit Singh
#"Kanha Teri Bansuri" - Falguni Pathak, Dev Choudhury, Karsan Sagathia, [[KK (singer)|K.K.]]
#"Mavan Te Dhiyan" - Jaspinder Narula
#"Tere Khayal Ki" - Jagjit Singh

==Production==
The film was shot mostly in [[Los Angeles]] with funds raised by Kavita Munjal and Anjalika Mathur. This is the directorial debut of Somnath Sen.<ref name="The Independent">{{cite news
|url=http://aivf.org/node/295
|title='The new, new, Indian Cinema'
|date=1 July 2005
|work=[[The Independent]]
|last=David Alm
}}</ref> "It's a universal story that many women will be able to relate to," remarked Dimple Kapadia, on the sets.<ref name="Rediff">{{cite news
|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/may/25usspec.htm
|title='"I got more than my share in my life"'
|date= 25 May 2001
|work=[[Rediff]]
}}</ref>

==Critical reception==
The film was well received by critics.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Adarkar |first1=Vivek |editor1-last=Tomassini |editor1-first=Christine |editor2-last=Schwartz |editor2-first=Carol |title=Magill's Cinema Annual |date=2003 |publisher=Gale Research International, Limited |isbn=978-1-55862-459-7 |page=262 |url=https://archive.org/details/magillscinemaann0000unse_o2u3/page/262/mode/2up |language=en|quote=The film's innocuous charm has elicited a kind reaction from critics.}}</ref> [[Kevin Thomas (film critic)|Kevin Thomas]] of ''[[The Los Angeles Times]]'' called ''Leela'' "a worthy departure from the culture clash comedies that have marked an emerging Indian American cinema".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Thomas |first1=Kevin |author-link1=Kevin Thomas (film critic) |title='Leela' a deft bicultural portrait |url=http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-leela,0,5358866.story |access-date=23 June 2020 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=8 November 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021114132218/http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-leela,0,5358866.story |url-status=dead |archive-date=14 November 2002}}</ref> [[Dave Kehr]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' called it "an unusual combination of Bollywood and Hollywood sensibilities".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kehr |first1=Dave |author-link1=Dave Kehr |title=FILM IN REVIEW; 'Leela' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/08/movies/film-in-review-leela.html |access-date=23 June 2020 |work=The New York Times |date=8 November 2002}}</ref>

Anil. S. Arora, of Chowk, wrote that film could be considered "the first art film made on the Indian community in north America". He added that the film was about the taboo that sex still is to the Indian Community and their "inability to accept them as the basis for family relationships". He though was dissatisfied with the way Leela is portrayed as a faithful wife to a straying husband, which he wrote is quite outdated for a Mumbai woman who dwells on sexual equality.<ref name="Chowk">{{cite news
|url=http://www.chowk.com/Arts/Sex-in-the-Indian-Family
|title='IA review of Somnath Sen's film 'Leela''
|date=6 November 2002
|last=Anil. S. Arora
|work=Chowk
|access-date=17 May 2011
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026180608/http://www.chowk.com/Arts/Sex-in-the-Indian-Family
|archive-date=26 October 2011
|url-status=dead
}}</ref>

The review in ''[[The Hindu]]'' was moderate, which mainly lauded [[Dimple Kapadia]]'s acting, declared that the plot has many loose ends and signed off with a note that it is not a bad choice to watch "at the end of a long, lonely day".<ref name ="The Hindu"/> ''[[Deccan Herald]]'' wrote, "good performances, deft handling of a complex theme, unconventional method of storytelling, a crisp script, and of course, a taut storyline sure make Leela a movie that’s more than just a tale well told."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dinesh |first1=Chethana |title=Leela |url=http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/nov10/filmr.asp |access-date=3 June 2020 |work=[[Deccan Herald]] |date=10 November 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021201212255/http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/nov10/filmr.asp |archive-date=1 December 2002}}</ref>

''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' declared it as a flop in its positive review on Shantanu Moitra.<ref name="The Telegraph">{{cite news
|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1051210/asp/weekend/story_5563284.asp
|title='The new melody moguls '
|date=10 December 2005
|work=[[The Telegraph (Kolkata)|The Telegraph]]
|last = Sushmita Biswas
}}</ref>

==Recognition and awards==
* Special Jury Award - Reel World Film Festival, Toronto (2002)
* Screened at the Commonwealth Film Festival, Manchester (2002)<ref name="Upperstall">{{cite web
|url=http://www.upperstall.com/content/indian-diaspora-film-festival-2002-new-york
|title='Indian diaspora film festival 2002, New York '
|year=2002
|work=Upperstall.com
}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0300115}}
* Bonobology.com: [https://www.bonobology.com/movies-lead-characters-huge-age-difference "6 Bollywood movies where the lead characters have had a huge age difference"]

[[Category:2002 films]]
[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:2000s Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Shantanu Moitra]]
[[Category:Sexuality and age in fiction]]
[[Category:Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:Indian remakes of American films]]

Leela (2002 film) - Revision history

Ashok Vijayakumar: cleaned up content additionally and fixed typos as per guidelines

>GreenC bot: Rescued 1 archive link; reformat 1 link. Wayback Medic 2.5