A very clever parrot lives in a Hindu palace, surrounded by many beautiful girls, but the parrot escapes, and is trapped far from the palace. One day, when its new owner is sleeping, the bird convinces a young boy to open the cage door. In return, it shows the boy a secret passage to get into the palace.
Cinematography
Every frame looks like a miniature painting come alive.
Direction
Mani Kaul turns 29 minutes into a trance.
Production
Palace architecture as erotic maze.
Director
Mani Kaul
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Adapted from Sanskrit play 'Avimaraka' and Sufi tale 'The Conference of the Birds,' merging erotic and spiritual traditions.
Mani Kaul hated the 'erotic' label, insisting the film was about 'the architecture of desire'—the palace corridors mirror bodily spaces.
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