Holi (1984 film)

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Holi is a 1984 Indian Hindi-language coming-of-age drama directed by Ketan Mehta, based on a play by Marathi writer Mahesh Elkunchwar. The film stars Aamir Khan, Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, Ashutosh Gowariker, Shreeram Lagoo, Deepti Naval, Meena Phatak and others.

Set in a typical Indian college, the story follows hostel boys led by Madan Sharma who plan to skip Holi. When a postponement of exams fuels tension, a clash leads to a broader student rebellion against the strict principal. After a classmate is bullied and later commits suicide, the boys are suspended and finally taken away by the police as people outside celebrate Holi.

Holi was shot mainly at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune and Fergusson College. After the banyan tree at Fergusson fell, Mehta filmed a symbolic song on the tree with the main characters. The film’s editing and sound were done at FTII, and it features several long handheld takes by cinematographer Jehangir Choudhary. It began as a student project with FTII participants who would become notable filmmakers, including Anil Mehta, Piyush Shah, Rajan Khosa and Anant Balani.

In 1985, Vincent Canby of The New York Times praised the film for its exuberant performances and improvisational feel by non-professional actors.