Seller’s finest moment with a bit of birdy num num, 18 Dec 2004

I’ve read some reviews of The Party in which Peter Sellers plays the Indian actor Hurundi V Bakshi, and these reviews make out it’s a racist and offensive film…..and if you think so, you’re probably not an Indian. Speaking as an Indian, I don’t know any Indian who hasn’t fallen in love with this film.

Sellers is in Hollywood, playing the part of a really bad actor. After causing disaster on the set, he is fired, and through an unfortunate incident, accidently invited to the film producer’s house for an A list Hollywood party. At the party, he causes havoc and mayhem, and his lovable character is a fish out of water, showing up the Hollywood celebs for the grandiose, pompous self-indulgent people that they are.

Hurundi will make you laugh so much, you will hurt from getting stitches. As an Indian, we all have relatives living in Europe and the USA who just do one or two things which seem strange to anyone who isn’t an Indian (I only found this out after marrying a Scot), however, Hurundi does all of these things. He is a painful reminder to Indians how ridiculous we can all be, and he is an even more painful reminder to non-Indians of how ridiculous the rest of the world can be.

If you love Goodness Gracious Me, watch it, you’ll love it! I guarantee it!

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Genius!, 28 May 2004

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Pushpendra Rishi “Yumster” (UK) – See all my reviews

  

Some may find his portrayal of an Indian offensive. Some may say it’s not politically correct.

I am an Indian (UK born though). Speaking from an Indians point of view , and having shared viewing of this movie with family and people of other ethnic backgrounds I can honestly say this has to be the best amalgamation of typical Indian traits I have ever had the pleasure of watching.

I have met so many people with parts of the quirks and ingrained politeness that Sellers so accurately put together. I watch the movie and at least one person watching with me can say that is so like someone they know. It really is genius!

Watch this movie. If you’re Indian I would recommend it even more. Take it as it’s meant – fun!

Fave bits: the scene when he is too polite to excuse himself to go to the bathroom while a pretty lady sings for the crowd.
The bird cage bit and how he manages to bungle things up and still manages to….well that would be telling now!

Enjoy

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A deserved cult classic, 8 Dec 2006

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J. Taylor “Wagnerian” (Cambridgeshie, UK) – See all my reviews

  

‘The Party’ is something of an archetypal Blake Edwards film in that it was dismissed by both critics and audiences on its first release, but over the years has subsequently become something of a cult favourite. In this case, the film is not only considered (rightly) to be a classic Edwards-Sellers collaboration, but also something of a milestone in comedy cinematic history with its largely improvised style hanging off a very thin, almost non-existent plot.

What makes it all the more a remarkable achievement is that it was made at a time when both director and star were in the middle of something of a career rut – neither having had a solid hit since ‘A Shot in the Dark’ 4 years previously, Sellers was to appear in the hideously overdone ‘Casino Royale’ before sliding into virtual obscurity, appearing in a series of minor and largely forgettable films (two of which where considered so poor by the distributors that they were never released!), while Edwards was to go on to make the hugely expensive flop ‘Darling Lili’ and fared no better with his big screen version of ‘Gunn’ and his John Ford-esque western ‘Wild Rovers’, both performed badly at the box-office and nearly made Edwards give up moviemaking and retire to Europe! Only with ‘The Return of the Pink Panther’ in 1974 did both their careers finally get back on track.

As mentioned before, ‘The Party’ was largely improvised, with a slender script of just 60 pages being used as a basic outline for scenes. This is perhaps why the film is so well loved as it gives both star and director a chance to work on their greatest strengths: Edwards for setting up farcical slapstick comedy situations, and Sellers the chance to give a glorious character-based interpretation. As for accusations of political incorrectnness, the main character of Hirundi V Bakshi is very much the hero of the story, with the audience sympathising with him every step of the way. His inpetness makes him endearing and there is none of the “funny foreigner” antics that make other comedies like ‘Mind Your Language’ and ‘It Aint Half Hot Mum’ embarassing to watch today. Sellers was a great admirer of Indian culture and his mannerisms displayed here are not played for laughs or to stereotype but are part of the characters reactions to the mayhem around him. The villains of the piece are the snobbish Hollywood moguls and moneymen who make up Tinsletowns ruling elite (Edwards was to treat them much harsher in his later satire ‘S.O.B.’).

The DVD presentation is excellent, with a beautifully sharp anamorphic picture and remastered digital 5.1 stereo sound. The extras include a making of documentray and a rather technical feature about the early use of videotape to replay scenes just shot (a standrad practice in all moviemaking nowadays).

A highly reccomended comedy classic to cherish, with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments.

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