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Kama sutra

Threat advisory: Elevated - Significant risk of entertaining activities

Movie propaganda

In a world ruled by pleasure, love is the ultimate seduction.

Mira (Mississippi masala, Salaam Bombay) has returned to her roots and re-embraces the traditional culture of her native land, the grandeur of its legends, the distinctive narrative traditions of colour saturated stylisation and omnipresent sensuality.

Tara is a princess, Maya her servant. Raised together as childhood friends and rivals, each uses the Kama sutra, the 4th century Indian treatise on love and sexuality, as a source of inspiration and enlightenment in a high stakes romantic chess game.

When Maya finally achieves the equality with Tara she has always desires, the price that must be paid is mythic in its finality.

A story of love, jealousy and revenge in imperial India, a magnificent land of kings and concubines, palaces, omnipresent gold, fire and blood. part of the Goat Island Film Festival.

Intelligence analyst

Special Agent Matti

Theatrical report

Even though I was pre-menstrual when I saw this, I couldn't help but feel turned on. The beating drums and clashing cymbals, the waving cloths and swaying bodies, the luscious curves of skin, the opulence, the overwhelming sweaty sensuality of it all...

Sorry about that, I had to go and have a wee lie down.

Mira says that according to the original text of the Kama sutra, "Sex without love is completely natural, but don't get disappointed when the act itself is not exalted. However, sex with love, with someone whom you want a more complete union, if practised with the skills of Kama sutra can be holy, transcendent, and divine."

Certainly the film illustrates the shifting natures of sex and love and how our petty lives conspire to drag them down. But what you really want to hear is that it's like a wet dream. It is. But it's not porn, just incredibly sexy.

And there's plenty of sex to go round. Kama sutra makes those hot and steamy Hollywood Sex Scenes look like Auntie Dawn's holiday snaps. If nothing else, you'll come away with a few ideas to spice up your love life (pun intended).

The plot (see, I told you it wasn't porn) is intriguing with lots of surprises and twists to engage the brain as well as more earthy organs. And because of the period we don't have to put up with mobile phones or SNAGs. Fabulous acting and dancing and music with more bass than South Central. Worth its weight in gold.

Security censorship classification

MA 15+ (High level sex scenes, medium level violence, drugs)

Not for public release in Australia before date

2 December 2000