Zariya Foundation, Les Films du Lotus, Curry-Western Movies and Kavita Teresa Film’s Mother Teresa & Me (English; UA) is the story of an orphan and Mother Teresa. Kavita (Banita Sandhu) comes face to face with her past when her aunt, Deepali (Deepti Naval), brings her to Mother Teresa’s (Jacqueline Fritschi-Cornaz) ashram. The aunt reveals to Kavita that she was an orphan who had been adopted by Aparna (Shobu Kapoor) from Mother Teresa’s home.
Kamal Musale has written a story which is more of a documentation of the social work done by Mother Teresa. Therefore, the usual ingredients one associates with an entertaining film are missing in this drama. Musale’s screenplay is slow and boring. Since there aren’t too many highs or lows in the screenplay, it doesn’t have much for the audience of commercial cinema. Kamal Musale’s dialogues are ordinary.
Banita Sandhu does well in the role of Kavita. Jacqueline Fritschi-Cornaz acts ably as Mother Teresa. Deepti Naval delivers a dignified performance as Deepali aunt. Heer Kaur lends nice support as Sister Agnes. Shobu Kapoor is adequate in a tiny role as Kavita’s foster mother. Liza Sadovy (as Mother Superior), Kevin Mains (as Rupert), Vikram Kochhar (as Dr. Ahmed), Kezia Burrows (as Johanna) and the rest of the cast lend fair support.
Kamal Musale’s direction caters to only a thin section of the class audience. Laurence Crevoisier, Walter Mair and Peter Scherer’s background music is okay. Keiko Nakahara’s camerawork is of a good standard. Rekha Musale’s production designing is average and so is the art direction (Blair Barnette, Ganesh Nishad and Prashant Rane). Editing is loose.
On the whole, Mother Teresa & Me has almost nil business prospects as it is in the nature of a dull documentary.
Released on 5-5-’23 at Inox (daily 1 show) and other cinemas of Bombay thru PEN Marudhar Cine Entertainment. Publicity & opening: weak. …….Also released all over.