Is Sonata the desi Mamma Mia?

Chick flicks  don’t have to be about PYTs. Being 50-plus and sexy is what Aparna Sen’s new film Sonata is about. And that’s what makes it so special. The film’s trailer in English has Shabana Azmi, Lillete Dubey and Aparna Sen bonding over giggles, wine and yes, some hiccups.

No, the film has nothing in common with Mamma Mia, except that it’s about three friends. The film is based on Mahesh Elkunchwar’s play Sonata, and explores the mid-life crisis of three unmarried working women living in Mumbai.

Shabana had a ball shooting for Sonata. “Lillete, Aparna and I bonded very closely. All the characters play off each other. The film was made on a minuscule budget and most of the furniture and knick-knacks are from Aparna’s house! I enjoyed playing my character Dolon Sen. It’s a great part…wilful and funny with quicksilver moods and uninhibited.”

She says, “How many times do we get a chance to do a film where three actresses of a certain age get to have a ball?”

The actress adds. “I want to work in all her films! I respect her deeply as a person and a director. She’s an auteur in the true sense. She writes her own scripts, understands editing, music and acting…  she sees the film so clearly in her mind’s eye that it’s already made in her mind even before she reaches the sets.”