Calendar

Mr. and Mrs. Iyer

UH President Dr. Renu Khator shares her favorite flick

A A A Comments By Olivia Flores Alvarez Thursday, Jan 22 2009

University of Houston President Dr. Renu Khator shares her favorite film today when she presents Mr. and Mrs. Iyer, the story of Raja, a Muslim man, and Meenakshi, the Hindu woman who saves him from a group of Hindu extremists. The two meet as they board a bus for a long, bumpy trip. When the bus is detained by a rioting Hindu mob that’s hunting down Muslims, Meenakshi tells the mob leaders that Raja is her husband. That saves Raja from the rampaging crowd but condemns Meenakshi to follow through with the lie. She will have to spend a whole night acting as Raja’s wife, even though her Hindu beliefs forbid any contact with a Muslim. The film examines the issues of caste, religious discrimination, terrorism and personal responsibility, all of which are topics Dr. Khator, who was born and educated in India, has seen play out firsthand. 7 p.m. Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 1001 Bissonnet. For information, call 713-639-7515 or visit www.mfah.org. $6 to $7.