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Romantic drama

Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love (1996): Cast, Box Office & Plot

Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love (1996) movie poster

Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love is a 1996 romantic drama directed by Mira Nair, starring Rekha as Rasa Devi, teacher of the Kama Sutra, Indira Varma and Naveen Andrews. It runs 1 hour 57 minutes and earned $4.1 million worldwide on a $3 million budget.

worldwide gross
$4.1M
budget
$3M
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Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love (1996) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 57m (117 min)
Director
Mira Nair
Genres
Romance , Drama , History
Original language
English
Budget
$3M
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love About?

The premise of Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Tara and Maya share a close friendship in India, their tastes and habits mirroring each other. As adults, Tara marries Prince Raj Singh, who soon ascends the throne. Bored with his wife, Raj becomes attracted to Maya, making her one of his courtesans. When Tara discovers the affair, she fights fiercely to preserve her marriage.

Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • seduction
  • breast biting
  • massage
  • female topless nudity
  • female star appears nude
  • skinny dipping
  • body paint
  • woman on top sex
  • female full frontal nudity
  • kama sutra
  • courtesan
  • sex scene
+38 more
  • f rated
  • breasts
  • voyeur
  • stripping
  • sexual promiscuity
  • sensuality
  • nude bathing
  • lesbian sex
  • leg spreading
  • female rear nudity
  • female masturbation
  • female frontal nudity
  • erotic fantasy
  • erotic dancing
  • buxom
  • breast suckling
  • breast massage
  • female nudity
  • lesbian
  • sexuality
  • teacher
  • folk dancing
  • spitting on someone
  • woman with a bare midriff
  • man undresses a woman
  • procession
  • sedan chair
  • elephant
  • deflowered
  • sculptor
  • statue
  • dancing class
  • swimming with clothes on
  • hammer and chisel
  • underwater scene
  • 16th century
  • bathing in a river
  • dance class
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Cast & crew

Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love Cast & Characters

Rekha leads the cast as Rasa Devi, teacher of the Kama Sutra, with Indira Varma as Maya and Naveen Andrews as Raj Singh. Directed by Mira Nair; 43 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love

· 39 more
Show all 43 cast members
From the director

More from Mira Nair

More films directed by Mira Nair, best-rated first: The Namesake, Monsoon Wedding, Queen of Katwe and Mississippi Masala.

Full filmography
Plot

Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love Plot Summary

What happens in Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

In 16th-century India, Tara is a princess, and Maya is her beautiful servant. They are inseparable friends, sharing secrets and dreams, but their bond sits atop a fragile harbor of jealousy and resentment. Maya endures the quiet indignities of wearing Tara’s hand-me-down clothes while Tara notices that Maya is treated with more affection by the people around them, including Maya’s own family and the attention of Tara’s hunchback brother, Biki. The social divide between them grows more pronounced as the girls approach marriageable age, casting a shadow over their camaraderie. The world around them is formal, ritual, and unequal, where dress, status, and lineage dictate the path of each girl’s life.

Full summary

The whole story of Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love Box Office & Budget

Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love grossed $4.1 million worldwide on a $3 million budget, 1.4 times what it cost.

1996 box office

Worldwide gross

$4.1M

1.4× its budget

US & Canada
$4.1M
Budget
$3M
Videos

Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love Trailers & Videos

The trailer of Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love.

Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love (1996) VHS Trailer
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Which actress portrays the princess Tara?

Details

Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love Also Known As

28 alternative titles, including “Tara and Maya” and “Kamasutra, una historia de amor”.

Also known as
  • Tara and Maya
  • Kamasutra, una historia de amor
  • 카마수트라
  • कामसूत्र: प्यार की एक कहानी
  • काम सूत्र: ए टेल ऑफ लव
  • Kamasutra
  • 慾望與智慧
  • カーマ・スートラ愛の教科書
  • Kama Sutra - Die Kunst der Liebe
  • Kama Sutra - Une fable d'amour
  • Kama Sutra, une histoire d'amour
  • Káma Szútra
+16 more
  • Кама Сутра: История о любви
  • Kama Sutra - Kärlekens bok
  • Kama Sutra: O poveste de iubire
  • Kama Sutra: Uma História de Amor
  • 欲望和智彗
  • Káma-Szútra
  • Kama Sûtra, une histoire d'amour
  • 万诱宝鉴
  • Кама Сутра: История любви
  • קאמה סוטרה: סיפור על אהבה
  • Κάμα Σούτρα: Ο Θρύλος Του Ερωτα
  • Кама Сутра
  • Кама Сутра: Історія кохання
  • Kama Sutra - Um Conto de Amor, კამა სუტრა : სიყვარულის ისტორია
  • Kámasútra
  • กามาสุตรา ต้นกำเนิดตำนานรัก

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FAQ

Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love FAQ: Cast & Box Office

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office and post-credit scenes of Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love?

Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love runs 1 hour 57 minutes (117 minutes).

When was Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love released?

Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love was released on September 11, 1996.

Who directed Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love?

Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love was directed by Mira Nair.

More films by Mira Nair

Who is in the cast of Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love?

Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love stars Rekha as Rasa Devi, teacher of the Kama Sutra, Indira Varma as Maya and Naveen Andrews as Raj Singh, among 43 credited actors.

How much did Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love make at the box office?

Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love grossed $4.1 million worldwide on a budget of $3 million.

Does Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love have a post-credit scene?

No. Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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