Shabana Azmi: Bridging the Gap Between Parallel and Commercial Cinema

5. 15 Park Avenue (2005)

15 Park Avenue
15 Park Avenue

An English language film by Aparna Sen deals with mental illness such as schizophrenia. Mitali played by Konkona Sen Sharma suffers from schizophrenia, which occurred from an unprecedented event at Bihar. She is now taken care of by her elder sister Anu played by Shabana Azmi, who lives with their mother played by Waheeda Rehman. Mitali, who is single, has somehow created an imaginary world in her mind where she is married and has children who live in 15 Park Avenue together. The film portrays not only the victim but also how a family collectively copes with a mental disease. The film ends in a surrealistic manner where Mitali actually finds her family inside a complex named 15 Park Avenue.