First Woman Wins Golden Lion in Venice Film Festival
According to an AFP report, set among a Punjabi family in New Delhi, Nair's film depicts four days leading to a spectacular Hindu wedding ceremony, with family members flying in from all over the world.
In the comedy, Nair Knits in darkly somber issues such as child abuse and the bride-to-be's torrid affair with her boss as she prepares for her wedding.
The experts said nair, whose Bollywood debut "***Salaam Bombay***" in 1988 was a smash hit, deserved the prestigious award, which was presented to her on Saturday.
"It is terrific that she has done another decent and offbeat film and it is a matter of pride for me as an Indian women that she took away the Golden Lion," said Indian cinema expert Jyoti Sabharwal.
"Let us face it. To successfully compete in a forum like the Venice Film Festival is not a joke," Sabharwal said of the New York-based director, whose award-winner is the seventh film in a career spanning 13 years.
Besides ****"Salaam Bombay,"**** Nair's other productions included offtrack ****"Mississippi Masala"**** in 1992, not-too-successful ****"The Perez Family"**** in 1995, ****"Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love" *****in 1997 and then ****"My Own Country"**** in 1998.
"She is a significant artiste in the contemporary age and the only woman making this type of film," said John Dayal, former film critic and expert on international film festivals.
****"Salaam Bombay"**** was a big film and it took a fresh approach to an issue which had been glossed over or romanticized by the others.
She exposed both its seaminess and its humanity, prompting a social movement and a new focus on India's street children.
"Her ****Monsoon Wedding***** is another product of her investigation into the social fabric of a changing India and it could add to an understanding of the emerging values in India," he added.
****"Salaam Bombay"**** won international awards and recognition, including the 1988 New Director's Award at Cannes, and an Oscar nomination in 1989.