Miss Lovely - Revision history

BabulHossainjoy: added references

2026-03-02T09:29:51Z

added references

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:59, 2 March 2026
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	'''''Miss Lovely''''' is a 2012 Indian [[Drama (film and television)\|drama film]] directed by [[Ashim Ahluwalia]] and set in the criminal depths of Mumbai's C-grade (horror and [[porn film]]) industry.<ref name=film/> Ahluwalia's debut feature follows the story of the Duggal brothers who produce sleazy sex-horror films in the mid-1980s.<ref name="On IMDB">Miss Lovely [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1629715/ On IMDB]</ref> The plot explores the intense and mutually destructive relationship between younger sibling Sonu Duggal, played by [[Nawazuddin Siddiqui]], and his elder brother, Vicky (Anil George). Sonu finds himself drawn to a mysterious young woman named Pinky ([[Niharika Singh]]) eventually leading to his downfall. ''Miss Lovely'' had its cinematic release on 17 January 2014.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://movies.ndtv.com/bollywood/i-m-glad-censor-board-didn-t-ban-miss-lovely-director-460251 \|title=I'm glad Censor board didn't ban Miss Lovely: director \| NDTV Movies.com \|publisher=Movies.ndtv.com \|date=18 December 2013 \|access-date=24 February 2014}}</ref> The film ~~has received~~ the [[National Film Award – Special Jury Award (Feature Film)\|~~National Film Award –~~ Special Jury Award (Feature film)]] and [[National Film Award for Best Production Design\|Best Production Design]] at the [[61st National Film Awards]].<ref>{{cite web\|title=61st National Film Awards Announced: Live Update\|url=http://zeenews.india.com/entertainment/and-more/61st-national-film-awards-announced-live-update_153657.html\|publisher=[[Zee News]]\|access-date=16 April 2014}}</ref>		'''''Miss Lovely''''' is a 2012 Indian [[Drama (film and television)\|drama film]] directed by [[Ashim Ahluwalia]] and set in the criminal depths of Mumbai's C-grade (horror and [[porn film]]) industry.<ref name=film/> Ahluwalia's debut feature follows the story of the Duggal brothers who produce sleazy sex-horror films in the mid-1980s.<ref name="On IMDB">Miss Lovely [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1629715/ On IMDB]</ref> The plot explores the intense and mutually destructive relationship between younger sibling Sonu Duggal, played by [[Nawazuddin Siddiqui]], and his elder brother, Vicky (Anil George). Sonu finds himself drawn to a mysterious young woman named Pinky ([[Niharika Singh]]) eventually leading to his downfall. ''Miss Lovely'' had its cinematic release on 17 January 2014<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://movies.ndtv.com/bollywood/i-m-glad-censor-board-didn-t-ban-miss-lovely-director-460251 \|title=I'm glad Censor board didn't ban Miss Lovely: director \| NDTV Movies.com \|publisher=Movies.ndtv.com \|date=18 December 2013 \|access-date=24 February 2014 \|archive-date=15 May 2014 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140515165155/http://movies.ndtv.com/bollywood/i-m-glad-censor-board-didn-t-ban-miss-lovely-director-460251 \|url-status=dead }}</ref> across 300 screens in India.<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=6388&nCat= \|title=Archived copy \|website=www.boxofficeindia.com \|access-date=2 February 2022 \|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140118052946/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=6388&nCat= \|archive-date=18 January 2014 \|url-status=dead}}</ref> The film won the [[National Film Award – Special Jury Award (Feature Film)\|Special Jury Award (Feature film)]] and [[National Film Award for Best Production Design\|Best Production Design Award]] at the [[61st National Film Awards]].<ref>{{cite web\|title=61st National Film Awards Announced: Live Update\|url=http://zeenews.india.com/entertainment/and-more/61st-national-film-awards-announced-live-update_153657.html\|publisher=[[Zee News]]\|access-date=16 April 2014}}</ref>

	The stylized form, densely layered narrative, period costumes and production design simultaneously ~~conveys~~ a pulp style and contemporaneous modernity. Jonathan Romney of [[Sight & Sound]] described the film as "A shock to the system – an Indian film like I’d never seen."<ref>BFI Film Forever [https://web.archive.org/web/20120803004136/http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/newsandviews/festivals/blog/cannes-2012-05-25-in-the-fog.php Indian Independence]</ref> The film constantly switches between [[genre]] pieces and is part hard-boiled [[film noir]], part love story, part [[melodrama]] and part [[documentary]]. It has been compared to [[Rainer Werner Fassbinder]]’s ''[[The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant]]'', and [[Wong Kar Wai]]'s ''[[Chungking Express]]''.<ref name="On IMDB"/>		The stylized form, densely layered narrative, period costumes and production design simultaneously convey a pulp style and contemporaneous modernity. Jonathan Romney of [[Sight & Sound]] described the film as "A shock to the system – an Indian film like I’d never seen."<ref>BFI Film Forever [https://web.archive.org/web/20120803004136/http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/newsandviews/festivals/blog/cannes-2012-05-25-in-the-fog.php Indian Independence]</ref> The film constantly switches between [[genre]] pieces and is part hard-boiled [[film noir]], part love story, part [[melodrama]] and part [[documentary]]. It has been compared to [[Rainer Werner Fassbinder]]’s ''[[The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant]]'', and [[Wong Kar Wai]]'s ''[[Chungking Express]]''.<ref name="On IMDB"/>

	Shot on a combination of [[Kodak]] Super 16 and [[35mm movie film\|35mm]] film in [[widescreen]], central themes of Miss Lovely include repressed [[sexuality]], [[censorship]], the deconstruction of [[genre]], the material nature of [[celluloid]] and the extinction of cinema itself.<ref name="Film Commentary and Criticism">Cine Malin [http://cmfilmcommentary.com/2013/02/28/interview-with-ashim-ahluwalia-part-2/ Film Commentary and Criticism]</ref> The [[film soundtrack]] also links back to a history of past cinema, particularly the use of rare work of Italian [[composers]] [[Egisto Macchi]] and [[Piero Umiliani]], who had both scored [[exploitation films]]. The [[soundtrack]] also employs [[film scores]] by Indian [[composer]] [[Ilaiyaraaja]] and [[disco]] producer [[Biddu]].		Shot on a combination of [[Kodak]] Super 16 and [[35mm movie film\|35mm]] film in [[widescreen]], the central themes of Miss Lovely include repressed [[sexuality]], [[censorship]], the deconstruction of [[genre]], the material nature of [[celluloid]] and the extinction of cinema itself.<ref name="Film Commentary and Criticism">Cine Malin [http://cmfilmcommentary.com/2013/02/28/interview-with-ashim-ahluwalia-part-2/ Film Commentary and Criticism]</ref> The [[film soundtrack]] also links back to a history of past cinema, particularly the use of the rare work of Italian [[composers]] [[Egisto Macchi]] and [[Piero Umiliani]], who had both scored [[exploitation films]]. The [[soundtrack]] also employs [[film scores]] by Indian [[composer]] [[Ilaiyaraaja]] and [[disco]] producer [[Biddu]].

	Miss Lovely competed in the [[Un Certain Regard]] section at the [[2012 Cannes Film Festival]].<ref name="Official Selection">{{cite web \|url=http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/article/58878.html \|title=2012 Official Selection \|access-date=21 April 2012 \|work=Cannes}}</ref><ref name="timesofindia">{{cite news\|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-04-20/news-interviews/31373565_1_indian-film-competition-section-moonrise-kingdom \|title=Indian movie ''Miss Lovely'' at Cannes film fest \|access-date=21 April 2012 \|work=[[The Times of India]] \|date=20 April 2012 }}{{dead link\|date=~~June 2017~~ \|bot=~~InternetArchiveBot~~ \|~~fix-attempted~~=~~yes~~ }}</ref> The film has since screened at numerous film festivals including the [[Toronto International Film Festival]]<ref>Marissa Bronfman [https://www.huffingtonpost.com/marissa-bronfman/ashim-ahluwalia_b_1866933.html/ Huffington Post]</ref> and [[International Film Festival Rotterdam]].<ref>Miss Lovely [http://www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com/professionals/films/miss-lovely/ Bright Future 2013]</ref> Miss Lovely had release of around 300 screens in India on 17 January 2014.<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=6388&nCat= \|title=Archived copy \|website=www.boxofficeindia.com \|access-date=2 February 2022 \|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140118052946/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=6388&nCat= \|archive-date=18 January 2014 \|url-status=dead}}</ref>		''Miss Lovely'' competed in the [[Un Certain Regard]] section at the [[2012 Cannes Film Festival]].<ref name="Official Selection">{{cite web \|url=http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/article/58878.html \|title=2012 Official Selection \|access-date=21 April 2012 \|work=Cannes}}</ref><ref name="timesofindia">{{cite news\|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-04-20/news-interviews/31373565_1_indian-film-competition-section-moonrise-kingdom \|title=Indian movie ''Miss Lovely'' at Cannes film fest \|access-date=21 April 2012 \|work=[[The Times of India]] \|date=20 April 2012 }}{{dead link\|date=October 2024\|bot=medic}}{{cbignore\|bot=medic}}</ref> The film has since screened at numerous film festivals including the [[Toronto International Film Festival]]<ref>Marissa Bronfman [https://www.huffingtonpost.com/marissa-bronfman/ashim-ahluwalia_b_1866933.html/ Huffington Post]</ref> and [[International Film Festival Rotterdam]].<ref>Miss Lovely [http://www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com/professionals/films/miss-lovely/ Bright Future 2013]</ref>

	==Cast==		==Cast==
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	[[Le Monde]]'s [[Jacques Mandelbaum]] wrote, "Miss Lovely (is) a splendid film that invites admiration. Through this tragic story set between 1986 and 1993, Ahluwalia films the changing of an era... His direction, full of archival period films, beautifully uses the art of editing, color and off-screen space. One feels a real affection for this admittedly sordid universe, but with a magnificence that the conversion of India to the market economy will simply wipe out."		[[Le Monde]]'s [[Jacques Mandelbaum]] wrote, "Miss Lovely (is) a splendid film that invites admiration. Through this tragic story set between 1986 and 1993, Ahluwalia films the changing of an era... His direction, full of archival period films, beautifully uses the art of editing, color and off-screen space. One feels a real affection for this admittedly sordid universe, but with a magnificence that the conversion of India to the market economy will simply wipe out."

	[[Another Magazine]]'s Simon Jablonski reviewed the film, saying "Among all that glitters at Cannes Film Festival, there was little quite as visually spectacular as Miss Lovely, directed by Ashim Ahluwalia. In the midst of India’s moralistic and conservative codes of censorship, Miss Lovely dived into the world of the secret sex and horror C-movie scene of 80s Bombay. Constantly moving and switching between genre pieces – a gangster flick then a love story then an art house film. Stylistically it’s reminiscent of 90s Chinese cinema such as Chungking Express than anything you’d associate with the Bollywood tradition while the wonderfully extravagant costumes and sets call to mind Rainer Fassbinder’s The Bitter Tears Of Petra von Kant."<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.anothermag.com/current/view/1974/Miss_Lovely_Cannes_Film_Festival \|title=Culture Talks – Miss Lovely, Cannes Film Festival \| AnOther \|date=25 May 2012 \|publisher=Anothermag.com \|access-date=20 October 2012}}</ref>		[[Another Magazine]]'s Simon Jablonski reviewed the film, saying "Among all that glitters at Cannes Film Festival, there was little quite as visually spectacular as Miss Lovely, directed by Ashim Ahluwalia. In the midst of India’s moralistic and conservative codes of censorship, Miss Lovely dived into the world of the secret sex and horror C-movie scene of 80s Bombay. Constantly moving and switching between genre pieces – a gangster flick then a love story then an art house film. Stylistically it’s reminiscent of 90s Chinese cinema such as ''Chungking Express'' than anything you’d associate with the Bollywood tradition while the wonderfully extravagant costumes and sets call to mind Rainer Fassbinder’s ''The Bitter Tears Of Petra von Kant''."<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.anothermag.com/current/view/1974/Miss_Lovely_Cannes_Film_Festival \|title=Culture Talks – Miss Lovely, Cannes Film Festival \| AnOther \|date=25 May 2012 \|publisher=Anothermag.com \|access-date=20 October 2012}}</ref>

	Indian film critic Nandini Ramnath described the film in Mint as "a universe of retro pleasures and pain, atmospheric interiors and decaying exteriors, marginal characters and forbidden dreams… The story follows, but often wanders away from, Sonu’s fallout with his brother, his attempts to go solo and his love for Pinky. Amid a hypnotic interplay of colours, tones and textures that has been shot by cinematographer Mohanan, we see Mumbai like it’s rarely been seen before… This is pre-globalized Mumbai at its most evocative and perilous. If you feel uneasy while watching the film, you’re meant to."<ref>{{cite news\| url=http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/3kJ4gA3aNml9yrqjLyxwBI/The-really-dirty-picture.html \| work=Mint \| first=Nandini \| last=Ramnath \| title=The Really Dirty Picture \| date=12 November 2012}}</ref>		Indian film critic Nandini Ramnath described the film in Mint as "a universe of retro pleasures and pain, atmospheric interiors and decaying exteriors, marginal characters and forbidden dreams… The story follows, but often wanders away from, Sonu’s fallout with his brother, his attempts to go solo and his love for Pinky. Amid a hypnotic interplay of colours, tones and textures that has been shot by cinematographer Mohanan, we see Mumbai like it’s rarely been seen before… This is pre-globalized Mumbai at its most evocative and perilous. If you feel uneasy while watching the film, you’re meant to."<ref>{{cite news\| url=http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/3kJ4gA3aNml9yrqjLyxwBI/The-really-dirty-picture.html \| work=Mint \| first=Nandini \| last=Ramnath \| title=The Really Dirty Picture \| date=12 November 2012}}</ref>
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	[[Category:2012 drama films]]		[[Category:2012 drama films]]
	[[Category:2012 directorial debut films]]		[[Category:2012 directorial debut films]]
	[[Category:~~2010s~~ Hindi-language ~~films]]~~		[[Category:2012 Hindi-language films]]
	~~[[Category:Indian~~ films]]
	[[Category:Indian drama films]]		[[Category:Indian drama films]]
	[[Category:Films set in Mumbai]]		[[Category:Films set in Mumbai]]
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	[[Category:Films whose production designer won the Best Production Design National Film Award]]		[[Category:Films whose production designer won the Best Production Design National Film Award]]
	[[Category:Special Jury Award (feature film) National Film Award winners]]		[[Category:Special Jury Award (feature film) National Film Award winners]]
			[[Category:Indian neo-noir films]]
			[[Category:Indian romantic drama films]]
			[[Category:Indian docudrama films]]
			[[Category:Films about Hindi cinema]]
			[[Category:Films about pornography]]
			[[Category:Pornography in India]]
			[[Category:Indian erotic drama films]]
			[[Category:Film censorship in India]]
			[[Category:Films set in 1986]]
			[[Category:Films set in 1993]]
			[[Category:Films set in the 1990s]]
			[[Category:Films shot in Mumbai]]
			[[Category:Indian avant-garde and experimental films]]
			[[Category:Indian gangster films]]
			[[Category:Censored films]]

UpdateBot: robot: Update article (please report if you notice any mistake or error in this edit)

2022-02-16T16:18:36Z

robot: Update article (please report if you notice any mistake or error in this edit)

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:48, 16 February 2022
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	\| caption = Film poster		\| caption = Film poster
	\| director = [[Ashim Ahluwalia]]		\| director = [[Ashim Ahluwalia]]
	\| producer = Shumona Goel<br>Sanjay Shah<br>Pinaki Chatterjee		\| producer = Shumona Goel<br />Sanjay Shah<br />Pinaki Chatterjee
	\| writer = Ashim Ahluwalia<br>Uttam Sirur		\| writer = Ashim Ahluwalia<br />Uttam Sirur
	\| starring = [[Nawazuddin Siddiqui]]<br>[[Niharika Singh]]<br>[[Menaka Lalwani]]<br>Anil George<br>Zeena Bhatia		\| starring = [[Nawazuddin Siddiqui]]<br />[[Niharika Singh]]<br />[[Menaka Lalwani]]<br />Anil George<br />Zeena Bhatia
	\| music = [[Ilaiyaraaja]]<br>[[Cloudland Canyon (band)\|Cloudland Canyon]]<br>Kip Uhlhorn		\| music = [[Ilaiyaraaja]]<br />[[Cloudland Canyon (band)\|Cloudland Canyon]]<br />Kip Uhlhorn
	\| cinematography = [[K. U. Mohanan]]		\| cinematography = [[K. U. Mohanan]]
	\| editing = Paresh Kamdar<br>Ashim Ahluwalia		\| editing = Paresh Kamdar<br />Ashim Ahluwalia
	\| distributor = Easel Films<br>Eagle Movies		\| distributor = Easel Films<br />Eagle Movies
	\| released = {{film date\|2012\|5\|24\|[[2012 Cannes Film Festival\|Cannes]]\|2014\|1\|17\|India\|df=yes}}<ref>{{cite news\| url=http://www.thehindu.com/arts/cinema/article3352259.ece \| location=Chennai, India \| work=The Hindu \| first=Anuj \| last=Kumar \| title=Miss Lovely in Cannes \| date=25 April 2012}}</ref>		\| released = {{film date\|2012\|5\|24\|[[2012 Cannes Film Festival\|Cannes]]\|2014\|1\|17\|India\|df=yes}}<ref>{{cite news\| url=http://www.thehindu.com/arts/cinema/article3352259.ece \| location=Chennai, India \| work=The Hindu \| first=Anuj \| last=Kumar \| title=Miss Lovely in Cannes \| date=25 April 2012}}</ref>
	\| runtime = 110 minutes		\| runtime = 110 minutes
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	Shot on a combination of [[Kodak]] Super 16 and [[35mm movie film\|35mm]] film in [[widescreen]], central themes of Miss Lovely include repressed [[sexuality]], [[censorship]], the deconstruction of [[genre]], the material nature of [[celluloid]] and the extinction of cinema itself.<ref name="Film Commentary and Criticism">Cine Malin [http://cmfilmcommentary.com/2013/02/28/interview-with-ashim-ahluwalia-part-2/ Film Commentary and Criticism]</ref> The [[film soundtrack]] also links back to a history of past cinema, particularly the use of rare work of Italian [[composers]] [[Egisto Macchi]] and [[Piero Umiliani]], who had both scored [[exploitation films]]. The [[soundtrack]] also employs [[film scores]] by Indian [[composer]] [[Ilaiyaraaja]] and [[disco]] producer [[Biddu]].		Shot on a combination of [[Kodak]] Super 16 and [[35mm movie film\|35mm]] film in [[widescreen]], central themes of Miss Lovely include repressed [[sexuality]], [[censorship]], the deconstruction of [[genre]], the material nature of [[celluloid]] and the extinction of cinema itself.<ref name="Film Commentary and Criticism">Cine Malin [http://cmfilmcommentary.com/2013/02/28/interview-with-ashim-ahluwalia-part-2/ Film Commentary and Criticism]</ref> The [[film soundtrack]] also links back to a history of past cinema, particularly the use of rare work of Italian [[composers]] [[Egisto Macchi]] and [[Piero Umiliani]], who had both scored [[exploitation films]]. The [[soundtrack]] also employs [[film scores]] by Indian [[composer]] [[Ilaiyaraaja]] and [[disco]] producer [[Biddu]].

	Miss Lovely competed in the [[Un Certain Regard]] section at the [[2012 Cannes Film Festival]].<ref name="Official Selection">{{cite web \|url=http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/article/58878.html \|title=2012 Official Selection \|access-date=21 April 2012 \|work=Cannes}}</ref><ref name="timesofindia">{{cite news\|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-04-20/news-interviews/31373565_1_indian-film-competition-section-moonrise-kingdom \|title=Indian movie ''Miss Lovely'' at Cannes film fest \|access-date=21 April 2012 \|work=[[The Times of India]] \|date=20 April 2012 }}{{dead link\|date=June 2017 \|bot=InternetArchiveBot \|fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The film has since screened at numerous film festivals including the [[Toronto International Film Festival]]<ref>Marissa Bronfman [https://www.huffingtonpost.com/marissa-bronfman/ashim-ahluwalia_b_1866933.html/ Huffington Post]</ref> and [[International Film Festival Rotterdam]].<ref>Miss Lovely [http://www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com/professionals/films/miss-lovely/ Bright Future 2013]</ref> Miss Lovely had release of around 300 screens in India on 17 January 2014.<ref>[https://archive.today/20140118052946/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=6388&nCat= ]</ref>		Miss Lovely competed in the [[Un Certain Regard]] section at the [[2012 Cannes Film Festival]].<ref name="Official Selection">{{cite web \|url=http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/article/58878.html \|title=2012 Official Selection \|access-date=21 April 2012 \|work=Cannes}}</ref><ref name="timesofindia">{{cite news\|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-04-20/news-interviews/31373565_1_indian-film-competition-section-moonrise-kingdom \|title=Indian movie ''Miss Lovely'' at Cannes film fest \|access-date=21 April 2012 \|work=[[The Times of India]] \|date=20 April 2012 }}{{dead link\|date=June 2017 \|bot=InternetArchiveBot \|fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The film has since screened at numerous film festivals including the [[Toronto International Film Festival]]<ref>Marissa Bronfman [https://www.huffingtonpost.com/marissa-bronfman/ashim-ahluwalia_b_1866933.html/ Huffington Post]</ref> and [[International Film Festival Rotterdam]].<ref>Miss Lovely [http://www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com/professionals/films/miss-lovely/ Bright Future 2013]</ref> Miss Lovely had release of around 300 screens in India on 17 January 2014.<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=6388&nCat= \|title=Archived copy \|website=www.boxofficeindia.com \|access-date=2 February 2022 \|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140118052946/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=6388&nCat= \|archive-date=18 January 2014 \|url-status=dead}}</ref>

	==Cast==		==Cast==
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	* Anil George as Vicky Duggal		* Anil George as Vicky Duggal
	* Zeena Bhatia as Poonam		* Zeena Bhatia as Poonam
	* Menaka Lalwani as Nadia Khan		* [[Menaka Lalwani]] as Nadia Khan
	* Ragesh Asthanaa as PK		* Ragesh Asthanaa as PK
	* Manoj Bakshi as Heera Seherwala		* Manoj Bakshi as Heera Seherwala

	==Development==		==Development==

	The project started as a [[documentary]] on C-grade sex cinema in the lower depths of [[Bollywood]] which flourished between the 1970s and the early 2000s when it was eventually made redundant by anonymous internet pornography. During work on the documentary, the director discovered that none of the subjects were willing to appear on camera as shooting pornography in India constitutes a serious criminal offense. The documentary was subsequently shelved. The project was later reworked into a feature film script and set in the past so as to protect the identities of individual subjects and their actual stories.<ref name=film>[http://filmfare.com/interviews/ashim-ahluwalia-sleaze-the-day-934.html Ashim Ahluwalia: Sleaze the day] Filmfare, 27 July 2012.</ref> The [[Central Board of Film Certification]] (CBFC) gave an ‘A’ certification to the film.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://freepressjournal.in/adult-thriller-miss-lovely-finally-granted-a-certificate/ \|title=Adult thriller 'Miss Lovely' finally granted 'A' certificate – Free Press Journal \|publisher=Freepressjournal.in \|access-date=24 February 2014 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131229062004/http://freepressjournal.in/adult-thriller-miss-lovely-finally-granted-a-certificate/ \|archive-date=29 December 2013 }}</ref>		The project started as a [[documentary]] on C-grade sex cinema in the lower depths of [[Bollywood]] which flourished between the 1970s and the early 2000s when it was eventually made redundant by anonymous internet pornography. During work on the documentary, the director discovered that none of the subjects were willing to appear on camera as shooting pornography in India constitutes a serious criminal offense. The documentary was subsequently shelved. The project was later reworked into a feature film script and set in the past so as to protect the identities of individual subjects and their actual stories.<ref name=film>[http://filmfare.com/interviews/ashim-ahluwalia-sleaze-the-day-934.html Ashim Ahluwalia: Sleaze the day] Filmfare, 27 July 2012.</ref> The [[Central Board of Film Certification]] (CBFC) gave an ‘A’ certification to the film.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://freepressjournal.in/adult-thriller-miss-lovely-finally-granted-a-certificate/ \|title=Adult thriller 'Miss Lovely' finally granted 'A' certificate – Free Press Journal \|publisher=Freepressjournal.in \|access-date=24 February 2014 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131229062004/http://freepressjournal.in/adult-thriller-miss-lovely-finally-granted-a-certificate/ \|archive-date=29 December 2013 }}</ref>

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	[[Le Monde]]'s [[Jacques Mandelbaum]] wrote, "Miss Lovely (is) a splendid film that invites admiration. Through this tragic story set between 1986 and 1993, Ahluwalia films the changing of an era... His direction, full of archival period films, beautifully uses the art of editing, color and off-screen space. One feels a real affection for this admittedly sordid universe, but with a magnificence that the conversion of India to the market economy will simply wipe out."		[[Le Monde]]'s [[Jacques Mandelbaum]] wrote, "Miss Lovely (is) a splendid film that invites admiration. Through this tragic story set between 1986 and 1993, Ahluwalia films the changing of an era... His direction, full of archival period films, beautifully uses the art of editing, color and off-screen space. One feels a real affection for this admittedly sordid universe, but with a magnificence that the conversion of India to the market economy will simply wipe out."

	[[Another Magazine]]'s Simon Jablonski reviewed the film, saying "Among all that glitters at Cannes Film Festival, there was little quite as visually spectacular as Miss Lovely, directed by Ashim Ahluwalia. In the midst of India’s moralistic and conservative codes of censorship, Miss Lovely dived into the world of the secret sex and horror C-movie scene of 80s Bombay. Constantly moving and switching between genre pieces – a gangster flick then a love story then an art house film. Stylistically it’s reminiscent of 90s Chinese cinema such as Chungking Express than anything you’d associate with the Bollywood tradition while the wonderfully extravagant costumes and sets call to mind Rainer Fassbinder’s The Bitter Tears Of Petra von Kant."<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.anothermag.com/current/view/1974/Miss_Lovely_Cannes_Film_Festival \|title=Culture Talks – Miss Lovely, Cannes Film Festival \| AnOther \|publisher=Anothermag.com \|access-date=20 October 2012}}</ref>		[[Another Magazine]]'s Simon Jablonski reviewed the film, saying "Among all that glitters at Cannes Film Festival, there was little quite as visually spectacular as Miss Lovely, directed by Ashim Ahluwalia. In the midst of India’s moralistic and conservative codes of censorship, Miss Lovely dived into the world of the secret sex and horror C-movie scene of 80s Bombay. Constantly moving and switching between genre pieces – a gangster flick then a love story then an art house film. Stylistically it’s reminiscent of 90s Chinese cinema such as Chungking Express than anything you’d associate with the Bollywood tradition while the wonderfully extravagant costumes and sets call to mind Rainer Fassbinder’s The Bitter Tears Of Petra von Kant."<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.anothermag.com/current/view/1974/Miss_Lovely_Cannes_Film_Festival \|title=Culture Talks – Miss Lovely, Cannes Film Festival \| AnOther \|date=25 May 2012 \|publisher=Anothermag.com \|access-date=20 October 2012}}</ref>

	Indian film critic Nandini Ramnath described the film in Mint as "a universe of retro pleasures and pain, atmospheric interiors and decaying exteriors, marginal characters and forbidden dreams… The story follows, but often wanders away from, Sonu’s fallout with his brother, his attempts to go solo and his love for Pinky. Amid a hypnotic interplay of colours, tones and textures that has been shot by cinematographer Mohanan, we see Mumbai like it’s rarely been seen before… This is pre-globalized Mumbai at its most evocative and perilous. If you feel uneasy while watching the film, you’re meant to."<ref>{{cite news\| url=http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/3kJ4gA3aNml9yrqjLyxwBI/The-really-dirty-picture.html \| work=Mint \| first=Nandini \| last=Ramnath \| title=The Really Dirty Picture \| date=12 November 2012}}</ref>		Indian film critic Nandini Ramnath described the film in Mint as "a universe of retro pleasures and pain, atmospheric interiors and decaying exteriors, marginal characters and forbidden dreams… The story follows, but often wanders away from, Sonu’s fallout with his brother, his attempts to go solo and his love for Pinky. Amid a hypnotic interplay of colours, tones and textures that has been shot by cinematographer Mohanan, we see Mumbai like it’s rarely been seen before… This is pre-globalized Mumbai at its most evocative and perilous. If you feel uneasy while watching the film, you’re meant to."<ref>{{cite news\| url=http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/3kJ4gA3aNml9yrqjLyxwBI/The-really-dirty-picture.html \| work=Mint \| first=Nandini \| last=Ramnath \| title=The Really Dirty Picture \| date=12 November 2012}}</ref>

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{{short description|2012 film}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Miss Lovely
| image = Miss Lovely (2012 film).jpg
| caption = Film poster
| director = [[Ashim Ahluwalia]]
| producer = Shumona Goel Sanjay Shah Pinaki Chatterjee
| writer = Ashim Ahluwalia Uttam Sirur
| starring = [[Nawazuddin Siddiqui]] [[Niharika Singh]] [[Menaka Lalwani]] Anil George Zeena Bhatia
| music = [[Ilaiyaraaja]] [[Cloudland Canyon (band)|Cloudland Canyon]] Kip Uhlhorn
| cinematography = [[K. U. Mohanan]]
| editing = Paresh Kamdar Ashim Ahluwalia
| distributor = Easel Films Eagle Movies
| released = {{film date|2012|5|24|[[2012 Cannes Film Festival|Cannes]]|2014|1|17|India|df=yes}}<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.thehindu.com/arts/cinema/article3352259.ece | location=Chennai, India | work=The Hindu | first=Anuj | last=Kumar | title=Miss Lovely in Cannes | date=25 April 2012}}</ref>
| runtime = 110 minutes
| country = India
| language = Hindi
}}

'''''Miss Lovely''''' is a 2012 Indian [[Drama (film and television)|drama film]] directed by [[Ashim Ahluwalia]] and set in the criminal depths of Mumbai's C-grade (horror and [[porn film]]) industry.<ref name=film/> Ahluwalia's debut feature follows the story of the Duggal brothers who produce sleazy sex-horror films in the mid-1980s.<ref name="On IMDB">Miss Lovely [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1629715/ On IMDB]</ref> The plot explores the intense and mutually destructive relationship between younger sibling Sonu Duggal, played by [[Nawazuddin Siddiqui]], and his elder brother, Vicky (Anil George). Sonu finds himself drawn to a mysterious young woman named Pinky ([[Niharika Singh]]) eventually leading to his downfall. ''Miss Lovely'' had its cinematic release on 17 January 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://movies.ndtv.com/bollywood/i-m-glad-censor-board-didn-t-ban-miss-lovely-director-460251 |title=I'm glad Censor board didn't ban Miss Lovely: director | NDTV Movies.com |publisher=Movies.ndtv.com |date=18 December 2013 |access-date=24 February 2014}}</ref> The film has received the [[National Film Award – Special Jury Award (Feature Film)|National Film Award – Special Jury Award (Feature film)]] and [[National Film Award for Best Production Design|Best Production Design]] at the [[61st National Film Awards]].<ref>{{cite web|title=61st National Film Awards Announced: Live Update|url=http://zeenews.india.com/entertainment/and-more/61st-national-film-awards-announced-live-update_153657.html|publisher=[[Zee News]]|access-date=16 April 2014}}</ref>

The stylized form, densely layered narrative, period costumes and production design simultaneously conveys a pulp style and contemporaneous modernity. Jonathan Romney of [[Sight & Sound]] described the film as "A shock to the system – an Indian film like I’d never seen."<ref>BFI Film Forever [https://web.archive.org/web/20120803004136/http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/newsandviews/festivals/blog/cannes-2012-05-25-in-the-fog.php Indian Independence]</ref> The film constantly switches between [[genre]] pieces and is part hard-boiled [[film noir]], part love story, part [[melodrama]] and part [[documentary]]. It has been compared to [[Rainer Werner Fassbinder]]’s ''[[The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant]]'', and [[Wong Kar Wai]]'s ''[[Chungking Express]]''.<ref name="On IMDB"/>

Shot on a combination of [[Kodak]] Super 16 and [[35mm movie film|35mm]] film in [[widescreen]], central themes of Miss Lovely include repressed [[sexuality]], [[censorship]], the deconstruction of [[genre]], the material nature of [[celluloid]] and the extinction of cinema itself.<ref name="Film Commentary and Criticism">Cine Malin [http://cmfilmcommentary.com/2013/02/28/interview-with-ashim-ahluwalia-part-2/ Film Commentary and Criticism]</ref> The [[film soundtrack]] also links back to a history of past cinema, particularly the use of rare work of Italian [[composers]] [[Egisto Macchi]] and [[Piero Umiliani]], who had both scored [[exploitation films]]. The [[soundtrack]] also employs [[film scores]] by Indian [[composer]] [[Ilaiyaraaja]] and [[disco]] producer [[Biddu]].

Miss Lovely competed in the [[Un Certain Regard]] section at the [[2012 Cannes Film Festival]].<ref name="Official Selection">{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/article/58878.html |title=2012 Official Selection |access-date=21 April 2012 |work=Cannes}}</ref><ref name="timesofindia">{{cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-04-20/news-interviews/31373565_1_indian-film-competition-section-moonrise-kingdom |title=Indian movie ''Miss Lovely'' at Cannes film fest |access-date=21 April 2012 |work=[[The Times of India]] |date=20 April 2012 }}{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The film has since screened at numerous film festivals including the [[Toronto International Film Festival]]<ref>Marissa Bronfman [https://www.huffingtonpost.com/marissa-bronfman/ashim-ahluwalia_b_1866933.html/ Huffington Post]</ref> and [[International Film Festival Rotterdam]].<ref>Miss Lovely [http://www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com/professionals/films/miss-lovely/ Bright Future 2013]</ref> Miss Lovely had release of around 300 screens in India on 17 January 2014.<ref>[https://archive.today/20140118052946/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=6388&nCat= ]</ref>

==Cast==
* [[Nawazuddin Siddiqui]] as Sonu Duggal
* [[Niharika Singh]] as Sonika/Pinky
* Anil George as Vicky Duggal
* Zeena Bhatia as Poonam
* Menaka Lalwani as Nadia Khan
* Ragesh Asthanaa as PK
* Manoj Bakshi as Heera Seherwala

==Development==

The project started as a [[documentary]] on C-grade sex cinema in the lower depths of [[Bollywood]] which flourished between the 1970s and the early 2000s when it was eventually made redundant by anonymous internet pornography. During work on the documentary, the director discovered that none of the subjects were willing to appear on camera as shooting pornography in India constitutes a serious criminal offense. The documentary was subsequently shelved. The project was later reworked into a feature film script and set in the past so as to protect the identities of individual subjects and their actual stories.<ref name=film>[http://filmfare.com/interviews/ashim-ahluwalia-sleaze-the-day-934.html Ashim Ahluwalia: Sleaze the day] Filmfare, 27 July 2012.</ref> The [[Central Board of Film Certification]] (CBFC) gave an ‘A’ certification to the film.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://freepressjournal.in/adult-thriller-miss-lovely-finally-granted-a-certificate/ |title=Adult thriller 'Miss Lovely' finally granted 'A' certificate – Free Press Journal |publisher=Freepressjournal.in |access-date=24 February 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131229062004/http://freepressjournal.in/adult-thriller-miss-lovely-finally-granted-a-certificate/ |archive-date=29 December 2013 }}</ref>

==Reception==
Initial reviews to ''Miss Lovely'' at Cannes were contradictory. Expecting a more mainstream film, ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' noted that "Miss Lovely sets out to prove that Indian cinema can be as frustratingly opaque as a European art movie [and] succeeds rather too well."<ref name=ho>{{cite news| url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/miss-lovely-review-cannes-329647 | work=The Hollywood Reporter | first=Stephen | last=Dalton | title=Miss Lovely: Cannes Review | date=25 May 2012}}</ref>

In complete contrast, [[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'s Alissa Simon gave the film a glowing review, saying "Something new in Indian filmmaking, neither Bollywood nor traditional art cinema, the pic provides a unique, immersive experience...one that owes as much to docu and experimental filmmakers as to Scorsese, Welles and von Sternberg, plunging viewers into the characters' social milieu."<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117947654?refcatid=31 | work=Variety | first=Alissa | last=Simon | title=Miss Lovely | date=26 May 2012}}</ref>

[[Sight & Sound]]'s Jonathan Romney described the director [[Ashim Ahluwalia]] as "a very impressive talent, and given the oppressive conventions of the Indian film industry, he’s clearly an independent spirit and then some."

[[Film Comment]]'s Gavin Smith felt that the film was the strongest in the [[Un Certain Regard]] section writing "I hope we do hear more from Indian director Ashim Ahluwalia, whose lively, fast-and-loose Miss Lovely, about two brothers toiling in the world of Bollywood B-movie and softcore porn production in the Eighties, had an off-kilter, at times delirious first hour and then settled into a pungent story of jealousy, betrayal, and doomed love."<ref>{{cite web|author=Film Society of Lincoln Center |url=http://www.filmcomment.com/article/festivals-cannes-2012-gavin-smith |title=Festivals: Cannes 2012 | Film Comment | Film Society of Lincoln Center |publisher=Film Comment |access-date=20 October 2012}}</ref>

[[Libertas Film Magazine]]'s Joe Bendel noted, "This is clearly a milieu Ahluwalia fully understands. Straddling genres, he toys with crime story elements, but essentially tells a Cain and Abel tale, skewering India’s celebrity-obsessed culture and sexual mores along the way. Stylistically, he spans the gamut from trippily disorienting to in-your-face naturalism. This is kitchen-sink filmmaking at its most relentlessly indie. Part expose and part fall-from-grace epic, Miss Lovely is highly recommended for those who simply love films about filmmaking."<ref>Libertas Film Magazine [http://www.libertasfilmmagazine.com/lfm-reviews-sffss-artist-in-residence-ashim-ahluwalias-miss-lovely/ Artist In Residence Aashim Ahluwalia's Miss Lovely]</ref>

[[Le Monde]]'s [[Jacques Mandelbaum]] wrote, "Miss Lovely (is) a splendid film that invites admiration. Through this tragic story set between 1986 and 1993, Ahluwalia films the changing of an era... His direction, full of archival period films, beautifully uses the art of editing, color and off-screen space. One feels a real affection for this admittedly sordid universe, but with a magnificence that the conversion of India to the market economy will simply wipe out."

[[Another Magazine]]'s Simon Jablonski reviewed the film, saying "Among all that glitters at Cannes Film Festival, there was little quite as visually spectacular as Miss Lovely, directed by Ashim Ahluwalia. In the midst of India’s moralistic and conservative codes of censorship, Miss Lovely dived into the world of the secret sex and horror C-movie scene of 80s Bombay. Constantly moving and switching between genre pieces – a gangster flick then a love story then an art house film. Stylistically it’s reminiscent of 90s Chinese cinema such as Chungking Express than anything you’d associate with the Bollywood tradition while the wonderfully extravagant costumes and sets call to mind Rainer Fassbinder’s The Bitter Tears Of Petra von Kant."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.anothermag.com/current/view/1974/Miss_Lovely_Cannes_Film_Festival |title=Culture Talks – Miss Lovely, Cannes Film Festival | AnOther |publisher=Anothermag.com |access-date=20 October 2012}}</ref>

Indian film critic Nandini Ramnath described the film in Mint as "a universe of retro pleasures and pain, atmospheric interiors and decaying exteriors, marginal characters and forbidden dreams… The story follows, but often wanders away from, Sonu’s fallout with his brother, his attempts to go solo and his love for Pinky. Amid a hypnotic interplay of colours, tones and textures that has been shot by cinematographer Mohanan, we see Mumbai like it’s rarely been seen before… This is pre-globalized Mumbai at its most evocative and perilous. If you feel uneasy while watching the film, you’re meant to."<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/3kJ4gA3aNml9yrqjLyxwBI/The-really-dirty-picture.html | work=Mint | first=Nandini | last=Ramnath | title=The Really Dirty Picture | date=12 November 2012}}</ref>

[[The New York Times]]'s Joan Dupont profiled Miss Lovely and the director [[Ashim Ahluwalia]] in a piece titled "Mumbai in the Bad Old Days"<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/26/arts/26iht-dupont26.html | work=The New York Times | first=Joan | last=Dupont | title=Mumbai in the Bad Old Days | date=25 May 2012}}</ref>

Miss Lovely has won multiple awards including Best Film in the "India Gold" category at the 14th [[Mumbai Film Festival]]<ref>{{cite news| url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/miss-lovely-wins-best-film-award-at-mumbai-film-festival/302292-8-66.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028193506/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/miss-lovely-wins-best-film-award-at-mumbai-film-festival/302292-8-66.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=2012-10-28 |title= IBN Live}}</ref> and Best Feature Film Award at the 11th [[Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/miss-lovely-beyond-all-boundaries-439394 |title= The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref>

==Awards==
;[[National Film Awards]]
* [[National Film Award – Special Jury Award (Feature Film)|National Film Award – Special Jury Award (Feature film)]] (director) – Ashim Ahluwalia
*[[National Film Award for Best Production Design]] – Ashim Ahluwalia, Tabasheer Zutshi and Parichit Paralkar

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.miss-lovely.com/ Official website]
* {{IMDb title|1629715}}

{{National Film Award Special Jury Award feature film}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Miss Lovely}}
[[Category:2012 films]]
[[Category:2012 drama films]]
[[Category:2012 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:2010s Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:Indian drama films]]
[[Category:Films set in Mumbai]]
[[Category:Films about films]]
[[Category:Films set in the 1980s]]
[[Category:Hindi-language drama films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Ilaiyaraaja]]
[[Category:Films whose production designer won the Best Production Design National Film Award]]
[[Category:Special Jury Award (feature film) National Film Award winners]]