Le Mystère Parasuram

2000 French TV series or program

Le Mystère Parasuram

Written by| Michel Sibra [fr]
Directed by| Michel Sibra
Starring|

* Virginie Lemoine
* Kamal Kant Parwar
* Alain Doutey [fr]
* Patrick Raynal
* Patrick Fierry
* Pierre Maguelon

Country of origin| France
Original language| French
Production
Running time| 85 minutes
Production companies| DEMD Productions
France 2
Original release
Network| France 2
Release| 22 August 2000 (2000-08-22)

Le Mystère Parasuram (transl. The Parasuram mystery) is a 2000 French drama telefilm directed by Michel Sibra and starring Virginie Lemoine, newcomer Kamal Kant Parwar (in the titular role), Alain Doutey, Patrick Raynal, Patrick Fierry and Pierre Maguelon.[1][2] The film is about immigration and identity, which was a common theme of several telefilms released that year.[3]

## Plot

[edit]

Marie Chapsky, the mayor of La Bonneville, is in distress when her stepfather Vincent Leduc, a station master, and his grandson David discover Parasuram Gaud, an injured and hungry Indian man who fell asleep on a ship that arrived in France.[4] Since Parasuram only speaks Marwari, immigration official Indra Hamsa helps translate what he is saying to Marie. Marie listens to her heart and sends him to her physician husband Pierre. She then ends Parasuram to a monastery before examining the mystery of Parasuram came there in the first place. Former mayor Gustave Vaicia wants Parasuram evicted. Vaicia warns this matter to subprefect Morillon, who in turn passes the news on to Lieutenant Maillard. The monks later welcome Parasuram, who draws a Hindu deity on the walls of his room.[5][6]

## Cast

[edit]

* Virginie Lemoine as Marie Chapsky
* Kamal Kant Parwar as Parasuram Gaud
* Alain Doutey [fr] as Gustave Vaicia
* Patrick Raynal as Morillon
* Patrick Fierry as Pierre Leduc
* Pierre Maguelon as Vincent Leduc
* Richa Ahuja as Indra Hamsa
* Antonin Lebas-Joly [fr] as David Leduc
* Cédric Chevalme as Maillard
* Sébastien Cotterot [fr] as Félix
* Bernard Farcy as Hibert Dupire
* Mélanie Doutey as the hairdresser[7]

## Production

[edit]

Dancer Kamal Kant Parwar made his acting debut with this film.[8] To prepare for her role of an immigration official, Richa Ahuja learned Marwari and several dance forms including Bharatanatyam, Chhau and Russian ballet.[4][9]

## Release

[edit]

The film premiered on France 2 on 22 August 2000 at 10:30 pm.[10] The film was screened on France 2 again on 23 August 2000 at 10:50 pm.[11] The film was screened on TV5 in The Netherlands on 11 May 2002 at 1:05 am and in Germany.[12][13]

## Reception

[edit]

Viviane Pescheux of Télé 7 Jours wrote that "An unpretentious moral tale on racism and tolerance where acting prevails and distracts. Virginia Lemoine, Alain Doutey and Patrick Raynal even manage to make people forget the heaviness of the dialogue. But the stereotypical character of the foreigner played by Kamal Kant Parwar seems to curb the potential of its interpreter".[5]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Rège, Philippe. Encyclopedia of French Film Directors - Volume 1. p. 931\. Archived from the original on 2023-09-07. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
2. ^ Machetto, Clément (15 May 2021). "Cassandre : que devient Virginie Lemoine depuis la fin de la série Famille d'accueil ?". Télé Star (in French). Archived from the original on 16 May 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
3. ^ Macé, Éric (May 2013). La fiction télévisuelle française au miroir de The Wire: Monstration des minorités, évitement des ethnicités (in French). La Découverte. p. 192\. ISSN 0751-7971. Archived from the original on 2022-01-26. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
4. ^ a b Kumar, S. R. Ashok. "Looking beyond stardom". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 12 July 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2023.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
5. ^ a b Pescheux, Viviane (2000). "Le Mystère Parasuram". Télé 7 Jours (in French). Archived from the original on 6 March 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
6. ^ "Le Mystère Parasuram". La Dépêche (in French). 23 August 2000. Archived from the original on 5 October 2017. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
7. ^ "Mélanie Doutey". Première (in French). Archived from the original on 2023-08-06. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
8. ^ "Kamal Kant". Triwat. Archived from the original on 2022-01-29. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
9. ^ Aarkay (29 April 2000). "Oscar spurned, but not burned". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
10. ^ "Programmes : Télévision". Le Monde (in French). 22 August 2000. Archived from the original on 9 April 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
11. ^ "Le Monde" (PDF) (in French). 23 August 2000. p. 23\. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 May 2018. Retrieved 7 September 2023 - via Virginia Tech.
12. ^ "Leidsch Dagblad" (in Dutch). 11 May 2002. p. 33\. Archived from the original on 2023-09-07. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
13. ^ "Zitty" (in German). Zitty Verlag GmbH. 2002. p. 192\. Archived from the original on 2023-09-07. Retrieved 2023-09-07.

## External links

[edit]

* Le Mystère Parasuram at IMDb

*[transl.]: translation