Desperately Seeking Helen

It documents the life of the [[Bollywood]] star [[Helen (actress)|Helen]] and also discusses Marjara's process of self-discovery.<ref name=FirdausAli>Ali, Firdaus. "[http://www.rediff.com/us/2000/apr/24us1.htm In search of a vamp]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20121018203358/http://www.rediff.com/us/2000/apr/24us1.htm Archive]). ''[[Rediff]]''. April 24, 2000. Retrieved on November 22, 2014.</ref> Marjara liked Helen as a child, and Marjara stated "Helen is a conduit into my childhood — my relationship with my mother, my struggle with anorexia and the Air India disaster which took the lives of my mother and sister."<ref name=BlackConcordia>Black, Barbara. "[http://ctr.concordia.ca/2004-05/apr_07/20/ Air India disaster hit Concordia hard]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20170809213002/http://ctr.concordia.ca/2004-05/apr_07/20/ Archive]). ''Concordia's Thursday Report''. April 21, 2005. Volume 29, No. 14. Retrieved on November 22, 2014.</ref> Jerry Pinto, author of ''Helen: The Life and Times of an H-bomb'', wrote that the film "is as much about Eisha Marjara's perception of Helen as it is about Helen."<ref>Pinto, Jerry. ''Helen: The Life and Times of an H-bomb''. [[Penguin Books India]], 2006. {{ISBN|0143031244}}, 9780143031246. p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=Ng_vVIcq5yQC&pg=PA204 204].</ref> ''Desperately Seeking Helen'' uses Hindi music.<ref name=FirdausAli/>

It documents the life of the [[Bollywood]] star [[Helen (actress)|Helen]] and also discusses Marjara's process of self-discovery.<ref name=FirdausAli>Ali, Firdaus. "[http://www.rediff.com/us/2000/apr/24us1.htm In search of a vamp]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20121018203358/http://www.rediff.com/us/2000/apr/24us1.htm Archive]). ''[[Rediff]]''. April 24, 2000. Retrieved on November 22, 2014.</ref> Marjara liked Helen as a child, and Marjara stated "Helen is a conduit into my childhood — my relationship with my mother, my struggle with anorexia and the Air India disaster which took the lives of my mother and sister."<ref name=BlackConcordia>Black, Barbara. "[http://ctr.concordia.ca/2004-05/apr_07/20/ Air India disaster hit Concordia hard]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20170809213002/http://ctr.concordia.ca/2004-05/apr_07/20/ Archive]). ''Concordia's Thursday Report''. April 21, 2005. Volume 29, No. 14. Retrieved on November 22, 2014.</ref> Jerry Pinto, author of ''Helen: The Life and Times of an H-bomb'', wrote that the film "is as much about Eisha Marjara's perception of Helen as it is about Helen."<ref>Pinto, Jerry. ''Helen: The Life and Times of an H-bomb''. [[Penguin Books India]], 2006. {{ISBN|0143031244}}, 9780143031246. p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=Ng_vVIcq5yQC&pg=PA204 204].</ref> ''Desperately Seeking Helen'' uses Hindi music.<ref name=FirdausAli/>

The film covers the complications in the relationship between Marjara and her mother,<ref name=JonesDBp19>Jones, D.B. "Brave New Film Board". In: Beard, William and Jerry White (editors). ''North of Everything: English-Canadian Cinema Since 1980''. [[University of Alberta]], 2002. {{ISBN|088864390X}}, 9780888643902. Start: p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=iLNhHWfarosC&pg=PA19 19]. CITED: p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=iLNhHWfarosC&pg=PA36 36].</ref> Devinder.<ref name=AI182filmpresskit>"[http://www.airindia182.com/downloads/AirIndia182PressKit.pdf Air India 182 Press Kit]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20160304032431/http://www.airindia182.com/downloads/AirIndia182PressKit.pdf Archive]). ''Air India 182'' (film) official website. p. 11/12. Retrieved on October 22, 2014.</ref> Marjara had the perception that her mother was unable to balance the culture of Canada against that of India, and Devinder was more feminine and traditional compared to her daughter.<ref name=FirdausAli/> The film also discusses the 1985 [[Air India Flight 182]] bombing,<ref name=Bontempo>Bontempo, Mirella. "[http://montrealserai.com/2012/07/27/the-other-english-canadian-film-indo-canadian-cinema/ The Other English-Canadian film: Indo-Canadian cinema]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20160303221240/http://montrealserai.com/2012/07/27/the-other-english-canadian-film-indo-canadian-cinema/ Archive]). ''Montreal Serai''. July 27, 2012. Retrieved on November 22, 2014.</ref> which ultimately killed Davinder along with Seema, one of Marjara's sisters.<ref name=AI182filmpresskit/>

The film covers the complications in the relationship between Marjara and her mother,<ref name=JonesDBp19>Jones, D.B. "Brave New Film Board". In: Beard, William and Jerry White (editors). ''North of Everything: English-Canadian Cinema Since 1980''. [[University of Alberta]], 2002. {{ISBN|088864390X}}, 9780888643902. Start: p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=iLNhHWfarosC&pg=PA19 19]. CITED: p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=iLNhHWfarosC&pg=PA36 36].</ref> Devinder.<ref name=AI182filmpresskit>"[http://www.airindia182.com/downloads/AirIndia182PressKit.pdf Air India 182 Press Kit]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20160304032431/http://www.airindia182.com/downloads/AirIndia182PressKit.pdf Archive]). ''Air India 182'' (film) official website. p. 11/12. Retrieved on October 22, 2014.</ref> Marjara had the perception that her mother was unable to balance the culture of Canada against that of India, and Devinder was more feminine and traditional compared to her daughter.<ref name=FirdausAli/> The film also discusses the 1985 [[Air India Flight 182]] bombing,<ref name=Bontempo>Bontempo, Mirella. "[http://montrealserai.com/2012/07/27/the-other-english-canadian-film-indo-canadian-cinema/ The Other English-Canadian film: Indo-Canadian cinema]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20160303221240/http://montrealserai.com/2012/07/27/the-other-english-canadian-film-indo-canadian-cinema/ Archive]). ''Montreal Serai''. July 27, 2012. Retrieved on November 22, 2014.</ref> which ultimately killed Devinder along with Seema, one of Marjara's sisters.<ref name=AI182filmpresskit/>

D.B. Jones, the author of "Brave New Film Board," wrote that the filmmaker "verges on self-pity and often seems self-absorbed, but she can also be brutally honest about herself."<ref name=JonesDBp19/> Sabeena Gadihoke, the author of "Secrets and Inner Voices: The Self and Subjectivity in Contemporary Indian Documentary," wrote that the "deeply personal" film "did not easily fit popular conceptions of documentary" since it had a "fictive structure in which the filmmaker staged her own body" as well as "reflexive use of humor" and "whimsy".<ref name=GadibokePT213214>Gadihoke, Sabeena. "Secrets and Inner Voices: The Self and Subjectivity in Contemporary Indian Documentary." In: Lebow, Lisa (editor). ''The Cinema of Me: Self and Subjectivity in First-Person Documentary Film'' (Nonfictions series). [[Columbia University Press]], August 13, 2013. {{ISBN|0231850166}}, 9780231850162. Google Books [https://books.google.com/books?id=uS7wAAAAQBAJ&pg=PT213 PT213]-[https://books.google.com/books?id=uS7wAAAAQBAJ&pg=PT214 PT214].</ref> Angela Failler argued that the film was what had been described as a "counter-memorial" of the [[Air India Flight 182]] disaster.<ref>Henderson, Jennifer and Pauline Wakeham (editors). ''Reconciling Canada: Critical Perspectives on the Culture of Redress''. [[University of Toronto Press]], June 17, 2013. {{ISBN|1442695471}}, 9781442695474. Google Books [https://books.google.com/books?id=DZWBAAAAQBAJ&pg=PT259 PT259].</ref>

D.B. Jones, the author of "Brave New Film Board," wrote that the filmmaker "verges on self-pity and often seems self-absorbed, but she can also be brutally honest about herself."<ref name=JonesDBp19/> Sabeena Gadihoke, the author of "Secrets and Inner Voices: The Self and Subjectivity in Contemporary Indian Documentary," wrote that the "deeply personal" film "did not easily fit popular conceptions of documentary" since it had a "fictive structure in which the filmmaker staged her own body" as well as "reflexive use of humor" and "whimsy".<ref name=GadibokePT213214>Gadihoke, Sabeena. "Secrets and Inner Voices: The Self and Subjectivity in Contemporary Indian Documentary." In: Lebow, Lisa (editor). ''The Cinema of Me: Self and Subjectivity in First-Person Documentary Film'' (Nonfictions series). [[Columbia University Press]], August 13, 2013. {{ISBN|0231850166}}, 9780231850162. Google Books [https://books.google.com/books?id=uS7wAAAAQBAJ&pg=PT213 PT213]-[https://books.google.com/books?id=uS7wAAAAQBAJ&pg=PT214 PT214].</ref> Angela Failler argued that the film was what had been described as a "counter-memorial" of the [[Air India Flight 182]] disaster.<ref>Henderson, Jennifer and Pauline Wakeham (editors). ''Reconciling Canada: Critical Perspectives on the Culture of Redress''. [[University of Toronto Press]], June 17, 2013. {{ISBN|1442695471}}, 9781442695474. Google Books [https://books.google.com/books?id=DZWBAAAAQBAJ&pg=PT259 PT259].</ref>