MovieChat Forums > Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love (1997) Discussion > She shoulda married the hunchback

She shoulda married the hunchback

posted 12 years ago by blacknyellowsquid
15 replies | jump to latest

Just sayin'. He was the best character in this movie, too. Definitely the most intriguing and an epitome of 'forever alone' lol. He was rather odd with his awkward emotional reactions to things and sorta sing-song voice. But seemed more intelligent/perceptive than the rest, and of course was sympathy-provoking with his deformity and all. And it seemed at the end to be implied that perhaps he'd be king once Raj was out of the way (since there was no new heir either)...so see, if Maya had married him, he really would have been king and her his queen like he'd told her when she was a kid. Ooooh well...

I like how even at the end, she completely ignored/didn't notice him. Interesting character to have in the movie, added a nice dimension to something that would have been pretty standard fare without, I felt. The movie overall was entertaining enough, but the whole Biki thing took it to another level in my opinion lol.

Also that scene with Raj and Tara, 'consummating' the marriage - daamn. Very well done on her end portraying that, I thought. You really don't many depictions of what it's like to be 'deflowered' in the way it was for her...which is a real experience for some... so that was another interesting plus.

[–] vl2 12 years ago

Biki was pretty much my favorite person in the entire movie, which made it a little difficult to sympathize with Maya's doomed love for Jai Kumar. I don't think Maya would have hated being married to him as much as she thought, since they did seem to be somewhat friends, but he wasn't pretty enough to get out of the "creepy friend-zone".

And, ow! That scene with Tara and Raj. When she curled up afterwards, hands all tucked between her legs, it just broke my heart. My initial reaction was a very maternal urge to get her a fuzzy blanket and some soup.

[–] blacknyellowsquid 12 years ago

"Creepy-friendzone" lol! She seemed resistant to him all along, so I don't think she ever saw him as a romantic prospect. But really, it would have worked out better for her in the end. He was my favorite one too!

For some reason I wasn't totally buying the thing with her and Jai. Maybe the actors didn't have enough chemistry. I did like all the unrequited triangles in the movie though. Raj was a total jerk to most everyone, but he did seem tormented at the fact that Maya rejected him. But then Maya was sad when Jai had rejected her, and then Biki was totally unrequited with his love for Maya...a big chain of unrequited-ness. (And of course, Tara's unrequited affection for Raj..)

And yes, ow indeed! It's just so rare...well okay, that's the ONLY time I've seen virginity-losing being depicted like that. And like I said, it does happen like that for some so it's refreshing to see a movie acknowledging it lol. I'm sure she would have appreciated your fuzzy blanket and soup. :P

[–] sfnprincess81 11 years ago

I liked Biki as well, but he and Maya didn't belong together. For one thing, she wasn't attracted to him romantically; she only saw him as a brother. Secondly, Biki tells Maya in the very beginning that she will eventually be his wife and slave. Like Tara, he cared about Maya, but in the end it always came down to the master/servant angle. Maya wanted someone who would love her and look at her as an equal.

While Jai Kumar did those things for her, I didn't care for him that much, either. He came across as really self-absorbed and I don't think the actors had much chemistry.

That said, Biki clearly had matured by the end of the film. So good for him.

I agree that the sex scene between Tara and Raj was just painful to watch. That poor girl. Raj was such garbage, I was so glad in the end when she told him off.

[–] girl20 11 years ago

But Biki was the one who betrayed Maya's sexret about sleeping with Raj. He acted like a jealous bastard, knowing well how they would punish Maya.
He was not that sympathetic character.

[–] vl2 11 years ago

Yes, and Maya acted petty by sleeping with Raj, just to have been the first to 'use' something of Tara's, to say nothing of it being not the wisest idea in the world to decide that her choices romantically were to be with Jai or be a courtesan. But we all felt bad for her by the end of the movie when the man she loved was dragged off and killed. And Tara acted like a spoiled brat with Maya just because she was jealous of her looks, but, again, I felt horrible for her once married life started. That scene when Maya's in the bathtub preparing for the king, and Tara's snobbishness becomes a wife's desperate attempt to save face in front of the woman her husband prefers...well, as bad as I felt for Maya being trapped there, if Tara had popped her one I'd still have cheered.

It might sound weird, but the one I found most unlikable was Rasa Devi. She was gorgeous, and I found the cadences of her speech soothing, but I spent the rest of the movie seriously hating her as a person after that whole story about the king ignoring his dutiful, faithful wife and going to bed Rasa as soon as he returned from battle, especially with the laughing, smug way she told it.

[–] Neffys 10 years ago

Oh, please, no!

He was a spoiled brat who took revenge of his love when it became apparent to him that she did not want him. He was acting very childish, asking his mother for Maya and not giving a thought to what Maya wanted. He is not a well liked character un my book, but a spoiled child, what when found out, ran straight to his mummy to tell him that Tara had slept with the maharajaha. <not a man, but a child.

"I'd like to keep Spike as my pet"- Illyria, Angel S. 5

[–] blacknyellowsquid 8 years ago

yeah he was kind of a baby and the age difference in the beginning was creepy. (I'm the OP by the way). I thought his character was entertaining though. And well...my main point was that if she'd just gone ahead and married him like he wanted, she would have ended up possibly married to a king or whatever by the end.

but yeah all and all she'd probably rather be a free spirit even still

[–] indialm 10 years ago

I think it's interesting how the "unattractive" man is seen as someone who should have been Maya's choice, even though he was deformed. Yet somehow I think if the situation was reversed and it was a woman who was unattractive, but sympathetic, everyone would be crying "she's so ugly, get away from that woman!" And even more more because I have seen it in other postings regarding women's beauty.

Women only have "value" when they are beautiful. But men are to be taken no matter what they look like.
And even if a woman IS beautiful she will be criticized for something in her personality.

It never changes no matter how much time goes by.

[–] vl2 10 years ago

Perhaps, but your post reads a bit like the men who show up on threads about a not-conventionally handsome actor saying 'you women wouldn't give him the time of day if he wasn't famous,' overlooking the fact that maybe those women really are attracted to men who look like that and that's why they like this actor.

That said, speaking for myself, had Biki been a woman and Maya a man, I'd probably have much less sympathy for the servant who didn't want to marry the deformed princess. More of a "get over yourself" reaction.

[–] lauraly 10 years ago

Wake up! When Maya slept with Raj...it was to get back at Tara. And when she went to Raj as his concubine, after Jai rejected her... it was to get back at Jai Kumar for rejecting her. She concluded they were half brothers...the ultimate punishment for her friend rejecting her and her first lover rejecting her. Maya would not consider Biki for a husband as she considered him her brother and protector; let us not even consider the relationship between some of the other characters! I even suspect the teacher of the Kama Sutra was Jai's mother...let's not even delve into that!

[–] Maya55555 10 years ago

Jai said that his mother had died. She was a concubine in Raj's father's harem.

"What is TRUTH?"

[–] ecuelles 10 years ago

he was definitely the most intelligent character and she would have been well taken care of...the smart choice.

I guess love has nothing to do with smart choices. Its passion and what this story is about...

Only thing I noticed is that Maya has much more chemistry with the actor playing Raj....it was quite clear they where definitely having "fun". Found it weird she rejected him as she did because. She had much less chemistry with Kumar....maybe should have swapped parts...

Still love this movie for it sheer beauty.....beautiful portrait of love as well as India....

[–] cpoet 9 years ago

IF he had been the kind of man who heard about Maya's rejection and responded with some dignity instead of immediately making sure she got evicted from the house as a WHORE, I'd consider whether he might have made a good husband.

When Maya got kicked out with only the clothes on her back, I was thinking that her fate would actually have been turning tricks in some alley for a short time, until she was starved, raped or beaten to death. And Biki would have known that, too.

So, yeah, no Maya bride for him. Clearly he would have made sure anyone he could control suffered a hundred-fold for any slights or humiliation that came his way. Plus all the rest of the family would have scorned her for being lower caste and an ex-servant.

(In that real life situation, if the family's son wanted to marry a servant, she wouldn't have had any truly viable choice. Chances of ending up in Courtesan Academy instead of rats nibbling your toes would be about a billion to one.)

[–] Maya55555 8 years ago

Not only marrying a servant, but NOW she was no longer a virgin, being deflowered by his rival city state king, Raj. Remember Raj and Biki only used Tara's marriage to cement an alliance.

"A stitch in time, saves your embarrassment." (RIP Ms. Penny LoBello)

[–] pypsqweek 7 years ago

When I saw this movie years ago, I used to think that maybe she should have married Biki. Now I just feel differently. While Biki was perceptive, friendly and a prince, she just didnt love him like that. Realistically I can see why she said no. Afterall what young idealic teenage girl would want to marry a much older man with a hunchback whose been oogling her since she was a preteen. Plus he even said that hed marry her and then make her his slave which is something Maya didnt want. Shed already been a servant to Tara and her family nearly her whole life and is sick of it. Shed also have to continue to tolerate Tara's snide, jealous remarks and any mistreatment by Tara, such as Tara publicly spitting in her face for something that wasnt her fault. Maya would also not be able to defend herself because Tara is a born princess or Queen, not a born servant like her. On top of that if shed marry Biki, shed be choosing a life of servitude, where she'd be a wife subserivent to him and live with him as her husband even when she doesnt love? I get why Maya motives for sleeping with the King, though I dont agree with it. I also get why she wanted her own identity and life especially at a time when she had few options. I don't see anything wrong with that. Plus I don't think you should be miserable for money and have to out up with so much. There was a lot going on with Taras family, such as Taras father lustfully looking at Maya. Thats wouldnt be the perfect in laws dynamic to live with and you'd have to love that person a lot to deal with all that. Maya would have done Biki and herself a dissservice to marry him.