Started in 2020 as a virtual festival, Alt Eff – All Living Things Environmental Film Festival is back this year with an exciting new array of films from across the globe. Started with a strong intent to promote and stir a conversation on nature, conservation and the environment at large, the festival is the brainchild of Kunal Khanna. This year the festival will have 55 films as part of the line up with 33 exclusive India premieres lined up.
One of the most exciting developments is that Sherni director, Amit Masurkar has come on board as a member of the jury this year. Amit’s film deals with the subject of wildlife conservation and a human wildlife conflict which is in sync with the purpose of the festival. Not only that, the festival this year will also be having its first ever offline screenings of key films across multiple cities in India and the...
One of the most exciting developments is that Sherni director, Amit Masurkar has come on board as a member of the jury this year. Amit’s film deals with the subject of wildlife conservation and a human wildlife conflict which is in sync with the purpose of the festival. Not only that, the festival this year will also be having its first ever offline screenings of key films across multiple cities in India and the...
- 10/11/2022
- by Glamsham Editorial
- GlamSham
Articulate, composed, genuine — Vidya Balan is definitely a force to be reckoned with in the Indian film industry, who has shown us time and again that you define your success ladder and not the other way around. Over the 15 years of her career trajectory, the actress has don upon various unconventional characters which went to be critically acclaimed and widely appreciated, her latest being, Vidya Vincent in Amazon Prime Video’s Sherni.
In ‘Sherni’ which is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, we see Vidya as a woman of a few words, a deeply layered persona which Vidya manages to ace with perfection, which is a first for the actress. The audiences and critics have highly praised the actress for the same and hailed her acting skills.
Vidya shares, “The character of Vidya Vincent had a lot of interesting layers, which was something I’d never portrayed before. Her actions spoke louder than her words,...
In ‘Sherni’ which is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, we see Vidya as a woman of a few words, a deeply layered persona which Vidya manages to ace with perfection, which is a first for the actress. The audiences and critics have highly praised the actress for the same and hailed her acting skills.
Vidya shares, “The character of Vidya Vincent had a lot of interesting layers, which was something I’d never portrayed before. Her actions spoke louder than her words,...
- 6/26/2021
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
ReviewDirector Amit Masurkar draws out the human-animal conflict in all its complexity by bringing in several threads into the story.Sowmya RajendranSherni begins with the blurry shot of a forest guard pretending to be a tiger. He mimics the stride and growls of the beast until the riveting performance is broken by his colleagues. His act was for setting up a camera in the jungle, but with that opening, Amit Masurkar also blurs the line between man and animal. Are we separate from nature because we are civilised, and does being civilised mean we're better (a drunken song in the latter half of the film implies that we're not)? Sherni, now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, is based on the controversial killing of Avni, a tigress in Yavatmal district of Maharashtra in 2018. Killing a beast of prey has always been associated with masculinity and bravery, despite the efforts of conservationists...
- 6/18/2021
- by Sowmya
- The News Minute
Mumbai, June 14 (Ians) Actress Vidya Balan, who is gearing up for the release of her new film "Sherni", says she wants to do work that is an extension of her belief.
"Honestly, it's not like I plan to do it but I always wanted to do work that meant something to me, I want to do work that is an extension of my beliefs, work that would excite me and fulfil me. Therefore, I went ahead and made the choices that I made," Vidya said.
She added: "I was at the right place at the right time and not only did it work for me but it began to change something for Hindi cinema, but I cannot take the credit for any of that. But yes, it's been an exciting and fulfilling journey so far and I hope it only gets better from here."
Vidya will be essaying the role...
"Honestly, it's not like I plan to do it but I always wanted to do work that meant something to me, I want to do work that is an extension of my beliefs, work that would excite me and fulfil me. Therefore, I went ahead and made the choices that I made," Vidya said.
She added: "I was at the right place at the right time and not only did it work for me but it began to change something for Hindi cinema, but I cannot take the credit for any of that. But yes, it's been an exciting and fulfilling journey so far and I hope it only gets better from here."
Vidya will be essaying the role...
- 6/14/2021
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
Vidya Balan has time and again challenged Bollywood stereotypes with her roles, living out her characters with power-packed performances. The actress says it was not something that she did consciously.
Ever since she made her Bollywood debut with "Parineeta" in 2005, Vidya has wowed the Hindi audience with her work in films such as "Bhool Bhulaiyaa", "No One Killed Jessica", "The Dirty Picture", "Paa", "Kahaani", "Ishqiya", "Mission Mangal", "Tumhari Sulu" and "Shakuntala Devi". She will next be seen in "Newton" maker Amit Masurkar's "Sherni", which casts her as a forest officer.
"I did not set out to break stereotypes but I think through my experiences in life, especially as an actor, I have realised I am not going to let anything come in the way of me being an actor," said Vidya, who has been feted with a National Award and a Padma Shri.
The 42-year-old actress added, "So if you tell me,...
Ever since she made her Bollywood debut with "Parineeta" in 2005, Vidya has wowed the Hindi audience with her work in films such as "Bhool Bhulaiyaa", "No One Killed Jessica", "The Dirty Picture", "Paa", "Kahaani", "Ishqiya", "Mission Mangal", "Tumhari Sulu" and "Shakuntala Devi". She will next be seen in "Newton" maker Amit Masurkar's "Sherni", which casts her as a forest officer.
"I did not set out to break stereotypes but I think through my experiences in life, especially as an actor, I have realised I am not going to let anything come in the way of me being an actor," said Vidya, who has been feted with a National Award and a Padma Shri.
The 42-year-old actress added, "So if you tell me,...
- 6/11/2021
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
One of the most highly anticipated movie, Amazon Prime Video's 'Sherni' headlined by Vidya Balan, is all set to release a special song on the 10th of June, dedicated to all the 'Shernis' out their, finding their own ways.
The heartwarming, cheerful music video will present share tales of women, who fought against all odds and put their best foot forward to emerge victorious and triumphed over every hardship.
The music video will also be featuring, known faces like Natasha Noel, a Yogini and a Body Positivity advocate, Eshna Kutty, an artist and a dancer to Dr. Trinetra Halder, a trans-woman and a content creator along with Vidya Balan.
'Mein Sherni' is touted to present an ode to different women, from various walks of life, who have fought as 'Shernis' and made it to the top, despite all the odds, with a melodious rap by Raftaar and Akasa Singh.
The heartwarming, cheerful music video will present share tales of women, who fought against all odds and put their best foot forward to emerge victorious and triumphed over every hardship.
The music video will also be featuring, known faces like Natasha Noel, a Yogini and a Body Positivity advocate, Eshna Kutty, an artist and a dancer to Dr. Trinetra Halder, a trans-woman and a content creator along with Vidya Balan.
'Mein Sherni' is touted to present an ode to different women, from various walks of life, who have fought as 'Shernis' and made it to the top, despite all the odds, with a melodious rap by Raftaar and Akasa Singh.
- 6/8/2021
- by Glamsham Editorial
- GlamSham
The Vidya Balan led Sherni, directed by Amit Masurkar (Newton) is ready to release on the 18th of this month, exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. After sharing a glimpse through the teaser, the makers, T-Series and Abundantia Entertainment have now released the trailer of the much-awaited intriguing film.
Along with Vidya Balan, there is a powerful ensemble cast comprising of versatile artists such as Sharat Saxena, Mukul Chadda, Vijay Raaz, Ila Arun, Brijendra Kala and Neeraj Kabi.
Sharing her excitement on the trailer launch, the versatile and brilliant actress Vidya Balan said, “Ever since I first heard the story of Sherni, I found the world fascinating and so far removed from my own. Also, the character I play, Vidya is a woman of few words but many dimensions. The film deals with a sensitive topic that touches upon respect, mutual understanding, and co-existence, not just between man-animal, but between humans as well.
Along with Vidya Balan, there is a powerful ensemble cast comprising of versatile artists such as Sharat Saxena, Mukul Chadda, Vijay Raaz, Ila Arun, Brijendra Kala and Neeraj Kabi.
Sharing her excitement on the trailer launch, the versatile and brilliant actress Vidya Balan said, “Ever since I first heard the story of Sherni, I found the world fascinating and so far removed from my own. Also, the character I play, Vidya is a woman of few words but many dimensions. The film deals with a sensitive topic that touches upon respect, mutual understanding, and co-existence, not just between man-animal, but between humans as well.
- 6/2/2021
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
Mumbai, June 2 (Ians) The trailer of the Vidya Balan-starrer "Sherni" was unveiled on Wednesday. The actress says the film, which is slated to release on June 18, deals with a sensitive topic that touches upon respect, mutual understanding, and co-existence, not just between man-animal, but between humans as well.
"Ever since I first heard the story of Sherni, I found the world fascinating and so far removed from my own. Also the character I play, Vidya, is a woman of few words but many dimensions," Vidya said.
The film will see Vidya as an upright forest officer who battles social barrier set by the patriarchal society and lackadaisical attitudes within her department.
"The film deals with a sensitive topic that touches upon respect, mutual understanding, and co-existence, not just between man-animal, but between humans as well," the actress said.
"Sherni" is directed by Amit Masurkar, who earlier helmed "Newton" and...
"Ever since I first heard the story of Sherni, I found the world fascinating and so far removed from my own. Also the character I play, Vidya, is a woman of few words but many dimensions," Vidya said.
The film will see Vidya as an upright forest officer who battles social barrier set by the patriarchal society and lackadaisical attitudes within her department.
"The film deals with a sensitive topic that touches upon respect, mutual understanding, and co-existence, not just between man-animal, but between humans as well," the actress said.
"Sherni" is directed by Amit Masurkar, who earlier helmed "Newton" and...
- 6/2/2021
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
Amazon Prime Video released the trailer of the much-awaited Hindi film Sherni that will premiere exclusively on the service on June 18. The film will see Vidya Balan in the lead, as an upright Forest officer – Vidya, who powers through the brutal beasts of social barrier set by the patriarchal society and the lackadaisical attitudes within her department.
The exciting trailer showcases Vidya’s incredible journey, set in the world full of quirky yet relatable characters, as she navigates through her marriage with her rather unusual job, all this while trying to resolve the man-animal conflict.
Produced by T-Series & Abundantia Entertainment, this must-watch drama is helmed by 'Newton' fame director Amit Masurkar and is laced with his trademark satire. The film also has an eclectic mix of actors like Sharad Saxena, Mukul Chaddha, Vijay Raaz, Ila Arun, Brijendra Kala, and Neeraj Kabi in key roles.
Sharing her excitement on the trailer launch,...
The exciting trailer showcases Vidya’s incredible journey, set in the world full of quirky yet relatable characters, as she navigates through her marriage with her rather unusual job, all this while trying to resolve the man-animal conflict.
Produced by T-Series & Abundantia Entertainment, this must-watch drama is helmed by 'Newton' fame director Amit Masurkar and is laced with his trademark satire. The film also has an eclectic mix of actors like Sharad Saxena, Mukul Chaddha, Vijay Raaz, Ila Arun, Brijendra Kala, and Neeraj Kabi in key roles.
Sharing her excitement on the trailer launch,...
- 6/2/2021
- by Glamsham Editorial
- GlamSham
The official trailer of Sherni is out. The much-awaited Hindi film Sherni that will premiere exclusively on the service on June 18, across the globe in 240+ countries.
The film will see Vidya Balan in the lead, as an upright Forest officer – Vidya, who powers through the brutal beasts of social barrier set by the patriarchal society and the lackadaisical attitudes within her department.
The exciting trailer showcases Vidya’s incredible journey, set in the world full of quirky yet relatable characters, as she navigates through her marriage with her rather unusual job, all this while trying to resolve the man-animal conflict.
Produced by T-Series & Abundantia Entertainment, this must-watch drama is helmed by Newton-fame director Amit Masurkar and is laced with his trademark satire. The film also has an eclectic mix of actors like Sharad Saxena, Mukul Chaddha, Vijay Raaz, Ila Arun, Brijendra Kala, and Neeraj Kabi in key roles.
The film will see Vidya Balan in the lead, as an upright Forest officer – Vidya, who powers through the brutal beasts of social barrier set by the patriarchal society and the lackadaisical attitudes within her department.
The exciting trailer showcases Vidya’s incredible journey, set in the world full of quirky yet relatable characters, as she navigates through her marriage with her rather unusual job, all this while trying to resolve the man-animal conflict.
Produced by T-Series & Abundantia Entertainment, this must-watch drama is helmed by Newton-fame director Amit Masurkar and is laced with his trademark satire. The film also has an eclectic mix of actors like Sharad Saxena, Mukul Chaddha, Vijay Raaz, Ila Arun, Brijendra Kala, and Neeraj Kabi in key roles.
- 6/2/2021
- by Glamsham Editorial
- GlamSham
We have your first look into Vidya Balan’s new film! Yes, the teaser of Vidya Balan’s next – Sherni dropped today.
And yes, Vidya once again dons a completely new avatar, this time as a forest officer. Directed by Amit Masurkar of Newton fame, Sherni is a fictional story that takes us through the journey of a forest officer who strives for balance in a world of man-animal conflict.
https://bollyspice.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/IMG_0208.mp4
The film also boasts a powerful ensemble cast that includes Sharat Saxena, Mukul Chadda, Vijay Raaz, Ila Arun, Brijendra Kala and Neeraj Kabi.
In an earlier interview, before the shoot in Vidya said, “I loved Newton and when Amit narrated Sherni to me, I knew I wanted to do this film. The uniqueness of the story and its world appealed to me.”
Director, Amit Masurkar said, “The story of Sherni is one that needs to be told.
And yes, Vidya once again dons a completely new avatar, this time as a forest officer. Directed by Amit Masurkar of Newton fame, Sherni is a fictional story that takes us through the journey of a forest officer who strives for balance in a world of man-animal conflict.
https://bollyspice.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/IMG_0208.mp4
The film also boasts a powerful ensemble cast that includes Sharat Saxena, Mukul Chadda, Vijay Raaz, Ila Arun, Brijendra Kala and Neeraj Kabi.
In an earlier interview, before the shoot in Vidya said, “I loved Newton and when Amit narrated Sherni to me, I knew I wanted to do this film. The uniqueness of the story and its world appealed to me.”
Director, Amit Masurkar said, “The story of Sherni is one that needs to be told.
- 5/31/2021
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
After the captivating announcement last week, the teaser of Vidya Balan’s next - 'Sherni' was dropped today. As fans are waiting to see Vidya Balan’s performance after almost a year (last seen in Shakuntala Devi), the makers decided to share a glimpse of it much sooner than we expected.
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After collaborating on various successful ventures over the years, T-Series and Abundantia Entertainment come on board for yet another unconventional story.
Directed by Amit Masurkar of 'Newton' fame, the film will premiere on Amazon Prime Video. With Vidya Balan in the lead, 'Sherni' is a fictional story that takes us through the journey of a forest officer who strives for balance in a world of man-animal conflict. The teaser has already left the audiences even more excited for the trailer, which will release on 2nd June.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by amazon prime video In (@primevideoin)
After collaborating on various successful ventures over the years, T-Series and Abundantia Entertainment come on board for yet another unconventional story.
Directed by Amit Masurkar of 'Newton' fame, the film will premiere on Amazon Prime Video. With Vidya Balan in the lead, 'Sherni' is a fictional story that takes us through the journey of a forest officer who strives for balance in a world of man-animal conflict. The teaser has already left the audiences even more excited for the trailer, which will release on 2nd June.
- 5/31/2021
- by Glamsham Editorial
- GlamSham
Mumbai, May 17 (Ians) Vidya Balan's new starrer "Sherni" will release on Ott in June. The final announcement date is yet to be officially confirmed.
The film casts Vidya as an upright forest officer who strives for balance in the world of man-animal conflict while she seeks her true calling in a hostile environment.
The film is directed by Amit Masurkar, who earlier made waved helming "Newton" in 2017. Along with Vidya, the cast includes Sharad Saxena, Mukul Chaddha, Vijay Raaz, Ila Arun, Brijendra Kala and Neeraj Kabi.
"I'm excited for the fans of Vidya Balan to see her in the unique avatar of a forest officer. I can't wait for the 'first day first stream' of 'Sherni'!" said Vikram Malhotra, producer and CEO, Abundantia Entertainment. Bhushan Kumar, producer, T-Series, claimed this was one of the most unconventional and engaging films he has produced.
"The film is an intriguing tale of...
The film casts Vidya as an upright forest officer who strives for balance in the world of man-animal conflict while she seeks her true calling in a hostile environment.
The film is directed by Amit Masurkar, who earlier made waved helming "Newton" in 2017. Along with Vidya, the cast includes Sharad Saxena, Mukul Chaddha, Vijay Raaz, Ila Arun, Brijendra Kala and Neeraj Kabi.
"I'm excited for the fans of Vidya Balan to see her in the unique avatar of a forest officer. I can't wait for the 'first day first stream' of 'Sherni'!" said Vikram Malhotra, producer and CEO, Abundantia Entertainment. Bhushan Kumar, producer, T-Series, claimed this was one of the most unconventional and engaging films he has produced.
"The film is an intriguing tale of...
- 5/18/2021
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
Amazon Prime Video today announced that the Hindi movie Sherni will globally premiere on the streaming service as a Direct-To-Stream Amazon Original Movie next month. Directed by the talented filmmaker Amit Masurkar and produced by T-Series & Abundantia Entertainment, the movie stars Vidya Balan in the lead along with a powerful ensemble cast comprising of versatile artists such as Sharad Saxena, Mukul Chaddha, Vijay Raaz, Ila Arun, Brijendra Kala and Neeraj Kabi. A riveting storyline to look-forward to, in Sherni, Vidya Balan plays the role of an upright Forest Officer who strives for balance in a world of man-animal conflict while she also seeks her true calling in a hostile environment.
Speaking about the upcoming Amazon Original Movie, Vijay Subramaniam, Director and Head, Content, Amazon Prime Video India says, “Over the years, Abundantia Entertainment and T-Series have proven to be powerhouses of storytellers with their fresh and engaging content and we...
Speaking about the upcoming Amazon Original Movie, Vijay Subramaniam, Director and Head, Content, Amazon Prime Video India says, “Over the years, Abundantia Entertainment and T-Series have proven to be powerhouses of storytellers with their fresh and engaging content and we...
- 5/18/2021
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
In today’s Global Bulletin, BAFTA prepares online sessions for several top 2021 TV nominees; Modern Films picks up global rights to “Lady Boss”; Mise En Scéne Company adds “Anchorage” to its Marché du Film slate; Abacus Media Rights will distribute “The Masked Dancer U.K.” abroad; Amazon launches miniTV in India and sets “Sherni” premiere date; Head Gear and Big Wave Productions make key hires in the U.K.; Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson gets animated in Sky Kids’ “Dodo”; Strawberry Blond opens offices in Glasgow; and MTV U.K. partners with The Open University on a digital series for promising alumni.
Awards
Jodie Comer, Steve McQueen, Hayley Squires and Waleed Zuaiter are a few of the stars headlining BAFTA’s The Television Sessions 2021, an annual event series — held online for the second year in a row — featuring BAFTA-nominated shows and talent. Taking place May 18 through June 4, the five panels...
Awards
Jodie Comer, Steve McQueen, Hayley Squires and Waleed Zuaiter are a few of the stars headlining BAFTA’s The Television Sessions 2021, an annual event series — held online for the second year in a row — featuring BAFTA-nominated shows and talent. Taking place May 18 through June 4, the five panels...
- 5/17/2021
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Amazon Prime Video today announced the global premiere of Amazon Original Hindi Movie 'Sherni' next month. Directed by the talented filmmaker Amit Masurkar and produced by T-Series & Abundantia Entertainment. 'Sherni' stars Vidya Balan in the lead along with a powerful ensemble cast comprising of versatile artists such as Sharad Saxena, Mukul Chaddha, Vijay Raaz, Ila Arun, Brijendra Kala and Neeraj Kabi. Vidya Balan plays the role of an upright Forest Officer who strives for balance in a world of man-animal conflict while she also seeks her true calling in a hostile environment.
Sharing the excitement for the same, Vikram Malhotra, Producer and CEO - Abundantia Entertainment commented, “After the successful and much-loved collaboration for ‘Shakuntala Devi’ in 2020, I am delighted to partner once again with Amazon Prime Video as we take Abundantia Entertainment’s latest film to the world.
Sherni is one of the most special and important stories that...
Sharing the excitement for the same, Vikram Malhotra, Producer and CEO - Abundantia Entertainment commented, “After the successful and much-loved collaboration for ‘Shakuntala Devi’ in 2020, I am delighted to partner once again with Amazon Prime Video as we take Abundantia Entertainment’s latest film to the world.
Sherni is one of the most special and important stories that...
- 5/17/2021
- by Glamsham Editorial
- GlamSham
Vidya Balan Instagram
National award-winning actor Vidya Balan has resumed shoot for her upcoming film Sherni in Madhya Pradesh post the lockdown.
The shooting for Sherni came to a halt in mid-March as the nation went into a lockdown owing to the pandemic.
With productions getting back on track with the requisite Safety protocols, Vidya Balan has started shoot for Sherni in Madhya Pradesh
Sherni directed by Amit Masurkar, explores the man-animal conflict featuring Vidya Balan as a forest officer. Talking about the film in an earlier interview the actress said, “I loved Newton and when Amit narrated Sherni to me, I knew I wanted to do this film. The uniqueness of the story and its world appealed to me.”
Director, Amit Masurkar said, “The story of Sherni is one that needs to be told. I am happy to be working with Vidya Balan, one of the finest actors and human beings in the industry.
National award-winning actor Vidya Balan has resumed shoot for her upcoming film Sherni in Madhya Pradesh post the lockdown.
The shooting for Sherni came to a halt in mid-March as the nation went into a lockdown owing to the pandemic.
With productions getting back on track with the requisite Safety protocols, Vidya Balan has started shoot for Sherni in Madhya Pradesh
Sherni directed by Amit Masurkar, explores the man-animal conflict featuring Vidya Balan as a forest officer. Talking about the film in an earlier interview the actress said, “I loved Newton and when Amit narrated Sherni to me, I knew I wanted to do this film. The uniqueness of the story and its world appealed to me.”
Director, Amit Masurkar said, “The story of Sherni is one that needs to be told. I am happy to be working with Vidya Balan, one of the finest actors and human beings in the industry.
- 10/21/2020
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
MollywoodThe photo was taken in 2000 on the sets of ‘Chakram’, which was shelved for unknown reasons after the first schedule.Digital NativeDigital NativeNot many may be aware that Vidya Balan, before her Bollywood debut with Parineeta, was signed on to play the female lead in the Mohanlal starrer Chakram. Posting a picture with Mohanlal taken in 2000, Vidya wrote on her Instagram Stories, “Tbt 2000... The pic was taken on the set of my first Malayalam film #Chakram with @mohanlal!!! The film got shelved after the first schedule... Not looking as bad as I imagined I did!!!” The actor said in a recent media interaction that Chakram was shelved after the first schedule for unknown reasons. Parineeta, which shot her to fame, was released five years later. Vidya pointed out that soon after Chakram was shelved, she was labelled a jinxed actor and all offers, including a Tamil biggie, eluded her.
- 9/17/2020
- by Vidya
- The News Minute
Amit Masurkar's Newton, an Indian political satire that became a surprise box office hit (and was India's foreign-language Oscar entry this year) picked up two honors at India's 65th National Film Awards, announced Friday.
The government's annual awards celebrate the best of Indian cinema across various languages, focusing mostly on regional cinema in addition to mainstream Hindi language Bollywood. This year’s jury was headed by Elizabeth director Shekhar Kapur.
Newton won best Hindi-language film and also bagged a best supporting actor special mention for Pankaj Tripathi.
The film follows an honest election supervisor (Rajkummar Rao) who is sent to a...
The government's annual awards celebrate the best of Indian cinema across various languages, focusing mostly on regional cinema in addition to mainstream Hindi language Bollywood. This year’s jury was headed by Elizabeth director Shekhar Kapur.
Newton won best Hindi-language film and also bagged a best supporting actor special mention for Pankaj Tripathi.
The film follows an honest election supervisor (Rajkummar Rao) who is sent to a...
- 4/13/2018
- by Nyay Bhushan
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Amit Masurkar's<em> Newton</em>, an Indian political satire that became a surprise box office hit (and was India's foreign-language Oscar entry this year) picked up two honors at India's 65th National Film Awards, announced Friday.
The government's annual awards celebrate the best of Indian cinema across various languages, focusing mostly on regional cinema in addition to mainstream Hindi language Bollywood. This year’s jury was headed by <em>Elizabeth</em> director Shekhar Kapur.
<em>Newton</em> won best Hindi-language film and also bagged a best supporting actor special mention for Pankaj Tripathi.
The film follows an honest election supervisor (Rajkummar Rao) who is sent ...
The government's annual awards celebrate the best of Indian cinema across various languages, focusing mostly on regional cinema in addition to mainstream Hindi language Bollywood. This year’s jury was headed by <em>Elizabeth</em> director Shekhar Kapur.
<em>Newton</em> won best Hindi-language film and also bagged a best supporting actor special mention for Pankaj Tripathi.
The film follows an honest election supervisor (Rajkummar Rao) who is sent ...
- 4/13/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
After a disastrous start Anurag Kashyap’s Mukkaabaaz, a small town boxer’s love story, perhaps Kashyap’s most atypical film to date, has picked up at the box office. Trade experts say the film will do “another Newton” at the box office. Just months ago director Amit Masurkar’s film on an electoral crisis in a tribal areaRead More
The post Aanand L. Rai on his astonishing journey as a producer appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.
The post Aanand L. Rai on his astonishing journey as a producer appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.
- 1/17/2018
- by Subhash K. Jha
- BollywoodHungama
We’ve done it again – not made it into the shortlist of Best Foreign Film For the Oscars. Year after year, we keep missing out on getting anywhere close to actually winning it. The film’s team is feeling far from defeated. Director Amit Masurkar and actors Anjali Patil and Pankaj Tripathi were happy that their film got a chance to travel so much and touch the hearts of viewers across the world.
The post Team of Newton reacts after the film fails make it to the Oscars appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.
The post Team of Newton reacts after the film fails make it to the Oscars appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.
- 12/16/2017
- by Bollywood Hungama News Network
- BollywoodHungama
Oscars 2018The Academy announced the nine films that have been selected so far, of which 5 will make it to the final list.Tnm Staff Newton Poster.jpgEros InternationalIndia’s official entry to the Best Foreign Language Film category in the 90th Academy Awards, Amit Masurkar’s critically acclaimed Newton, is out of the Oscars race. On Friday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Ampaas) announced that nine films have made the cut. The movies that have advanced in the race are Chile's A Fantastic Woman, the winner of the Cannes Palme D’or The Square, Hungary’s On Body and Soul, Germany's In the Fade, Russia's Loveless, South Africa's The Wound, Israel's Foxtrot, Lebanon's The Insult and Senegal's Felicite. Five films will be chosen from this list, which will be announced on January 23. The surprise omissions in this list were Angelina Jolie’s First They Killed My Father from Cambodia and France’s official submission, Robin Campillo’s Bpm (Beats Per Minute). There were a record 92 submissions this year. India has never won an Oscar in the Best Foreign Language Film category and hopes were pinned on the political satire Newton. The film, which stars Rajkummar Rao and Pankaj Tripathi in key roles, detailed the foibles of holding a democratic election in a Maoist violence-hit village in Chhattisgarh. The last Indian language film that made it to the final five in this category was Ashutosh Gowariker’s Lagaan in 2001. The other films that have made it to the top five are Mother India in 1958 and Salaam Bombay in 1989. Critically celebrated Tamil film Visaranai, directed by Vetrimaaran, was the country’s official submission to the Oscars last year. But it failed to make the cut as well. According to Variety, the films shortlisted are selected by a general committee along with a 20-person executive committee, spearheaded by producer and foreign committee chair, Mark Johnson. The five final nominees are then selected by the foreign committee. Enanble Notification: NoTNM Marquee: No...
- 12/15/2017
- by Editor
- The News Minute
Amit Masurkar’s political satire Newton is the rare Indian independent film that has won international festival acclaim, glowing reviews and most importantly, box office success at home, collecting an impressive $5 million (316 million rupees). Top that with its selection as India’s Oscar entry timed with its release date.
Given that Indian cinema is dominated by formulaic fare, Masurkar tells THR that Newton — India's official submission in the Oscar foreign language category— has struck a chord with moviegoers because “there is a new audience that wants something fresh. India has the fastest growing internet and mobile phone population in...
Given that Indian cinema is dominated by formulaic fare, Masurkar tells THR that Newton — India's official submission in the Oscar foreign language category— has struck a chord with moviegoers because “there is a new audience that wants something fresh. India has the fastest growing internet and mobile phone population in...
- 11/21/2017
- by Nyay Bhushan
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Rajesh Mapuskar the director of the Priyanka Chopra production Ventilator in Marathi has been quoted as saying his film and not Amit Masurkar’s Newton should be going as India’s official entry to the Oscars. Mapuskar is quoted as saying, “I told her (producer Priyanka Chopra) not to worry, assuring her that only the best film would make it. We were a bit disappointed when we learnt about the verdict theRead More
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- 9/30/2017
- by Subhash K. Jha
- BollywoodHungama
Do we have a solid chance this time of cracking the Oscar code? Amit Masurkar’s Newton has not only been selected as India’s official entry to the Oscars it’s also been granted, overnight as it were, a Rs.1 crore by the Government as, shall we say, Oscar-bound stipend. Newton’s much-feted lead Rajkummar Rao agrees this is an unusual largesse from the powers-that-be.Read More
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- 9/26/2017
- by Subhash K. Jha
- BollywoodHungama
When two movies clash at the box office, one movie has to suffer. But this time, it was a different tale altogether! The week saw three movies releasing - Newton, Bhoomi and Haseena Parker. While at first, it was mainly a competition between Sanjay Dutt’s Bhoomi and Shraddha Kapoor’s Haseena biopic, Rajkummar Rao’s Newton swooped in to cash-in on its newfound Oscar selection! Amit Masurkar’s Newton, which was officially selected as India’ entry in the Oscar race, saw its box office collections steadily rise over the weekend, when the news first broke. From a decent day 1 opening to a solid turnout over the weekend, Bhoomi and Haseena faced heavy competition. Newton has been winning praises from all corners and Rajkummar Rao feels the movie will bring him needed global recognition. Amitabh Bachchan sent out a special tweet, calling the film remarkable and an eye opener! According to trade analyst Taran Adarsh,...
- 9/25/2017
- FilmiPop
Amit Masurkar’s highly-acclaimed Newton has just been selected as India’s official entry to the Oscars. And Amit couldn’t be happier. “It’s like a windfall. We first got all those amazing reviews days before release. Then on the day of the release we get to hear the film is going as our entry into the Oscars.Read More
The post “I hope we win the Oscar” – Newton director Amit Masurkar appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.
The post “I hope we win the Oscar” – Newton director Amit Masurkar appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.
- 9/23/2017
- by Subhash K. Jha
- BollywoodHungama
Political satire Newton has been selected as India’s entry for the 90th Academy Awards in the best foreign-language film category.
The announcement was made Friday by the Film Federation of India, which said the movie was selected out of 26 contenders.
Directed by Amit Masurkar, Newton stars Rajkumar Rao as Newton Kumar, a government clerk sent on election duty in the conflict-ridden jungles of the country’s Chhattisgarh state, reflecting the political reality of that area. The title refers to the lead character’s justification of changing his original name Nutan (which is usually a female name) to the similarly sounding Newton....
The announcement was made Friday by the Film Federation of India, which said the movie was selected out of 26 contenders.
Directed by Amit Masurkar, Newton stars Rajkumar Rao as Newton Kumar, a government clerk sent on election duty in the conflict-ridden jungles of the country’s Chhattisgarh state, reflecting the political reality of that area. The title refers to the lead character’s justification of changing his original name Nutan (which is usually a female name) to the similarly sounding Newton....
- 9/22/2017
- by Nyay Bhushan
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Newton
Starring Rajkummar Rao, Anjali Patil, Pankaj Tripathi
Directed by Amit R Masurkar
Rating: ****(4 stars)
In Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Satyakam, a film that echoes in unexpected ways in the new Rajkummar Rao experience, when Dharmendra the obstinate idealist, is asked why he stood first class second in his exams he replies, “Because the student who stood first was better than me.”
Newton Kumar exactly that idealist from Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s film grappling with the political irony of a country where a majority is too poor and illiterate to vote. Rajkummar’s Newton is the guy who will shine if not outshine the competition by the strength of his convictions.
This is one more triumphant performance for Rao who has made a habit of conferring a brilliant narrative to every character he plays. Really, it’s become a force of habit for this actor.
On the surface not much seems to happen in Newton.
Starring Rajkummar Rao, Anjali Patil, Pankaj Tripathi
Directed by Amit R Masurkar
Rating: ****(4 stars)
In Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Satyakam, a film that echoes in unexpected ways in the new Rajkummar Rao experience, when Dharmendra the obstinate idealist, is asked why he stood first class second in his exams he replies, “Because the student who stood first was better than me.”
Newton Kumar exactly that idealist from Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s film grappling with the political irony of a country where a majority is too poor and illiterate to vote. Rajkummar’s Newton is the guy who will shine if not outshine the competition by the strength of his convictions.
This is one more triumphant performance for Rao who has made a habit of conferring a brilliant narrative to every character he plays. Really, it’s become a force of habit for this actor.
On the surface not much seems to happen in Newton.
- 9/21/2017
- by Subhash K Jha
- Bollyspice
Directed by Amit Masurkar, the film explores the happenings of a single election day when a newbie government clerk played by Rajkummar Rao presides over a voting process in a naxal-infested area of Chhattisgarh...
- 9/21/2017
- Film Companion
Eros International and Colour Yellow’s Newton, releasing on 22nd September, has generated a lot of attention with its trailer and theme. Starring Rajkummar Rao in the title role, this is the story of Newton, an election officer committed to conducting a free and fair election in the heart of Chhattisgarh. ( an area known for Naxal violence)
This black comedy directed by Amit Masurkar talks about how one individual can bring about change, if he or she takes the initiative. In keeping with the theme of the film, the producers have released a series of digital videos celebrating the #NewtonsOfIndia. The videos feature Rajkummar Rao and Pankaj Tripathi as Newton and Atmaram, the pragmatic cynic. ( a reprise of their roles from the film)
#NewtonsOfIndia is an attempt to find real life individuals who have contributed to social change be it Shyam Saran Negi who hasn’t missed voting in a single election,...
This black comedy directed by Amit Masurkar talks about how one individual can bring about change, if he or she takes the initiative. In keeping with the theme of the film, the producers have released a series of digital videos celebrating the #NewtonsOfIndia. The videos feature Rajkummar Rao and Pankaj Tripathi as Newton and Atmaram, the pragmatic cynic. ( a reprise of their roles from the film)
#NewtonsOfIndia is an attempt to find real life individuals who have contributed to social change be it Shyam Saran Negi who hasn’t missed voting in a single election,...
- 9/14/2017
- by BollySpice Editors
- Bollyspice
Directed by Amit Masurkar and starring Rajkummar Rao, the film is about a morally conflicted clerk posted on election duty in Maoist-controlled Chhattisgarh...
- 8/29/2017
- Film Companion
Parting is such sweet sorrow and none more so than to see the end of the 2017 London Indian Film Festival. After a rollercoaster week’s worth of films, we saw the closing of the London portion of the festival at the BFI Southbank with the English premiere of Sexy Durga.
The night began with a star-studded red carpet event. BollySpice was on hand to mix with the movers and shakers of the Festival. In particular, we caught up with executive and programming director Cary Rajinder Sawhney who had promised at the beginning of the run that this year would be the best ever. We asked him whether he stood by that comment. “In terms of the films? Yes, this has been the best ever. We had such a good selection of films, many from other festivals where they have won awards.”
There were many famous names from the Festival line-up who graced the red carpet.
The night began with a star-studded red carpet event. BollySpice was on hand to mix with the movers and shakers of the Festival. In particular, we caught up with executive and programming director Cary Rajinder Sawhney who had promised at the beginning of the run that this year would be the best ever. We asked him whether he stood by that comment. “In terms of the films? Yes, this has been the best ever. We had such a good selection of films, many from other festivals where they have won awards.”
There were many famous names from the Festival line-up who graced the red carpet.
- 7/2/2017
- by Jonathan Howell
- Bollyspice
The fabulous Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival in London and Birmingham, is UK and Europe’s largest platform of independent cinema from the Indian subcontinent. The brilliant London festival has closed but the amazing movies continue in Birmingham until July 2nd.
The festival has grown significantly in stature and reputation, with pan-Indian and Indian sub continental cinema in several languages, all subtitled in English, Bsl (British Sign Language) incorporated in some talks, and this year attracted major award winning films including Newton, Hotel Salvation and The Cinema Travellers, as well as world premieres like the Tamil comedy, Ticket – The Movie.
Festival executive and programming director Cary Rajinder Sawhney said: “It is wonderful that the festival continues to lead the debate and not simply reflect the changing shape of Indian cinema; from this year’s Indian virtual reality showcases to bringing carefully curated important new talent to the world stage...
The festival has grown significantly in stature and reputation, with pan-Indian and Indian sub continental cinema in several languages, all subtitled in English, Bsl (British Sign Language) incorporated in some talks, and this year attracted major award winning films including Newton, Hotel Salvation and The Cinema Travellers, as well as world premieres like the Tamil comedy, Ticket – The Movie.
Festival executive and programming director Cary Rajinder Sawhney said: “It is wonderful that the festival continues to lead the debate and not simply reflect the changing shape of Indian cinema; from this year’s Indian virtual reality showcases to bringing carefully curated important new talent to the world stage...
- 7/1/2017
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
Europe’s Largest Indian Film Festival returns to Birmingham again this year for the third year in the row. Sister to the Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival, (Liff), Birmingham Indian Film Festival will run from Friday 23 June until Sunday 2 July 2017. This year’s festival promises to be one of the best showcasing 11 Independent Films, 2 Music Documentaries and a host of talent over 10 days in 3 cinemas!
Cary Rajinder Sawhney, Liff & Biff Director, says: “We are delighted to bring Birmingham audiences a carefully curated selection of the very best new Indian and South Asian independent cinema; all films are English subtitled, offering a rare window into over a billion South Asian lives. This year’s selection includes premieres of new comedies, gripping thrillers, shocking horror and insightful true-life documentaries as well as bringing together UK previews of major award-winning films from the world’s greatest film festivals.”
The festival opens on Friday 23 June at Cineworld Birmingham,...
Cary Rajinder Sawhney, Liff & Biff Director, says: “We are delighted to bring Birmingham audiences a carefully curated selection of the very best new Indian and South Asian independent cinema; all films are English subtitled, offering a rare window into over a billion South Asian lives. This year’s selection includes premieres of new comedies, gripping thrillers, shocking horror and insightful true-life documentaries as well as bringing together UK previews of major award-winning films from the world’s greatest film festivals.”
The festival opens on Friday 23 June at Cineworld Birmingham,...
- 6/15/2017
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
As we told you the renowned London Indian Film Festival is back for another year with a new and exciting selection of fabulous cutting-edge films that reaffirm the festival’s position as the ‘punk-rock of Indian cinema’. With films that range from subjects covering stories of gangsters, comedy themes, horror elements, thrillers, immigration and diaspora issues, environment, economics, religion, politics, and the lives of Indian royalty this year’s festival that runs from 22-29 June is not to be missed.
Check out this totally cool trailer (created by Parag Sankhe) to get an idea for what is in store for you! It has some amazing clips of the films that you must see!
The Black Prince opens the festival on 22nd June at the BFI Southbank with the red carpet premiere of the historical epic. The screening will also include a Q and A with the cast and director. Directed by Kavi Raz,...
Check out this totally cool trailer (created by Parag Sankhe) to get an idea for what is in store for you! It has some amazing clips of the films that you must see!
The Black Prince opens the festival on 22nd June at the BFI Southbank with the red carpet premiere of the historical epic. The screening will also include a Q and A with the cast and director. Directed by Kavi Raz,...
- 6/3/2017
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
Exclusive: Up to 10 features to be produced through new fund.
Mumbai-based Drishyam Films is launching a $20m fund to produce eight-10 independent Indian films over the next two years.
“Our aim is to take Indian cinema to the next level, in terms of script development, production values and international reach,” said Drishyam founder Manish Mundra, whose credits include Masaan, which screened in Un Certain Regard in 2015, and Amit Masurkar’s Newton, which premiered at this year’s Berlin.
Mundra, who recently brought on Natasha Chopra, as head of content development, expects to announce the first projects under the fund in early 2018. The money will also be used to develop Drishyam’s VFX studio in Mumbai, with the aiming of improving the quality of visual effects in local films.
Separate from the fund, Mundra has two new features going into production over the summer – Mohamed Gani’s Cycle, about the importance of the humble bicycle in small-town India, and...
Mumbai-based Drishyam Films is launching a $20m fund to produce eight-10 independent Indian films over the next two years.
“Our aim is to take Indian cinema to the next level, in terms of script development, production values and international reach,” said Drishyam founder Manish Mundra, whose credits include Masaan, which screened in Un Certain Regard in 2015, and Amit Masurkar’s Newton, which premiered at this year’s Berlin.
Mundra, who recently brought on Natasha Chopra, as head of content development, expects to announce the first projects under the fund in early 2018. The money will also be used to develop Drishyam’s VFX studio in Mumbai, with the aiming of improving the quality of visual effects in local films.
Separate from the fund, Mundra has two new features going into production over the summer – Mohamed Gani’s Cycle, about the importance of the humble bicycle in small-town India, and...
- 5/23/2017
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
Film Bazaar: Films in rare languages, mockumentaries and a growing interest in genre filmmaking are some of the dominant themes in this year’s Film Bazaar Recommends.
Among the line-up are films such as The Gold Laden Sheep & The Sacred Mountain filmed in the Pahari language, spoken in the Himalayas, and The Golden Wing (Sonar Baran Pakhi) made in Rajbanshi, which is spoken in the northeast Indian state of Assam.
“The northeast of India and the lives of the people in the mountains seems to inspire directors from this region, as well as other parts of India, perhaps because the landscape is so cinematic,” says Film Bazaar Recommends and Wip Lab curator Deepti DCunha.
This year’s line-up also includes The Bioscopewala, loosely based on Rabindranath Tagore’s short story Kabuliwala, which is partly shot in the Dari language, spoken in Afghanistan. Produced by Mumbai-based Sunil Doshi, the film stars Danny Denzongpa, Gitanjali Thapa, Tisca Chopra...
Among the line-up are films such as The Gold Laden Sheep & The Sacred Mountain filmed in the Pahari language, spoken in the Himalayas, and The Golden Wing (Sonar Baran Pakhi) made in Rajbanshi, which is spoken in the northeast Indian state of Assam.
“The northeast of India and the lives of the people in the mountains seems to inspire directors from this region, as well as other parts of India, perhaps because the landscape is so cinematic,” says Film Bazaar Recommends and Wip Lab curator Deepti DCunha.
This year’s line-up also includes The Bioscopewala, loosely based on Rabindranath Tagore’s short story Kabuliwala, which is partly shot in the Dari language, spoken in Afghanistan. Produced by Mumbai-based Sunil Doshi, the film stars Danny Denzongpa, Gitanjali Thapa, Tisca Chopra...
- 11/21/2016
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
Who is spreading stories of a rift between actor Rajkummar Rao and his girlfriend Patralekha? Neither of the two love birds, for sure. They are not only happily together, but the reason given for their differences - the sizzling seductive scenes Patralekha has done in her post-launch film Love Games - is according to Rajkummar, utterly absurd. He laughs off the reported squabble with Patralekha in full public view in the lobby of the building where they stay. "Patralekha and I can't stop laughing at these stories. I feel really sorry for people who spread such stories," says Rajkummar. Rajkummar wonders who is behind these stories and why they are being spread. "The fact is, I am immensely proud of Patralekha and I truly respect her as a person and her work. She is one of the most talented girls I've met in my entire life." The actor who has...
- 4/9/2016
- by Subhash K. Jha
- BollywoodHungama
Film Bazaar panel looks at new ways to connect non-Bollywood films with audiences.
In a country where Indian cinema is synonymous with Bollywood, what are the options out there for independent filmmakers to get their films to the audience?, asked Anurag Kashyap at Film Bazaar’s Knowledge Series ‘New Voices: The Filmmaker – Pushing Boundaries in Content Creation, Marketing and Monetising’.
“In India, filmmakers will make sure their films are made, but don’t always make sure they’re seen,” he pointed out. But panelists Amit Masurkar and Bardroy Barretto who have gone all out, in very different means, to bring their films to the audience.
Masurkar first released his debut feature Sulemani Keeda the traditional way in cinemas - in seven cities last December; followed almost immediately by an online release via The Viral Fever on YouTube.
“I’m fully aware that we wouldn’t be able to recoup from the theatrical release, but we need...
In a country where Indian cinema is synonymous with Bollywood, what are the options out there for independent filmmakers to get their films to the audience?, asked Anurag Kashyap at Film Bazaar’s Knowledge Series ‘New Voices: The Filmmaker – Pushing Boundaries in Content Creation, Marketing and Monetising’.
“In India, filmmakers will make sure their films are made, but don’t always make sure they’re seen,” he pointed out. But panelists Amit Masurkar and Bardroy Barretto who have gone all out, in very different means, to bring their films to the audience.
Masurkar first released his debut feature Sulemani Keeda the traditional way in cinemas - in seven cities last December; followed almost immediately by an online release via The Viral Fever on YouTube.
“I’m fully aware that we wouldn’t be able to recoup from the theatrical release, but we need...
- 11/23/2015
- ScreenDaily
Note: List published by Ians (Indo-Asian News Service)
These films of 2014 deserved better and should have got a larger audience:
1. Ugly: A beautiful portrait of the darkest areas of the human heart, where greed, guilt and gluttony scamper freely for space. Anurag Kashyap’s film was swamped by the “Pk” wave that hit the theatres at year-end.
2. Aankhon Dekhi: Rajat Kapoor’s haunting portrait of a man on the brink of self-abnegation, looking for reasons to cling to the illusion called life, finding it increasingly hard to go through the motions of existence. Actor Sanjay Mishra’s ‘everyman’ act was exemplary.
3. Children Of War: Debutant director Mrityunjay Devrat recreated the horrors of the Bangladesh war of independence with the authentic passion of Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List”. As a brutal concentration camp officer, Pavan Malhotra was a dazzling embodiment of evil.
4. Sulemani Keeda: Amit Masurkar bitter-sweet tale...
These films of 2014 deserved better and should have got a larger audience:
1. Ugly: A beautiful portrait of the darkest areas of the human heart, where greed, guilt and gluttony scamper freely for space. Anurag Kashyap’s film was swamped by the “Pk” wave that hit the theatres at year-end.
2. Aankhon Dekhi: Rajat Kapoor’s haunting portrait of a man on the brink of self-abnegation, looking for reasons to cling to the illusion called life, finding it increasingly hard to go through the motions of existence. Actor Sanjay Mishra’s ‘everyman’ act was exemplary.
3. Children Of War: Debutant director Mrityunjay Devrat recreated the horrors of the Bangladesh war of independence with the authentic passion of Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List”. As a brutal concentration camp officer, Pavan Malhotra was a dazzling embodiment of evil.
4. Sulemani Keeda: Amit Masurkar bitter-sweet tale...
- 1/1/2015
- by Indicine Team
- indicine
The title of Sulemani Keeda, a tale of two struggling young screenwriters in Mumbai, is Hindi for pain in the rear and may also allude to a keeda (or an idea) that just won’t go away. It is probably intended as a meta comment on the film itself as reports have it that the script was lying in the can for years before finally seeing the light of the day. And it’s also equally true that many commercially successful Hindi film directors may view these struggling artists who constantly badger them for a break, as a pain in the ***.
Sulemani Keeda is a cleverly crafted Indie comedy that a certain section of Mumbai residents will instantly identify with and admire. This segment (and it’s a fairly large one) happens to be the familiar breed of “creative types” who want to make it big in the Hindi film industry.
Sulemani Keeda is a cleverly crafted Indie comedy that a certain section of Mumbai residents will instantly identify with and admire. This segment (and it’s a fairly large one) happens to be the familiar breed of “creative types” who want to make it big in the Hindi film industry.
- 12/7/2014
- by Aniruddha Basu
- DearCinema.com
Screenwriting bromedy that shows Bollywood is not that much different than its American counterpart.Dulal is the brains and Mainak is the street smarts in Amit Masurkar’s flighty bromedy screened at the 9th Seattle South Asian Film Festival. Like most screenwriters, these two need that one big break to make it into the big time. Actually, these two need holy water from the hands of a hundred virgin angels to write their street address. But that is not important, where there is a will, there is a way. If they can do it with women, they can do it with producers.Well, […]...
- 11/12/2014
- by Ron Wilkinson
- Monsters and Critics
British journalist Ashanti Omkar of the BBC Asian Network and Indian cinema expert to BBC London and BBC West Midlands, and photographer Akin Aworan flew to the Zurich Film Festival, 10th anniversary, to get the lowdown on the India “New World View” section for Galatta cinema magazine in India and we have some highlights!
The fanfare for the India section began with a Bollywood flash mob, at SihlCity, a vibrant cinema and mall and a deliciously catered Indian party.
For the festival, the World View sections with a spotlight on India, the focus was on independent cinema, as opposed to the “woods” of Indian cinema, like Bollywood and Kollywood. These special selections were curated by Georg Bütler, the senior programmer of the festival. Despite not ever having been to India, Georg was able to find and astutely select 12 of the best films from the subcontinent.
The section showcased India’s Oscar entry,...
The fanfare for the India section began with a Bollywood flash mob, at SihlCity, a vibrant cinema and mall and a deliciously catered Indian party.
For the festival, the World View sections with a spotlight on India, the focus was on independent cinema, as opposed to the “woods” of Indian cinema, like Bollywood and Kollywood. These special selections were curated by Georg Bütler, the senior programmer of the festival. Despite not ever having been to India, Georg was able to find and astutely select 12 of the best films from the subcontinent.
The section showcased India’s Oscar entry,...
- 10/15/2014
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
Chaitanya Tamhane’s “Court”
Zurich Film Festival will showcase a package of 12 Indian features and six shorts under “New World View” section in its 10th edition that runs from September 25- October 5, 2014. The package includes latest Indian films like Chaitanya Tamhane’s Venice “Lion of the future” winner Court and recent festival favourites like Anand Gandhi’s Ship of Theseus and Kanu Behl’s Titli.
Apart from features, a package of shorts curated by Swiss short film festival Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur will be on display as well. The package has six shorts made by: Anurag Goswami , Varun Chawla , Hossein Mozdgir Roozane , Rodd Rathjen , Payal Kapadia and Gitanjali Rao.
Here is the complete list of feature films to be screened at the festival:-
Court by Chaitanya Tamhane
Fandry by Nagraj Manjule
Gulabi Gang by Nishtha Jain
I.D by Kamal K.M.
Katiyabaaz by Deepti Kakkar and Fahad Mustafa
Liar’s Dice...
Zurich Film Festival will showcase a package of 12 Indian features and six shorts under “New World View” section in its 10th edition that runs from September 25- October 5, 2014. The package includes latest Indian films like Chaitanya Tamhane’s Venice “Lion of the future” winner Court and recent festival favourites like Anand Gandhi’s Ship of Theseus and Kanu Behl’s Titli.
Apart from features, a package of shorts curated by Swiss short film festival Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur will be on display as well. The package has six shorts made by: Anurag Goswami , Varun Chawla , Hossein Mozdgir Roozane , Rodd Rathjen , Payal Kapadia and Gitanjali Rao.
Here is the complete list of feature films to be screened at the festival:-
Court by Chaitanya Tamhane
Fandry by Nagraj Manjule
Gulabi Gang by Nishtha Jain
I.D by Kamal K.M.
Katiyabaaz by Deepti Kakkar and Fahad Mustafa
Liar’s Dice...
- 9/12/2014
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
Nagesh Kukunoor and Anurag Kashyap aren’t showing their films for the first time at the New York Indian Film Festival. But many young filmmakers are. Take a look at the opening night gala of the fourteenth edition of the festival as it kickstarts the weeklong celebration of the best of art house cinema from India. It opened on Monday, May 5 with the screening of Kashyap’s hard-hitting new film Ugly. Shelly Walia brings you the latest news and interviews from the red carpet at New York’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts.
Festival director Aseem Chhabra smiles, but shies away from looking into the camera. Earlier in the day, he tweeted, “Are you guys ready for the… six-day movie tamasha?”
Aroon Shivdasani, executive director of Indo-American Arts Council, said the festival is an opportunity to screen films that tell a story about, say, real India. “Those films deserve to be watched.
Festival director Aseem Chhabra smiles, but shies away from looking into the camera. Earlier in the day, he tweeted, “Are you guys ready for the… six-day movie tamasha?”
Aroon Shivdasani, executive director of Indo-American Arts Council, said the festival is an opportunity to screen films that tell a story about, say, real India. “Those films deserve to be watched.
- 5/7/2014
- by Shelly Walia
- Bollyspice
A still from Sulemani Keeda
The 14th New York Indian Film Festival, to take place from 5-10 May, has unveiled its full line-up of films which comprises of a mix of 23 narrative features and 11 documentaries.
Anurag Kashyap’s Ugly is set to open the festival while Geethu Mohandas’ Liar’s Dice will be the centerpiece film. The festival will also present a retrospective of Gurinder Chaddha’s documentaries and will close with Aparna Sen’s Goynar Baksho.
Karan Bali’s 80 minute documentary, An American in Madras, based on American-born filmmaker Ellis R. Dungan’s travails in the Tamil film industry will get a screening alongside the recently released Gulabi Gang by Nishtha Jain.
Nagraj Manjule’s Fandry, Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukthankar’s Astu and Gajendra Ahire’s Postcard are the three Marathi features which will screen at the festival. Assamese feature As The River Flows (Ekhon Nodir Xipare), by Bidyut Kotoky,...
The 14th New York Indian Film Festival, to take place from 5-10 May, has unveiled its full line-up of films which comprises of a mix of 23 narrative features and 11 documentaries.
Anurag Kashyap’s Ugly is set to open the festival while Geethu Mohandas’ Liar’s Dice will be the centerpiece film. The festival will also present a retrospective of Gurinder Chaddha’s documentaries and will close with Aparna Sen’s Goynar Baksho.
Karan Bali’s 80 minute documentary, An American in Madras, based on American-born filmmaker Ellis R. Dungan’s travails in the Tamil film industry will get a screening alongside the recently released Gulabi Gang by Nishtha Jain.
Nagraj Manjule’s Fandry, Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukthankar’s Astu and Gajendra Ahire’s Postcard are the three Marathi features which will screen at the festival. Assamese feature As The River Flows (Ekhon Nodir Xipare), by Bidyut Kotoky,...
- 4/11/2014
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
This year the 12th edition of the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) includes a lineup of narrative and documentary features and short films. The impressive program reflects the rich diversity of Indian cinema, as well as the future of Indian filmmaking, with cutting-edge filmmakers and emerging voices bringing their acclaimed films to Los Angeles.
The festival is widely recognized as the premiere showcase of groundbreaking Indian cinema globally. Iffla will run April 8-13 at ArcLight Hollywood in Los Angeles, the festival’s home since its inception. Jadoo, an exploration of family bonds amidst two feuding brothers’ restaurants in England, will screen as the festival’s Closing Night Gala. The film is written and directed by Iffla alum Amit Gupta, and first premiered at the 2013 Berlinale. It features a wonderful ensemble cast that includes Kulvinder Ghir, Amara Karan, Harish Patel, Tom Mison, and Madhur Jaffrey. As previously announced, Iffla will open with Jeffrey D. Brown’s Sold, produced by Jane Charles and executive produced by Emma Thompson.
Iffla 2014 wil l present more than 33 films, including three world premieres, six North American premieres, six U.S. premieres, and 16 Los Angeles premieres. The films feature 10 different languages, from Hindi to Marathi, to Russian to Bengali. Additionally, Iffla supports American, Australian, British, Canadian, and European diaspora filmmakers from nine different countries telling their stories.
“I'm thrilled and proud that Iffla's line-up this year includes an especially diverse range of cinematic experiences, covering many regions of India and the diaspora,” said Iffla’s Artistic Director Jasmine Jaisinghani. "We would like to thank our Programming Advisor in India, Uma Da Cunha, for helping our programming team source some of these exceptional films."
Program highlights include: the North American premiere of Anurag Kashyap’s latest, Ugly an intense, masterfully directed psychological thriller that premiered in the 2013 Director’s Fortnight section of Cannes; Liar's Dice, the remarkable directorial debut of South Indian actress Geetu Mohandas that premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival; Anup Singh’s latest feature Qissa: The Tale of a Lonely Ghost, starring Irrfan Khan (Life of Pi, Slumdog Millionaire), winner of Netpac Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, and Dioraphte Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam; the Audience Award winner at the 2013 Slamdance Film Festival Hank and Asha , an exploratory, romantic look at two people bonding in the digital age by newcomer James E. Duff; Nagraj Manjule’s Fandry, a highly praised debut feature for its multilayered emotion and realism on the subject of caste discrimination; Brahmin Bulls starring Roshan Seth (Gandhi, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Mississippi Masala) and Sendhil Ramamurthy (Beauty and the Beast, Heroes) as an estranged father and son unexpectedly brought together to confront the family’s past; and Siddharth, a nuanced look at a family whose son goes missing, by lauded Canadian director and Iffla alum Richie Mehta (Amal).
The festival's feature documentary competition includes an eclectic mix of films from established and upcoming filmmakers that consider India's unique traditions and dynamic future. The films include: the world premiere of
The Auction House , an intimate and funny look at two brothers trying to keep their anachronistic family business going in the digital age; festival favorite Powerless, which depicts intense struggles over electricity in a mid-size Indian city; Faith Connections, Iffla alum Pan Nalin's beautiful and rare look at the Kumbh Mela; and the National Award-winning Shepherds of Paradise, about an arduous, mountainous trek through an animal drive in the Kashmiri winter.
The Bollywood by Night series returns this year with Bombay Talkies and Monsoon Shootout. Premiering at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, Bombay Talkies is a quartet of short films that celebrates 100 years of Indian cinema. The omnibus film features work by four of India’s most exciting contemporary directors: Karan Johar, Dibakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar, and Anurag Kashyap, as well as a stellar cast that includes Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, and Katrina Kaif. Monsoon Shoutout is a thrilling debut by Iffla alum writer/director Amit Kumar about how a split-second decision made by a rookie police officer has rippling effects in his life and the lives of those around him.
The shorts competition showcases a diverse selection of 15 films that include narrative, documentary, experimental, and animated works. Highlights of this year’s program include Academy Award® shortlisted Kush; Sundance award winner Love.Love.Love.; and the world premiere of acclaimed director Umesh Kulkarni’s The Fly.
Festival Passes and Gala tickets are currently on sale at the festival's website.
For more information, please visit:
Website: www.indianfilmfestival.org.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ indianfilmfestival
Twitter: https://twitter.com /iffla
Tumblr: http://indianfilmfestival.tumblr.com/
About Iffla
Now in its 12th year, the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) is a nonprofit organization devoted to a greater appreciation of Indian cinema and culture by showcasing films, honoring entertainment industry business executives, and promoting the diverse perspectives of the Indian diaspora.
Opening Night Gala
Sold
Los Angeles Premiere
USA/2014/97min
Director: Jeffrey D. Brown
Producer: Jane Charles
Executive Producer: Emma Thompson
Screenwriters: Joseph Kwong, Jeffrey D. Brown
Composer: John McDowell, Sammy Chand, Salim & Sulaiman Merchant
Cast: Susmita Mukherjee, Seema Biswas, Tillotama Shome, Niyar Saikia, Priyanka Bose, Ankur Vikal, Parambrata Chatterjee, Gillian Anderson, David Arquette
Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Jeffrey D. Brown adapts Patricia McCormick’s novel Sold – a National Book Award finalist – into a vivid, harrowing and inspiring story of a young girl’s resilience in the face of unspeakable cruelty.
Closing Night
Jadoo
Los Angeles Premiere
UK/2013/84 mins
Director: Amit Gupta
Producers: Amanda Faber, Isabelle Georgeaux, Richard Holmes, Nikki Parrott
Screenwriter: Amit Gupta
Composer: Stephen Warbeck
Cast: Kulvinder Ghir, Amara Karan, Harish Patel, Tom Mison, Madhur Jaffrey
Set in Leicester, England, Amit Gupta’s culinary comedy charts the chaos that ensues when young Shalini gets engaged to her longtime boyfriend Mark. The fact that Mark is not Indian is the least of Shalini’s concerns. Her father Raja and uncle Jagi have been at war for years. After a legendary falling out that caused them to close their family restaurant, each man opened his own establishment – directly across the street from one another! Shalini’s dream wedding would see both men put aside their differences and prepare the feast together, but resentment runs deep and neither man can hear mention of the other’s name without a spike in blood pressure. Both the prospect of disappointing their beloved Shalini and the threat of a new, hip restaurant opening in the area force Raja and Jagi to work together – but for how long? In this uproariously funny and heartfelt exploration of family bonds, shared history and gastronomic perfection, Gupta’s cast is endlessly appealing. Plus, there’s enough mouth-watering Indian food on display to have your stomach growling before the credits roll.
Feature Films
Before My Eyes (Ankhon Dekhi)
Los Angeles Premiere
India/2013/107min
Director: Rajat Kapoor Producer: Manish Mundra
Screenwriter: Rajat Kapoor
Cast: Sanjay Sanjay Mishra, Seema Pahwa, Rajat Kapoor, Taranjeet, Maya Sarao
Celebrated writer, director, and actor Rajat Kapoor (Midnight’s Children, Monsoon Wedding, Mixed Doubles, Mithya) paints an offbeat yet thought-provoking portrait of domestic life in modern day Delhi when an incident prompts head of the family Bauji to reject anything he himself has not experienced, much to the exasperation of his extended family but to the delight of his newfound philosopher disciples. Balancing the comical and the existential, both Bauji and the film ask the basic question, ‘Can you know truth without true experience?’
Brahmin Bulls
Los Angeles Premiere
USA/96min/2013
Director: Mahesh Pailoor
Producer: Yoshinobu Tsuji
Screenwriters: Anu Pradhan, Mahesh Pailoor
Cast: Sendhil Ramamurthy, Roshan Seth, Mary Steenburgen, Justin Bartha, Cassidy Freeman, Monica Raymund, Michael Lerner
Mahesh Pailoor's tender, funny, and touching debut tells the story of estranged father and son Ashok and Sid, who reunite at Sid's Los Angeles home when Ashok arrives unexpectedly. Each man is keeping secrets from one another, and when the truth is revealed, parent and child must work even harder to close the rift between them.
Fandry
North American Premiere
India/2013/103min
Director: Nagraj Manjule
Producers: Vivek Kajaria, Nilesh Navalakha
Screenwriter: Nagraj Manjule
Cast: Kishor Kadam, Chhaya Kadam, Somnath Awghade, Suraj Pawar, Rajshree Kharat, Sakshi Vyavhare, Aishvarya Shinde, Nagraj Manjule
Marathi poet Nagraj Manjule's impressive debut feature tells the story of Jabya, a Dalit boy, and his family's struggle against daily prejudice in their Maharashtra village. Jabya's carefree childhood desires and antics are soon stifled by his family's "untouchable" status, and the film's gradual transformation into an insightful and damning look at caste discrimination builds from a murmur to a defiant roar. Refusing to reduce his Dalit characters to victims – most explicitly at the film's explosive conclusion - Manjule's socially reflective film has received critical acclaim in India.
Hank and Asha
Los Angeles Premiere
USA/2013/73min
Director: James E. Duff
Producers: James E. Duff, Julia Morrison
Screenwriters: James E. Duff, Julia Morrison
Cast: Mahira Kakkar, Andrew Pastides
James E. Duff's feature directorial debut, the Audience Award winner at the 2013 Slamdance Film Festival, is an endearing tale of a long-distance connection in the digital age. Hank and Asha, two aspiring filmmakers separated by an ocean, connect with one another through video messages and quickly find themselves heading towards romance. That is, until Asha reveals some surprising news. Duff has created a captivating ode to the new possibilities open to us now that the world's gotten smaller.
Liar's Dice
Los Angeles Premiere
India/2013/104min
Director: Geetu Mohandas
Producers: Alan McAlex, Ajay G. Rai
Screenwriter: Geetu Mohandas
Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Geetanjali Thapa, Manya Gupta
Established actress Geetu Mohandas steps behind the lens for her bracing directorial debut. A woman named Kamala and her daughter journey from their remote Himalayan village to Delhi in search of Kamala's missing husband. They find a guide in an unfriendly wanderer whose interest may lie more in his personal gain than in any help he can offer them. Beautifully shot by Rajeev Ravi (Gangs of Wasseypur), Mohandas' film evokes a hazardous world where answers may never be clear and a helping hand always comes at a price.
Phoring
North American Premiere
India/2013/128min
Director: Indranil Roychowdhury
Producers: Anasua Roychowdury, Sugata Bal
Screenwriters: Indranil Roychowdhury, Sugata Sinha
Cast: Akash Adhikary, Sohini Sarkar, Sourav Basak, Ritwick Charaborty, Shankar Debnath, Senjuti Roymukherjee
Indranil Roychowdhury's stunning feature debut is an evocative, unpredictable tale of confused adolescence in a struggling North Bengal town. Phoring, an imaginative adolescent boy, and his beautiful new teacher Doel form a close friendship that soon arouses doubt and suspicion when Doel's presence in the town is revealed to have less-than-noble origins. Roychowdhury accomplishes a tricky feat with his first film by luring us with the promise of an inspirational teacher-student story before ultimately delivering a much more complex and truthful account of the joys and pains of growing up.
Qissa: The Tale of a Lonely Ghost (2013)
Los Angeles Premiere Germany-India-Netherlands/2013/109min
Director: Anup Singh
Producers: Bero Beyer, Johannes Rexin, Bettina Brokemper, Thierry Lenouvel
Screenwriter: Anup Singh, Madhuja Mukherjee
Cast: Irrfan Khan, Tisca Chopra, Tillotama Shome, Rasika Dugal
Set in 1940s Punjab, Anup Singh’s latest feature Qissa details the aftermath of the Indo-Pakistan Partition through the experiences of one Sikh family, headed by Umber (Irrfan Khan). Following the family’s forceful displacement from their village, Umber’s desire for a male heir is stronger than ever. When his wife gives birth to their fourth daughter, Kanwar, Umber makes the fateful decision to raise her as a boy. This tragic choice ends up dividing the family in violent ways, and provokes a series of increasingly unsettling situations for Kanwar as she grows up. While in a sense a ghost story, the source of pain and suffering is all too real.
Siddharth
Los Angeles Premiere
Canada-India/2013/96min
Director: Richie Mehta
Producers: David Miller, Steven N. Bray
Screenwriter: Richie Mehta
Cast: Rajesh Tailang, Tannishtha Chatterjee
A celebrated Iffla alum, Canadian director Richie Mehta returns to the festival with a heartbreaking story of parents Mahendra and Suman, whose son goes missing after being sent to work 200 miles north of Delhi. Carried by powerful yet restrained performances from Rajesh Tailang and Tannishtha Chatterjee as the parents, Mehta and cast capture the dignity of those facing the unthinkable. Mehta's chance encounter with a man searching for his lost son alerted him to the underreported plight of the families of 44,000 children estimated missing in India every year.
Ugly
North American Premiere
India/2013/128mins/Dcp
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Writer: Anurag Kashyap
Producers: Vikas Bahl, Madhu Mantena, Vikramaditya Motwane, Vivek Rangachari, Arun Rangachari
Cast: Rahul Bhatt, Ronit Roy, Tejaswini Kolhapure, Anshika Shrivastava
When ten-year-old Kali disappears from her father Rahul's car on the busy streets of Mumbai, the events that follow quickly spiral out of control and plunge into a morass of corruption and violence. Rahul and Kali's mother, Shalini, are divorced. Shalini is now married to Shoumik, the local police chief. When Shoumik learns that his stepdaughter is missing, he and Rahul clash in a breathless race to find the girl. With intricate plotting and vivid characterizations, Iffla alum Anurag Kashyap fashions a story that's sure to keep the heart racing.
Writers (Sulemani Keeda)
North American Premiere
India/2013/90min
Director: Amit V Masurkar
Writer: Amit V Masurkar
Producer: Datta Dave
Cast: Naveen Kasturia, Mayank Tewari, Aditi Vasudev and Karan Mirchandani
Writing partners Dulal and Mainak dream of shaking up Bollywood in director Amit Masurkar's slacker comedy. The two young men take a job from the wealthy, oddball son of a famous B-movie producer, but soon fear they're on the path to selling out. Masurkar's film captures the creative spirit of Andheri West, a Mumbai suburb where writers, directors, and actors come from all over India with the dream of working in the film industry, and is a sweet taste of things to come from the new "hindie" cinema.
Documentary Features
The Auction House: A Tale of Two Brothers
World Premiere
UK/2014/85min
Director: Ed Owles
Producers: Ed Owles, Giovanna Stopponi
The auction houses of Kolkata used to be where the rich and famous found the right high-end objects to decorate their homes. Today, the family-owned Russell Exchange is the last, and oldest, one to remain in India. Director Ed Owles follows two brothers, with the older brother moving back to Kolkata from London with hopes of using his Western business acumen to bring the Exchange into the 21st century. However, in a country radically transformed by technology and a rising youth culture, it may already be too late.
Faith Connections
Los Angeles Premiere
France-India/2013/115min/Dcp
Director: Pan Nalin
Producers: Raphaël Berdugo, Gaurav Dhingra, Pan Nalin, Virginie Lacombe
Every three years, Hindus gather at one of four rotating sites for Kumbh Mela, a religious celebration of faith and devotion marked by bathing in the sacred waters of the Ganges. With 100 million people at the 2013 Kumbh Mela, the pilgrimage is said to be the largest gathering on the planet. Iffla alum Pan Nalin crafts a moving and unique view of the mass gathering and presents unique stories of how individuals came to be there to share in the belief of the divine.
Powerless (Katiyabaaz)
Los Angeles Premiere
India/2013/82min
Director: Fahad Mustafa and Deepti Kakkar
Producers: Fahad Mustafa, Deepti Kakkar, Judy Tam, Leopold Koegler
Screenwriter: Fahad Mustafa
In Kanpur, a city of three million that has seen better days, one of the only ways for many residents to get electricity is to steal it. Co-directors Fahad Mustafa and Deepti Kakkar focus their attention on the likes of pirate engineers like Loha Singh and first female CEO at the local power authority Ritu Maheshwari. Coupled with beautiful photography of the intricately tied together powerlines of the city and a pulsating original score, they present a unique documentary about current-day India and its future battles over limited resources.
Shepherds of Paradise
U.S. Premiere
India/2013/50min
Director/Producer/Screenwriter/Cinematographer/Editor: Raja Shabir Khan
Composer: Bilal Iran
Nomadic herder Gafoor has to lead his large flock of goats, sheep, cows and horses across Jammu all the way to Kashmir so they can graze. Director Raja Shabir Khan presents lives few have ever seen, let alone lived, with simple beauty and real terror in a film that has won major National Awards in India. A cinematic wonder that must be seen to truly understand, Shepherds of Paradise is a testament of the power of film to transport us to other lands and experiences.
Bollywood By Night
Bombay Talkies
North American Premiere
India/117min/2013
Directors: Karan Johar, Dibakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap
Producers: Ritesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akhtar, Guneet Monga
Screenwriters: Karan Johar, Dibakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti, Anurag Kashyap
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan , Rani Mukerji, Katrina Kaif, Randeep Hooda, Saqib Saleem, Nawazuddin Siddiqui
A quartet of short films directed by four of India’s most exciting contemporary filmmakers celebrates 100 years of Indian cinema in this omnibus film. Karan Johar, Dibakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar and Anurag Kashyap crafts a tale of ordinary people whose love of movies profoundly alters the course of their lives. Each story beautifully captures how lovers of cinema can’t help but carry that fascination into their day-to-day life. Haven’t we all wished, at one time or another, that our lives were more like a film?
Monsoon Shootout
Los Angeles Premiere
India-uk-Netherlands/2013/88min
Director: Amit Kumar
Producers: Trevor Ingman, Guneet Monga, Martijn De Grunt
Screenwriter: Amit Kumar
Cast: Vijay Varma, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Geetanjali Thapa
A split-second decision made by a rookie police officer propels writer/director Amit Kumar’s debut feature, which fascinatingly splinters into three separate, equally pulse-pounding scenarios. In a secluded alley drenched in the pouring rain, principled cop Adi aims his gun at Shiva, a vicious gangster on the run. What Adi decides to do next will reverberate throughout his personal and professional life in ways he could never imagine. Kumar thus explores the ripple effect our choices have, and how we unknowingly alter the lives of those around us.
Shorts
Aarti
Shorts Program 2
World Premiere
USA/2013/4min
Director: David Walter Lech
Producer: Terrie Samundra
A hypnotic look into the nightly “ceremony of light” ritual in a Hindu temple in Sheikhupur, Punjab.
Alchemy
Shorts Program 2
U.S. Premiere
India/2013/5min
Directors: Pranay Patwardhan, Shivangi Ranawat, Janmeet Singh
Producer: Pritesh Varia
A bold and vibrant song to the intricate fabric of modern day India, a kaleidoscope of voices, colors and traditions.
Bhiwani Junction
Shorts Program 1
Los Angeles Premiere
USA/2013/18min
Director: Abhi Singh
Producer: Abhi Singh
A poignant documentary portrait of Himanshu, a 12-year old boxer, whose formidable commitment to the sport makes his lofty dreams to become an Olympic champion appear well within reach.
Black Rock (Kaatal)
Shorts Program 1
U.S. Premiere
India/2012/22min
Director: Vikrant Pawar
Producer: Film and Television Institute of India
Two young lovers spend one last afternoon together. A beautiful meditation on the ephemeral nature of young love that has won three of India’s National Film Awards.
The Fly (Makhi)
Shorts Program 2
World Premiere
India/2013/31min
Director: Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni
Producer: Film and Television Institute of India
Employed as a Fly Killer in an upscale restaurant, Pipal must ensure a fly-free environment by smacking dead the flies that buzz over the patrons’ heads. When a nearby drainage is closed and the source of the fly infestation eradicated, Pipal must find a way to produce enough live flies to save his job, in this delightfully absurdist commentary on urban India’s emerging work culture.
Beloved (Humsafar)
Shorts Program 2
U.S. Premiere
India/2012/6min
Directors/Writers: Swapnil Awate, Laura Erbacher
Producer: Dsk Supinfocom
A sweeping single shot takes us on the breathtaking animated journey of two lovers and their eternal pursuit of harmony.
Jaya
Shorts Program 2
USA/2013/19min
Director: Puja Maewal
Producer: Puja Maewal
Young Jaya is able to survive the gruesome gang life in the unforgiving streets of Mumbai by posing as a boy. When she meets a wealthy businessman who looks like he could be the father who abandoned her, she sets out to reclaim her identity, in this engrossing drama that was shortlisted for a Student Academy Award®.
Kush
Shorts Program 1
India/2013/25min
Director: Shubhashish Bhutiani
Producer: Shubhashish Bhutiani
A bus full of schoolchildren boisterously makes its way back from a field trip when the news of Indira Gandhi’s assassination by her Sikh bodyguards breaks. As violence quickly erupts across the country, Kush, the only Sikh student in the class, must find a way to escape the unquenchable fury of retribution, in this gripping drama that was shortlisted for an Academy Award®.
Little Gypsy (Kachho Gadulo)
Shorts Program 1
Los Angeles Premiere
India/2012/6min
Directors: Saptesh Chaubal, Pranay Patwardhan, Shivangi Ranawat
Producer: D.S.K. Supinfocom
Inspired by the folk traditions of various parts of India, this stunning animated film sweeps us into a mythical journey that celebrates the power of play and imagination.
Love.Love.Love.
Shorts Program 2
Los Angeles Premiere
Russian Federation/2013/12min
Director: Sandhya Daisy Sundaram
Producers: Tanya Petrik, Guillaume Protsenko
An intimate ode to the wondrous force of love, as it takes new shapes and forms through the endless Russian winters. Love. Love.Love. won the Short Film Special Jury Award for Non-Fiction at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.
Outpost
Shorts Program 1
U.S. Premiere
India-usa/2013/17min
Director: Shiva Shankar Bajpai
Producer: Aditi Anand
In the barren desert of the India-Pakistan border, two lone army guards on the opposite sides of the line yearn for booze, mosquito repellent and some human contact, in this humorous glimpse into the absurdity of rigid immaterial divides.
Presence
Shorts Program 2
U.S. Premiere
India/2012/17min
Directors: Ekta Mittal, Yashaswini Raghunandan
Producers: Ekta Mittal, Yashaswini Raghunandan
Long days and nights spent within the bellies of the rising structural beasts that rapidly transform the city of Bangalore bring on visions of ghosts that speak of the construction workers’ memories, longings and fears, in this haunting meditation on the migrant experience.
Skin Deep
Screens with Writers
U.S. Premiere
India/2013/20min
Director: Hardik Mehta
Producers: Devang Bhavsar, Niraj Kothari
Sanjay and Sushma plan to elope to escape a looming arranged marriage. They are in love and their future together shines bright and perfect and filled with possibility--that is, as long as an extra piece of skin that complicates their sex life gets fixed in what should be a routine medical procedure. But Mumbai’s electricity gods have other plans in store for them.
Small Yellow Field (Tau Seru)
Shorts Program 1
Los Angeles Premiere
Australia-India/2013/8min
Director: Rodd Rathjen
Producer: Rodd Rathjen
In the remote vastness of the Himalayas, a young nomad's curiosity lies beyond the horizon. This stunningly photographed film made its world premiere at Cannes Critics’ Week.
The Puppet (Tamaash)
Screens with Shepherds Of Paradise
Los Angeles Premiere
India/2013/32min
Directors: Devanshu Singh, Satyanshu Singh
Producers: Datta Dave, Chaitanya Hegde, Omar Nissar Paul, Devanshu Singh, Satyanshu Singh
A mysterious puppet offers young Anzar the chance to escape his father’s relentless punishments over his poor school grades by granting him the power to inflict misfortune on his nemesis, his brilliant classmate, Sadat. However, his newfound peace is short-lived as Sadat falls severely ill and Anzar comes to realize that the puppet’s powers are spiraling out of his control...
The festival is widely recognized as the premiere showcase of groundbreaking Indian cinema globally. Iffla will run April 8-13 at ArcLight Hollywood in Los Angeles, the festival’s home since its inception. Jadoo, an exploration of family bonds amidst two feuding brothers’ restaurants in England, will screen as the festival’s Closing Night Gala. The film is written and directed by Iffla alum Amit Gupta, and first premiered at the 2013 Berlinale. It features a wonderful ensemble cast that includes Kulvinder Ghir, Amara Karan, Harish Patel, Tom Mison, and Madhur Jaffrey. As previously announced, Iffla will open with Jeffrey D. Brown’s Sold, produced by Jane Charles and executive produced by Emma Thompson.
Iffla 2014 wil l present more than 33 films, including three world premieres, six North American premieres, six U.S. premieres, and 16 Los Angeles premieres. The films feature 10 different languages, from Hindi to Marathi, to Russian to Bengali. Additionally, Iffla supports American, Australian, British, Canadian, and European diaspora filmmakers from nine different countries telling their stories.
“I'm thrilled and proud that Iffla's line-up this year includes an especially diverse range of cinematic experiences, covering many regions of India and the diaspora,” said Iffla’s Artistic Director Jasmine Jaisinghani. "We would like to thank our Programming Advisor in India, Uma Da Cunha, for helping our programming team source some of these exceptional films."
Program highlights include: the North American premiere of Anurag Kashyap’s latest, Ugly an intense, masterfully directed psychological thriller that premiered in the 2013 Director’s Fortnight section of Cannes; Liar's Dice, the remarkable directorial debut of South Indian actress Geetu Mohandas that premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival; Anup Singh’s latest feature Qissa: The Tale of a Lonely Ghost, starring Irrfan Khan (Life of Pi, Slumdog Millionaire), winner of Netpac Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, and Dioraphte Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam; the Audience Award winner at the 2013 Slamdance Film Festival Hank and Asha , an exploratory, romantic look at two people bonding in the digital age by newcomer James E. Duff; Nagraj Manjule’s Fandry, a highly praised debut feature for its multilayered emotion and realism on the subject of caste discrimination; Brahmin Bulls starring Roshan Seth (Gandhi, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Mississippi Masala) and Sendhil Ramamurthy (Beauty and the Beast, Heroes) as an estranged father and son unexpectedly brought together to confront the family’s past; and Siddharth, a nuanced look at a family whose son goes missing, by lauded Canadian director and Iffla alum Richie Mehta (Amal).
The festival's feature documentary competition includes an eclectic mix of films from established and upcoming filmmakers that consider India's unique traditions and dynamic future. The films include: the world premiere of
The Auction House , an intimate and funny look at two brothers trying to keep their anachronistic family business going in the digital age; festival favorite Powerless, which depicts intense struggles over electricity in a mid-size Indian city; Faith Connections, Iffla alum Pan Nalin's beautiful and rare look at the Kumbh Mela; and the National Award-winning Shepherds of Paradise, about an arduous, mountainous trek through an animal drive in the Kashmiri winter.
The Bollywood by Night series returns this year with Bombay Talkies and Monsoon Shootout. Premiering at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, Bombay Talkies is a quartet of short films that celebrates 100 years of Indian cinema. The omnibus film features work by four of India’s most exciting contemporary directors: Karan Johar, Dibakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar, and Anurag Kashyap, as well as a stellar cast that includes Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, and Katrina Kaif. Monsoon Shoutout is a thrilling debut by Iffla alum writer/director Amit Kumar about how a split-second decision made by a rookie police officer has rippling effects in his life and the lives of those around him.
The shorts competition showcases a diverse selection of 15 films that include narrative, documentary, experimental, and animated works. Highlights of this year’s program include Academy Award® shortlisted Kush; Sundance award winner Love.Love.Love.; and the world premiere of acclaimed director Umesh Kulkarni’s The Fly.
Festival Passes and Gala tickets are currently on sale at the festival's website.
For more information, please visit:
Website: www.indianfilmfestival.org.
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About Iffla
Now in its 12th year, the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) is a nonprofit organization devoted to a greater appreciation of Indian cinema and culture by showcasing films, honoring entertainment industry business executives, and promoting the diverse perspectives of the Indian diaspora.
Opening Night Gala
Sold
Los Angeles Premiere
USA/2014/97min
Director: Jeffrey D. Brown
Producer: Jane Charles
Executive Producer: Emma Thompson
Screenwriters: Joseph Kwong, Jeffrey D. Brown
Composer: John McDowell, Sammy Chand, Salim & Sulaiman Merchant
Cast: Susmita Mukherjee, Seema Biswas, Tillotama Shome, Niyar Saikia, Priyanka Bose, Ankur Vikal, Parambrata Chatterjee, Gillian Anderson, David Arquette
Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Jeffrey D. Brown adapts Patricia McCormick’s novel Sold – a National Book Award finalist – into a vivid, harrowing and inspiring story of a young girl’s resilience in the face of unspeakable cruelty.
Closing Night
Jadoo
Los Angeles Premiere
UK/2013/84 mins
Director: Amit Gupta
Producers: Amanda Faber, Isabelle Georgeaux, Richard Holmes, Nikki Parrott
Screenwriter: Amit Gupta
Composer: Stephen Warbeck
Cast: Kulvinder Ghir, Amara Karan, Harish Patel, Tom Mison, Madhur Jaffrey
Set in Leicester, England, Amit Gupta’s culinary comedy charts the chaos that ensues when young Shalini gets engaged to her longtime boyfriend Mark. The fact that Mark is not Indian is the least of Shalini’s concerns. Her father Raja and uncle Jagi have been at war for years. After a legendary falling out that caused them to close their family restaurant, each man opened his own establishment – directly across the street from one another! Shalini’s dream wedding would see both men put aside their differences and prepare the feast together, but resentment runs deep and neither man can hear mention of the other’s name without a spike in blood pressure. Both the prospect of disappointing their beloved Shalini and the threat of a new, hip restaurant opening in the area force Raja and Jagi to work together – but for how long? In this uproariously funny and heartfelt exploration of family bonds, shared history and gastronomic perfection, Gupta’s cast is endlessly appealing. Plus, there’s enough mouth-watering Indian food on display to have your stomach growling before the credits roll.
Feature Films
Before My Eyes (Ankhon Dekhi)
Los Angeles Premiere
India/2013/107min
Director: Rajat Kapoor Producer: Manish Mundra
Screenwriter: Rajat Kapoor
Cast: Sanjay Sanjay Mishra, Seema Pahwa, Rajat Kapoor, Taranjeet, Maya Sarao
Celebrated writer, director, and actor Rajat Kapoor (Midnight’s Children, Monsoon Wedding, Mixed Doubles, Mithya) paints an offbeat yet thought-provoking portrait of domestic life in modern day Delhi when an incident prompts head of the family Bauji to reject anything he himself has not experienced, much to the exasperation of his extended family but to the delight of his newfound philosopher disciples. Balancing the comical and the existential, both Bauji and the film ask the basic question, ‘Can you know truth without true experience?’
Brahmin Bulls
Los Angeles Premiere
USA/96min/2013
Director: Mahesh Pailoor
Producer: Yoshinobu Tsuji
Screenwriters: Anu Pradhan, Mahesh Pailoor
Cast: Sendhil Ramamurthy, Roshan Seth, Mary Steenburgen, Justin Bartha, Cassidy Freeman, Monica Raymund, Michael Lerner
Mahesh Pailoor's tender, funny, and touching debut tells the story of estranged father and son Ashok and Sid, who reunite at Sid's Los Angeles home when Ashok arrives unexpectedly. Each man is keeping secrets from one another, and when the truth is revealed, parent and child must work even harder to close the rift between them.
Fandry
North American Premiere
India/2013/103min
Director: Nagraj Manjule
Producers: Vivek Kajaria, Nilesh Navalakha
Screenwriter: Nagraj Manjule
Cast: Kishor Kadam, Chhaya Kadam, Somnath Awghade, Suraj Pawar, Rajshree Kharat, Sakshi Vyavhare, Aishvarya Shinde, Nagraj Manjule
Marathi poet Nagraj Manjule's impressive debut feature tells the story of Jabya, a Dalit boy, and his family's struggle against daily prejudice in their Maharashtra village. Jabya's carefree childhood desires and antics are soon stifled by his family's "untouchable" status, and the film's gradual transformation into an insightful and damning look at caste discrimination builds from a murmur to a defiant roar. Refusing to reduce his Dalit characters to victims – most explicitly at the film's explosive conclusion - Manjule's socially reflective film has received critical acclaim in India.
Hank and Asha
Los Angeles Premiere
USA/2013/73min
Director: James E. Duff
Producers: James E. Duff, Julia Morrison
Screenwriters: James E. Duff, Julia Morrison
Cast: Mahira Kakkar, Andrew Pastides
James E. Duff's feature directorial debut, the Audience Award winner at the 2013 Slamdance Film Festival, is an endearing tale of a long-distance connection in the digital age. Hank and Asha, two aspiring filmmakers separated by an ocean, connect with one another through video messages and quickly find themselves heading towards romance. That is, until Asha reveals some surprising news. Duff has created a captivating ode to the new possibilities open to us now that the world's gotten smaller.
Liar's Dice
Los Angeles Premiere
India/2013/104min
Director: Geetu Mohandas
Producers: Alan McAlex, Ajay G. Rai
Screenwriter: Geetu Mohandas
Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Geetanjali Thapa, Manya Gupta
Established actress Geetu Mohandas steps behind the lens for her bracing directorial debut. A woman named Kamala and her daughter journey from their remote Himalayan village to Delhi in search of Kamala's missing husband. They find a guide in an unfriendly wanderer whose interest may lie more in his personal gain than in any help he can offer them. Beautifully shot by Rajeev Ravi (Gangs of Wasseypur), Mohandas' film evokes a hazardous world where answers may never be clear and a helping hand always comes at a price.
Phoring
North American Premiere
India/2013/128min
Director: Indranil Roychowdhury
Producers: Anasua Roychowdury, Sugata Bal
Screenwriters: Indranil Roychowdhury, Sugata Sinha
Cast: Akash Adhikary, Sohini Sarkar, Sourav Basak, Ritwick Charaborty, Shankar Debnath, Senjuti Roymukherjee
Indranil Roychowdhury's stunning feature debut is an evocative, unpredictable tale of confused adolescence in a struggling North Bengal town. Phoring, an imaginative adolescent boy, and his beautiful new teacher Doel form a close friendship that soon arouses doubt and suspicion when Doel's presence in the town is revealed to have less-than-noble origins. Roychowdhury accomplishes a tricky feat with his first film by luring us with the promise of an inspirational teacher-student story before ultimately delivering a much more complex and truthful account of the joys and pains of growing up.
Qissa: The Tale of a Lonely Ghost (2013)
Los Angeles Premiere Germany-India-Netherlands/2013/109min
Director: Anup Singh
Producers: Bero Beyer, Johannes Rexin, Bettina Brokemper, Thierry Lenouvel
Screenwriter: Anup Singh, Madhuja Mukherjee
Cast: Irrfan Khan, Tisca Chopra, Tillotama Shome, Rasika Dugal
Set in 1940s Punjab, Anup Singh’s latest feature Qissa details the aftermath of the Indo-Pakistan Partition through the experiences of one Sikh family, headed by Umber (Irrfan Khan). Following the family’s forceful displacement from their village, Umber’s desire for a male heir is stronger than ever. When his wife gives birth to their fourth daughter, Kanwar, Umber makes the fateful decision to raise her as a boy. This tragic choice ends up dividing the family in violent ways, and provokes a series of increasingly unsettling situations for Kanwar as she grows up. While in a sense a ghost story, the source of pain and suffering is all too real.
Siddharth
Los Angeles Premiere
Canada-India/2013/96min
Director: Richie Mehta
Producers: David Miller, Steven N. Bray
Screenwriter: Richie Mehta
Cast: Rajesh Tailang, Tannishtha Chatterjee
A celebrated Iffla alum, Canadian director Richie Mehta returns to the festival with a heartbreaking story of parents Mahendra and Suman, whose son goes missing after being sent to work 200 miles north of Delhi. Carried by powerful yet restrained performances from Rajesh Tailang and Tannishtha Chatterjee as the parents, Mehta and cast capture the dignity of those facing the unthinkable. Mehta's chance encounter with a man searching for his lost son alerted him to the underreported plight of the families of 44,000 children estimated missing in India every year.
Ugly
North American Premiere
India/2013/128mins/Dcp
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Writer: Anurag Kashyap
Producers: Vikas Bahl, Madhu Mantena, Vikramaditya Motwane, Vivek Rangachari, Arun Rangachari
Cast: Rahul Bhatt, Ronit Roy, Tejaswini Kolhapure, Anshika Shrivastava
When ten-year-old Kali disappears from her father Rahul's car on the busy streets of Mumbai, the events that follow quickly spiral out of control and plunge into a morass of corruption and violence. Rahul and Kali's mother, Shalini, are divorced. Shalini is now married to Shoumik, the local police chief. When Shoumik learns that his stepdaughter is missing, he and Rahul clash in a breathless race to find the girl. With intricate plotting and vivid characterizations, Iffla alum Anurag Kashyap fashions a story that's sure to keep the heart racing.
Writers (Sulemani Keeda)
North American Premiere
India/2013/90min
Director: Amit V Masurkar
Writer: Amit V Masurkar
Producer: Datta Dave
Cast: Naveen Kasturia, Mayank Tewari, Aditi Vasudev and Karan Mirchandani
Writing partners Dulal and Mainak dream of shaking up Bollywood in director Amit Masurkar's slacker comedy. The two young men take a job from the wealthy, oddball son of a famous B-movie producer, but soon fear they're on the path to selling out. Masurkar's film captures the creative spirit of Andheri West, a Mumbai suburb where writers, directors, and actors come from all over India with the dream of working in the film industry, and is a sweet taste of things to come from the new "hindie" cinema.
Documentary Features
The Auction House: A Tale of Two Brothers
World Premiere
UK/2014/85min
Director: Ed Owles
Producers: Ed Owles, Giovanna Stopponi
The auction houses of Kolkata used to be where the rich and famous found the right high-end objects to decorate their homes. Today, the family-owned Russell Exchange is the last, and oldest, one to remain in India. Director Ed Owles follows two brothers, with the older brother moving back to Kolkata from London with hopes of using his Western business acumen to bring the Exchange into the 21st century. However, in a country radically transformed by technology and a rising youth culture, it may already be too late.
Faith Connections
Los Angeles Premiere
France-India/2013/115min/Dcp
Director: Pan Nalin
Producers: Raphaël Berdugo, Gaurav Dhingra, Pan Nalin, Virginie Lacombe
Every three years, Hindus gather at one of four rotating sites for Kumbh Mela, a religious celebration of faith and devotion marked by bathing in the sacred waters of the Ganges. With 100 million people at the 2013 Kumbh Mela, the pilgrimage is said to be the largest gathering on the planet. Iffla alum Pan Nalin crafts a moving and unique view of the mass gathering and presents unique stories of how individuals came to be there to share in the belief of the divine.
Powerless (Katiyabaaz)
Los Angeles Premiere
India/2013/82min
Director: Fahad Mustafa and Deepti Kakkar
Producers: Fahad Mustafa, Deepti Kakkar, Judy Tam, Leopold Koegler
Screenwriter: Fahad Mustafa
In Kanpur, a city of three million that has seen better days, one of the only ways for many residents to get electricity is to steal it. Co-directors Fahad Mustafa and Deepti Kakkar focus their attention on the likes of pirate engineers like Loha Singh and first female CEO at the local power authority Ritu Maheshwari. Coupled with beautiful photography of the intricately tied together powerlines of the city and a pulsating original score, they present a unique documentary about current-day India and its future battles over limited resources.
Shepherds of Paradise
U.S. Premiere
India/2013/50min
Director/Producer/Screenwriter/Cinematographer/Editor: Raja Shabir Khan
Composer: Bilal Iran
Nomadic herder Gafoor has to lead his large flock of goats, sheep, cows and horses across Jammu all the way to Kashmir so they can graze. Director Raja Shabir Khan presents lives few have ever seen, let alone lived, with simple beauty and real terror in a film that has won major National Awards in India. A cinematic wonder that must be seen to truly understand, Shepherds of Paradise is a testament of the power of film to transport us to other lands and experiences.
Bollywood By Night
Bombay Talkies
North American Premiere
India/117min/2013
Directors: Karan Johar, Dibakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap
Producers: Ritesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akhtar, Guneet Monga
Screenwriters: Karan Johar, Dibakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti, Anurag Kashyap
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan , Rani Mukerji, Katrina Kaif, Randeep Hooda, Saqib Saleem, Nawazuddin Siddiqui
A quartet of short films directed by four of India’s most exciting contemporary filmmakers celebrates 100 years of Indian cinema in this omnibus film. Karan Johar, Dibakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar and Anurag Kashyap crafts a tale of ordinary people whose love of movies profoundly alters the course of their lives. Each story beautifully captures how lovers of cinema can’t help but carry that fascination into their day-to-day life. Haven’t we all wished, at one time or another, that our lives were more like a film?
Monsoon Shootout
Los Angeles Premiere
India-uk-Netherlands/2013/88min
Director: Amit Kumar
Producers: Trevor Ingman, Guneet Monga, Martijn De Grunt
Screenwriter: Amit Kumar
Cast: Vijay Varma, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Geetanjali Thapa
A split-second decision made by a rookie police officer propels writer/director Amit Kumar’s debut feature, which fascinatingly splinters into three separate, equally pulse-pounding scenarios. In a secluded alley drenched in the pouring rain, principled cop Adi aims his gun at Shiva, a vicious gangster on the run. What Adi decides to do next will reverberate throughout his personal and professional life in ways he could never imagine. Kumar thus explores the ripple effect our choices have, and how we unknowingly alter the lives of those around us.
Shorts
Aarti
Shorts Program 2
World Premiere
USA/2013/4min
Director: David Walter Lech
Producer: Terrie Samundra
A hypnotic look into the nightly “ceremony of light” ritual in a Hindu temple in Sheikhupur, Punjab.
Alchemy
Shorts Program 2
U.S. Premiere
India/2013/5min
Directors: Pranay Patwardhan, Shivangi Ranawat, Janmeet Singh
Producer: Pritesh Varia
A bold and vibrant song to the intricate fabric of modern day India, a kaleidoscope of voices, colors and traditions.
Bhiwani Junction
Shorts Program 1
Los Angeles Premiere
USA/2013/18min
Director: Abhi Singh
Producer: Abhi Singh
A poignant documentary portrait of Himanshu, a 12-year old boxer, whose formidable commitment to the sport makes his lofty dreams to become an Olympic champion appear well within reach.
Black Rock (Kaatal)
Shorts Program 1
U.S. Premiere
India/2012/22min
Director: Vikrant Pawar
Producer: Film and Television Institute of India
Two young lovers spend one last afternoon together. A beautiful meditation on the ephemeral nature of young love that has won three of India’s National Film Awards.
The Fly (Makhi)
Shorts Program 2
World Premiere
India/2013/31min
Director: Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni
Producer: Film and Television Institute of India
Employed as a Fly Killer in an upscale restaurant, Pipal must ensure a fly-free environment by smacking dead the flies that buzz over the patrons’ heads. When a nearby drainage is closed and the source of the fly infestation eradicated, Pipal must find a way to produce enough live flies to save his job, in this delightfully absurdist commentary on urban India’s emerging work culture.
Beloved (Humsafar)
Shorts Program 2
U.S. Premiere
India/2012/6min
Directors/Writers: Swapnil Awate, Laura Erbacher
Producer: Dsk Supinfocom
A sweeping single shot takes us on the breathtaking animated journey of two lovers and their eternal pursuit of harmony.
Jaya
Shorts Program 2
USA/2013/19min
Director: Puja Maewal
Producer: Puja Maewal
Young Jaya is able to survive the gruesome gang life in the unforgiving streets of Mumbai by posing as a boy. When she meets a wealthy businessman who looks like he could be the father who abandoned her, she sets out to reclaim her identity, in this engrossing drama that was shortlisted for a Student Academy Award®.
Kush
Shorts Program 1
India/2013/25min
Director: Shubhashish Bhutiani
Producer: Shubhashish Bhutiani
A bus full of schoolchildren boisterously makes its way back from a field trip when the news of Indira Gandhi’s assassination by her Sikh bodyguards breaks. As violence quickly erupts across the country, Kush, the only Sikh student in the class, must find a way to escape the unquenchable fury of retribution, in this gripping drama that was shortlisted for an Academy Award®.
Little Gypsy (Kachho Gadulo)
Shorts Program 1
Los Angeles Premiere
India/2012/6min
Directors: Saptesh Chaubal, Pranay Patwardhan, Shivangi Ranawat
Producer: D.S.K. Supinfocom
Inspired by the folk traditions of various parts of India, this stunning animated film sweeps us into a mythical journey that celebrates the power of play and imagination.
Love.Love.Love.
Shorts Program 2
Los Angeles Premiere
Russian Federation/2013/12min
Director: Sandhya Daisy Sundaram
Producers: Tanya Petrik, Guillaume Protsenko
An intimate ode to the wondrous force of love, as it takes new shapes and forms through the endless Russian winters. Love. Love.Love. won the Short Film Special Jury Award for Non-Fiction at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.
Outpost
Shorts Program 1
U.S. Premiere
India-usa/2013/17min
Director: Shiva Shankar Bajpai
Producer: Aditi Anand
In the barren desert of the India-Pakistan border, two lone army guards on the opposite sides of the line yearn for booze, mosquito repellent and some human contact, in this humorous glimpse into the absurdity of rigid immaterial divides.
Presence
Shorts Program 2
U.S. Premiere
India/2012/17min
Directors: Ekta Mittal, Yashaswini Raghunandan
Producers: Ekta Mittal, Yashaswini Raghunandan
Long days and nights spent within the bellies of the rising structural beasts that rapidly transform the city of Bangalore bring on visions of ghosts that speak of the construction workers’ memories, longings and fears, in this haunting meditation on the migrant experience.
Skin Deep
Screens with Writers
U.S. Premiere
India/2013/20min
Director: Hardik Mehta
Producers: Devang Bhavsar, Niraj Kothari
Sanjay and Sushma plan to elope to escape a looming arranged marriage. They are in love and their future together shines bright and perfect and filled with possibility--that is, as long as an extra piece of skin that complicates their sex life gets fixed in what should be a routine medical procedure. But Mumbai’s electricity gods have other plans in store for them.
Small Yellow Field (Tau Seru)
Shorts Program 1
Los Angeles Premiere
Australia-India/2013/8min
Director: Rodd Rathjen
Producer: Rodd Rathjen
In the remote vastness of the Himalayas, a young nomad's curiosity lies beyond the horizon. This stunningly photographed film made its world premiere at Cannes Critics’ Week.
The Puppet (Tamaash)
Screens with Shepherds Of Paradise
Los Angeles Premiere
India/2013/32min
Directors: Devanshu Singh, Satyanshu Singh
Producers: Datta Dave, Chaitanya Hegde, Omar Nissar Paul, Devanshu Singh, Satyanshu Singh
A mysterious puppet offers young Anzar the chance to escape his father’s relentless punishments over his poor school grades by granting him the power to inflict misfortune on his nemesis, his brilliant classmate, Sadat. However, his newfound peace is short-lived as Sadat falls severely ill and Anzar comes to realize that the puppet’s powers are spiraling out of his control...
- 4/8/2014
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
From April 8th to the 11th, Indian films will once again be showcased in the Us at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla). In its 12th year, Iffla boasts an incredible lineup of fabulous films that reflects the rich diversity of Indian cinema. Iffla’s Artistic Director Jasmine Jaisinghani says, “I’m thrilled and proud that Iffla’s line-up this year includes an especially diverse range of cinematic experiences, covering many regions of India and the diaspora.”
Iffla 2014 presents 33 films that include feature films, documentaries and shorts. The festival will have three world premieres, six North American premieres, six U.S. premieres, and 16 Los Angeles premieres. The films feature 10 different languages, from Hindi to Marathi, to Russian to Bengali. Additionally, Iffla supports American, Australian, British, Canadian, and European diaspora filmmakers from nine different countries telling their stories.
Bollywood will be well represented with three outstanding films all showing during the festival’s run.
Iffla 2014 presents 33 films that include feature films, documentaries and shorts. The festival will have three world premieres, six North American premieres, six U.S. premieres, and 16 Los Angeles premieres. The films feature 10 different languages, from Hindi to Marathi, to Russian to Bengali. Additionally, Iffla supports American, Australian, British, Canadian, and European diaspora filmmakers from nine different countries telling their stories.
Bollywood will be well represented with three outstanding films all showing during the festival’s run.
- 3/21/2014
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
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