Black
Directed by	Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Produced by	Sanjay Leela Bhansali Anshuman Swami
Written by	Sanjay Leela Bhansali Bhavani Iyer Prakash Kapadia
Starring	Amitabh Bachchan Rani Mukerji Shernaz Patel Nandana Sen
Music by	Monty Sharma
Cinematography	Ravi K. Chandran
Editing by	Bela Segal
Distributed by	Yash Raj Films
Release date(s)	4 February 2005
Running time	123 mins
Country	India
Language	Hindi English

Black (Hindi: ब्लैक, Urdu: بلیک) is a Hindi and Indian English film released in 2005 and directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The first half of the film was based on Arthur Penn's The Miracle Worker (1962).

Time Magazine (Europe) selected the film as one of the 10 Best Movies of the Year 2005 from across the globe. The movie was positioned at number five.^[1] Indiatimes Movies ranks the movie amongst the Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films.[1]

The film was screened at the Casablanca Film Festival and the International Film Festival of India.[2]

Synopsis

The story of Black is based on the true life story of Helen Keller. Michelle McNally (Rani Mukerji) who loses her eyesight and hearing a few months after birth and exists in a black world where she is isolated in the darkness of her own existence, trapped by her inability to see, hear and express.

She grows up becoming more and more frustrated by the black and dark world around her, making her a violent, uncontrollable eight-year old. Her parents, Paul and Catherine, are at their wits' end trying to control her, until one day the light shines through the end of the tunnel. Debraj Sahai (Amitabh Bachchan) enters their lives, an elderly alcoholic teacher for the deaf and blind, Debraj sees himself as a magician and is a disillusioned eccentric man. He takes it upon himself to bring young Michelle into the light. He uses harsh methods, although always for Michelle's long-term benefit. Over the years, through good times and tough times, Michelle becomes more relaxed and becomes almost completely not aggressive. After many years with Debraj, Michelle changes her life completely in those years. One day Debraj leaves Michelle to her regret. Eventually she finds him again though this time it is he who needs her help. The story ends with Michelle attempting to cure Debraj.

BLACK is the inspiring story of how Michelle transforms her life with Debraj Sahai's help - who she lovingly calls 'Tea cha' (teacher) and tries to achieve graduation in a regular university.

Unlike other movies, Black only has one song called Mausam Ki Hidi Adla Badi Mein, performed by Kunal Ganjawala's wife, Gayatri Ganjawala.

Cast

Rani Mukerji as Michelle McNally in Black

• Amitabh Bachchan - Debraj Sahai
• Rani Mukerji - Michelle McNally
• Shernaz Patel - Catherine McNally
• Ayesha Kapoor - Young Michelle McNally
• Dhritiman Chaterji - Paul McNally
• Nandana Sen - Sarah McNally
• Sillo Mahava - Mrs. Gomes
• Mahabanoo Mody-Kotwal - Mrs. Nair

Awards

Pratibha Devisingh Patil presenting the Best Film Actor Award for the year 2005 to Amitabh Bachchan for his role in the Hindi Film Black

• Black won the Best Feature Film in Hindi Award at the 53rd National Film Awards.
• Black made an all-time-record at the Filmfare Awards by bagging eleven awards, beating the previous record holders: Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) and Devdas (2002) of ten wins each.

References

External links

• Black at the Internet Movie Database