1992; 35mm; CC No B-17446; Dated 01/09/92

BANNER
Doordarshan
Doordarshan Kendra,
Worli, Mumbai

CREDIT TITLES
Direction: Mani Kaul
Script: Anup Singh
Dialogue: Hemendra Bhatia, Rajiv Kumar
Cinematography: Piyush Shah
Sound: Vikram Joglekar
Editing: Lalitha Krishna
Music: D. Wood, Vikram Joglekar
Re-Recording: A.M. Padmanabhan
Costumes: Anuradha Choubal
Stills: Lalitha Krishna
Make-up: Ravi Rajput, Prashant Tipnis

PLAYBACK SINGERS
Madan Gopal Singh, Navjot Hansra, Babulal Bora, Vasudev Bhatt

CAST
Ayub Khan Din (Prince Myshkin)
Shah Rukh Khan (Pawan Raghujan)
Zul Vellani (Mr. Mehta)
Mita Vasisht (Nastasia)
Navjot Haansra
Minaxi Goswami
Vasudeo Bhatt
Babulal Bora
Deepak Mahan
Amrit Nath
Thulal Parveen
Dastur Navneet Virk

SYNOPSIS
Based on Dostoevsky's novel by the same name, Mani Kaul's film begins with the return of Prince Myshkin having spent many years in London undergoing treatment for epilepsy. On the train to Bombay he encounters the beautiful femme fatale Nastasia who is being pursued by the rich Pawan Raghujan (Shah Rukh Khan) and the ambitious Ganesh (Mahan).

On his arrival in Bombay Myshkin calls on Mr. Mehta, a highly placed government official whose wife is distantly related to him. He spends a pleasant afternoon with Mrs. Mehta and her three daughters - Ambalika, Ambika and Amba. That evening Myshkin lands up uninvited at Nastasia's chaotic party. And by the end of his first day in Bombay he finds himself proposing marriage to Nastasia. She almost accepts, but then runs away with Raghujan after he throws a bundle of banknotes at her, which she proceeds to burn. Another surprising disclosure of the evening is that Myshkin is to inherit a sizeable fortune from a distant relative and benefactor.

Some months later Myshkin returns to Bombay. He calls on the Mehtas but finds them away holidaying in Goa. On the way back to his hotel he is attacked with a knife on the staircase. He is saved by an epileptic fit that comes over him at the same time, and his attacker is Raghujan!

Myshkin's friendship with the Mehtas is revived. But certain strange and mysterious events instigated by Nastasia point to an intrigue to blacken the reputation of one of Amba's suitors, Ravi. It also turns out that Nastasia has been writing deranged letters to Amba urging her to marry Myshkin.

Amba's engagement to Myshkin is announced and the Mehtas throw a grand party where Myshkin embarrasses everyone by giving a hysterical speech, breaking a valuable Chinese vase and finally having an epileptic fit.

The next day Amba asks Myshkin to accompany her to meet Nastasia. Reluctantly he agrees, but as the two women verbally attack each other, Myshkin finds himself in sympathy with Nastasia. Hurt beyond endurance, Amba walks out of Myshkin's life forever.

Nastasia now accepts Myshkin's proposal but on the wedding day, minutes before the ceremony she runs away with Raghujan. Myshkin follows them to Raghujan's house, where Raghujan himself leads Myshkin to the room where Nastasia lies dead - stabbed by Raghujan. The two friends decide to await the police together.

EPILOGUE
The Mehtas are on holiday in London. Myshkin, who has gone mad, has been admitted to the same hospital where he was before. He recognises no one. Amba has run away with an NRI of dubious reputation and alienated herself from her entire family.