Gilded Kama

Courtesy of Trimark Pictures Sarita Choudhury in the harem as "Tara" in "Kama Sutra"

Behind the richly colored veils, however, lies a plotline of love, sex and betrayal that is far less exotic. The story unfolds in a 16th-century Indian court where playmates Maya (played by Indira Verma) a vivacious servant girl, and Tara, a listless prin cess, are taught the art of dance and the ways of the Kama Sutra. This ancient text, which translates roughly into "Lessons of Love," covers everything from sexual positions to the spiritual qualities of love.

Despite being lower caste and having to rely on hand-me-down clothes from Tara, Maya upstages the princess with her natural affinity for the sensual arts. As the girls blossom into womanhood, Tara (Sarita Choudhury of Nair's "Mississippi Masala") eagerly prepares to marry the arrogant and handsome King Raj Singh (Naveen Andrews of "The English Patient") of the neighboring region. Jealous and confused, Maya offers herself to the willing king the night before the wedding. In an aside to Tara the day after s he says something like: "All my life I've had to rely on your used things, now I have used something that you will live with forever." (meow!)When her sin is revealed, Maja is castigated and thrown out of the court.

A beautiful, towering soap opera of love, sex and revenge follows. After Maya has her heart broken by a stone sculptor named Jai (Ramon Tikaram) she decides to perfect her knowledge of the Kama Sutra by following the teachings of Rasa (Rekha) and becoming a courtesan. By the time Jai has realized that he loves her more than his art, Maya is already trapped behind the walls of the King's harem.

Director Mira Nair, a native Indian who studied sociology and theater at Delhi University, began her career as a documentary filmmaker while a student at Harvard. Her first internationally successful feature narrative "Salaam Bombay!" earned her an Acade my Award nomination and the Camera d'Or and the Prix du Publique at the Cannes Film Festival. In America, Nair has tackled controversial topics in films like "Mississippi Masala" and "The Perez Family." Seen against this backdrop, it is clear that "Kama S utra" is an attempt at something less realistic and more pictorial. More than anything, Nair seems to want to celebrate the Indian heritage of female sensuality and sexuality. The love scenes are so carefully put together that each frame would befit the w alls of a photo museum. Shots of ancient, erotic Hindu sculptures are cross-cut with clothed courtesans practicing the Kama Sutra's various positions on each other.

Although the film's beauty makes up for its mediocre plot, it is easy to see why many critics expected more from a political, female director of color. The writings of the Kama Sutra are covered only in the most superficial manner, through little maxims u ttered by Rasa; and the Hollywood taboo on male frontal nudity is adhered to dogmatically while the nude female figure is shown in full. Certain women feel that this exploits females by only showing their bodies, but I feel that it degrades men by asserti ng that the penis is too shocking to be beautiful. At least the ancient Hindu sculptors weren't afraid of male genitalia, as the film shows).

The crux of the problem with Nair's film may lie in its title. "Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love" has invariably been shortened to "Kama Sutra" in papers and on marquees. As a result, people expect something definitive on the vast subject of sex, love and sexua l identity. This film is far from an authority on life's most burning issue, but the movie has a shimmer of gold to it, and it's visuals are awe-inspiring.