Life of Pi, the Tony-winning play based on Yann Martel’s best-selling novel, will close this July.
The show will play its last performance on July 23 at Broadway’s Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, with Olivier Award-winner Hiran Abeysekera portraying lead character Pi Patel through July 9. Cast member Uma Paranjpe will then take over the role, beginning July 11 until the show closes, in a gender-reversed version of Lolita Chakrabarti’s original script. The show’s closing comes less than fourth months after its official opening.
Life of Pi, which was also adapted into an Academy Award-winning movie, is set to launch a North American tour beginning in fall 2024, with locations and dates to be announced at a later date.
Written by Chakrabarti and directed by Max Webster, the play opened on March 30, 2023 following previews, which began on March 9. The story follows a 16-year-old Indian boy, Pi Patel, who survives more than 200 days...
The show will play its last performance on July 23 at Broadway’s Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, with Olivier Award-winner Hiran Abeysekera portraying lead character Pi Patel through July 9. Cast member Uma Paranjpe will then take over the role, beginning July 11 until the show closes, in a gender-reversed version of Lolita Chakrabarti’s original script. The show’s closing comes less than fourth months after its official opening.
Life of Pi, which was also adapted into an Academy Award-winning movie, is set to launch a North American tour beginning in fall 2024, with locations and dates to be announced at a later date.
Written by Chakrabarti and directed by Max Webster, the play opened on March 30, 2023 following previews, which began on March 9. The story follows a 16-year-old Indian boy, Pi Patel, who survives more than 200 days...
- 6/20/2023
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Lolita Chakrabarti’s dazzling stage adaptation of Yann Martel’s best-selling novel Life Of Pi on Jun 11th! Life Of Pi, which won Best Lighting Design of a Play, Best Scenic Design of a Play, and Best Sound Design of a Play, is the first Broadway play with a majority South Asian cast/creative team to win 3 Tony Awards.
Life Of Pi is an epic tale of adventure that is “giving new life to Broadway” (The Today Show). After a shipwreck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a sixteen-year-old boy named Pi survives on a lifeboat with four companions— a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a Royal Bengal tiger. This remarkable story of hope, faith, and perseverance speaks to every generation. Told through incomparable puppetry and exquisite stagecraft, Life Of Pi creates a visually breathtaking journey that will leave you filled with awe and joy.
By Matthew Murphy...
Life Of Pi is an epic tale of adventure that is “giving new life to Broadway” (The Today Show). After a shipwreck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a sixteen-year-old boy named Pi survives on a lifeboat with four companions— a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a Royal Bengal tiger. This remarkable story of hope, faith, and perseverance speaks to every generation. Told through incomparable puppetry and exquisite stagecraft, Life Of Pi creates a visually breathtaking journey that will leave you filled with awe and joy.
By Matthew Murphy...
- 6/14/2023
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
When a character promises a life story so inspirational it’ll make a believer of an atheist, the tale better come through on some big-time convincing. Life of Pi, Lolita Chakrabarti’s stage adaption of Yann Martel’s heart-tugging 2001 novel opening tonight at Broadway’s Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, won’t likely be churning out any religious converts, but renewed faith in the art of puppetry is all but guaranteed.
Starring the winning young actor Hiran Abeysekera, reprising his Olivier Award-winning London turn as the title character, Life of Pi, directed by Max Webster, sticks closer to the novel than to Ang Lee’s 2012 film adaptation, building the plot around a maritime investigation rather than the writing of a book – and, of course, replacing CGI beasties with enough fully articulated life-size puppets to populate a zoo, or at least a lifeboat. All aboard, at one time or another, are a hyena,...
Starring the winning young actor Hiran Abeysekera, reprising his Olivier Award-winning London turn as the title character, Life of Pi, directed by Max Webster, sticks closer to the novel than to Ang Lee’s 2012 film adaptation, building the plot around a maritime investigation rather than the writing of a book – and, of course, replacing CGI beasties with enough fully articulated life-size puppets to populate a zoo, or at least a lifeboat. All aboard, at one time or another, are a hyena,...
- 3/31/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Lolita Chakrabarti’s dazzling stage adaption of Yann Martel’s best-selling novel Life Of Pi will premiere at Broadway’s Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre (236 West 45th Street) in March! The five-time Olivier Award-winning, Life Of Pi, begins performances Thursday, March 9, 2023, and opens Thursday, March 30, 2023.
Based on one of the best-loved works of fiction – winner of the Man Booker Prize, selling over fifteen million copies worldwide – Life Of Pi is a breath-taking new theatrical adaptation of an epic journey of endurance and hope.
After a cargo ship sinks in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean, a sixteen-year-old boy named Pi is stranded on a lifeboat with four other survivors – a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger. Time is against them; nature is harsh. Who will survive?
The cast for the Broadway production has been announced and it includes some of the cast from the original London West End production.
Based on one of the best-loved works of fiction – winner of the Man Booker Prize, selling over fifteen million copies worldwide – Life Of Pi is a breath-taking new theatrical adaptation of an epic journey of endurance and hope.
After a cargo ship sinks in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean, a sixteen-year-old boy named Pi is stranded on a lifeboat with four other survivors – a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger. Time is against them; nature is harsh. Who will survive?
The cast for the Broadway production has been announced and it includes some of the cast from the original London West End production.
- 2/11/2023
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
Hiran Abeysekera, who won the 2022 Best Actor Olivier Award for his performance of the title character in the London stage production of Lolita Chakrabarti’s Life of Pi, will lead the Broadway cast when the play arrives at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre next month.
Joining him will be Fred Davis and Scarlet Wilderink, who shared the Olivier for Best Supporting Actor as the puppeteers behind “Richard Parker” the tiger.
Life of Pi begins performances Thursday, March 9, at the Schoenfeld, with an opening night of Thursday, March 30.
Based on Yann Martel’s best-selling novel, Chakrabarti’s stage adaptation won a total of five Oliviers including Best New Play. In addition to Abeysekera, Davis and Wilderink, the Broadway cast will feature Brian Thomas Abraham as Cook/Voice of “Richard Parker,” Rajesh Bose as Father and Avery Glymph, Mahira Kakkar, Kirstin Louie, Salma Qarnain, Sathya Sridharan, Daisuke Tsuji, and Sonya Venugopal.
Also in the cast: Nikki Calonge,...
Joining him will be Fred Davis and Scarlet Wilderink, who shared the Olivier for Best Supporting Actor as the puppeteers behind “Richard Parker” the tiger.
Life of Pi begins performances Thursday, March 9, at the Schoenfeld, with an opening night of Thursday, March 30.
Based on Yann Martel’s best-selling novel, Chakrabarti’s stage adaptation won a total of five Oliviers including Best New Play. In addition to Abeysekera, Davis and Wilderink, the Broadway cast will feature Brian Thomas Abraham as Cook/Voice of “Richard Parker,” Rajesh Bose as Father and Avery Glymph, Mahira Kakkar, Kirstin Louie, Salma Qarnain, Sathya Sridharan, Daisuke Tsuji, and Sonya Venugopal.
Also in the cast: Nikki Calonge,...
- 2/10/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Josh Dallas as Ben Stone and Ellen Tamaki as Drea in ‘Manifest’ season 4 episode 8 (Photo Credit: Netflix © 2022)
Cal’s able to tell Michaela that Violet helped Angelina with baby stuff before the cops arrive to take him in as Netflix’s Manifest season four episode eight begins. Ben’s concerned the cops will figure out Gabriel is Cal five years older and they’ll use him as a lab rat. He warns Cal not to say anything as he’s taken away.
Jared (J.R. Ramirez) stays behind to protect Olive (Luna Blaise) and Eden since the Stones are on Noelle’s radar after helping her daughter. They think Adrian is also on Noelle’s hit list since he definitely helped Angelina, and he’s just used his credit card to check into a motel.
Michaela (Melissa Roxburgh) and Zeke (Matt Long) head off to the motel as Ben (Josh Dallas...
Cal’s able to tell Michaela that Violet helped Angelina with baby stuff before the cops arrive to take him in as Netflix’s Manifest season four episode eight begins. Ben’s concerned the cops will figure out Gabriel is Cal five years older and they’ll use him as a lab rat. He warns Cal not to say anything as he’s taken away.
Jared (J.R. Ramirez) stays behind to protect Olive (Luna Blaise) and Eden since the Stones are on Noelle’s radar after helping her daughter. They think Adrian is also on Noelle’s hit list since he definitely helped Angelina, and he’s just used his credit card to check into a motel.
Michaela (Melissa Roxburgh) and Zeke (Matt Long) head off to the motel as Ben (Josh Dallas...
- 11/4/2022
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Ben Stone is a man on a mission in the opening minutes of Manifest Season 3, which were played for the WonderCon crowd this Saturday and now can be watched exclusively on TVLine.
In the sneak peek below, we see Ben (played by Josh Dallas) snooping around Havana, looking for a boat that popped up in one of Cal’s drawings, and is already familiar to viewers. But just as Ben makes progress, one of the most intense callings yet simultaneously hits him, Cal (who is back home) and Michaela (who is honeymooning in Costa Rica with Zeke).
More from TVLineManifest...
In the sneak peek below, we see Ben (played by Josh Dallas) snooping around Havana, looking for a boat that popped up in one of Cal’s drawings, and is already familiar to viewers. But just as Ben makes progress, one of the most intense callings yet simultaneously hits him, Cal (who is back home) and Michaela (who is honeymooning in Costa Rica with Zeke).
More from TVLineManifest...
- 3/28/2021
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
Ben and Saanvi get a real eyeful in the latest — and pretty spoilery! — trailer for Manifest Season 3 (premiering Thursday, April 1 on NBC).
The new teaser, shown below, recycles some previously seen moments while also establishing that Ben (played by Josh Dallas) has some sort of “connection” to the crashed Flight 828’s discovered tail fin, and hinting at the unique callings that passenger Angelina (played by The Americans‘ Holly Taylor) brings to the party.
More from TVLineThe Voice Recap: Night 3 of the Blinds Inspires a Coach to Cry, 'Hip, Hip Jose!'New Amsterdam's Jocko Sims Previews Reynolds' Return: 'He's Feeling Guilty'Jonathan...
The new teaser, shown below, recycles some previously seen moments while also establishing that Ben (played by Josh Dallas) has some sort of “connection” to the crashed Flight 828’s discovered tail fin, and hinting at the unique callings that passenger Angelina (played by The Americans‘ Holly Taylor) brings to the party.
More from TVLineThe Voice Recap: Night 3 of the Blinds Inspires a Coach to Cry, 'Hip, Hip Jose!'New Amsterdam's Jocko Sims Previews Reynolds' Return: 'He's Feeling Guilty'Jonathan...
- 3/8/2021
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
Taking a cue from Flight 828’s (apparently?) watery grave, the poster for the third season of NBC’s Manifest finds the main characters peering into the water, hoping “the truth will surface.”
Shown in full below, the Season 3 poster — if you turn it upside down, but be careful with your laptop! — also reveals the new character of Angelina, an 828 passenger played by The Americans‘ Holly Taylor. (As teased in a recent Inside Line column, we first meet Angelina in the new season’s opening minutes, and it is not under the best of circumstances.)
More from TVLineNBC's La Brea Sinkhole...
Shown in full below, the Season 3 poster — if you turn it upside down, but be careful with your laptop! — also reveals the new character of Angelina, an 828 passenger played by The Americans‘ Holly Taylor. (As teased in a recent Inside Line column, we first meet Angelina in the new season’s opening minutes, and it is not under the best of circumstances.)
More from TVLineNBC's La Brea Sinkhole...
- 3/4/2021
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
Manifest‘s Zeke Landon is alive and well, which is always good first step towards a long-lasting marriage. But is “happily ever after” in his and wife Michaela’s future?
Life seems back to normal for the newlyweds, at least to look at these exclusive first photos (above and below) from Season 3 of the NBC drama (premiere date Tba). And lord knows, the couple was put through the wringer in Season 2, which ended with Zeke (played by Matt Long) freezing to death, and thus meeting his “death date,” but then miraculously coming back to life in Mick’s (Melissa Roxburgh) arms.
Life seems back to normal for the newlyweds, at least to look at these exclusive first photos (above and below) from Season 3 of the NBC drama (premiere date Tba). And lord knows, the couple was put through the wringer in Season 2, which ended with Zeke (played by Matt Long) freezing to death, and thus meeting his “death date,” but then miraculously coming back to life in Mick’s (Melissa Roxburgh) arms.
- 12/20/2020
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
Exclusive: Mahira Kakkar (A Suitable Boy) and Ali Lopez-Sohaili (Law & Order: Svu) are set for recurring roles opposite Josh Dallas on the upcoming third season of NBC’s missing plane drama series Manifest, from Jeff Rake and Warner Bros TV.
In Manifest, after a turbulent but routine flight, the crew and passengers of Flight 828 disembarked to find the world had aged five-and-a-half years and their friends, families and colleagues had given up hope of ever seeing them again. Now, faced with the impossible, the passengers’ dreams of a second chance at life evaporate as they encounter the imminent danger surrounding them, both tangible and unexplained.
Kakkar will play Dr. Aria Gupta, a researcher working on a top secret study of the inexplicable phenomena surrounding Flight 828. Her path crosses with Ben Stone (Dallas), whom she views as a valuable source of biological information.
Lopez-Sohaili will portray Eagan Tehrani, a Flight 828 passenger...
In Manifest, after a turbulent but routine flight, the crew and passengers of Flight 828 disembarked to find the world had aged five-and-a-half years and their friends, families and colleagues had given up hope of ever seeing them again. Now, faced with the impossible, the passengers’ dreams of a second chance at life evaporate as they encounter the imminent danger surrounding them, both tangible and unexplained.
Kakkar will play Dr. Aria Gupta, a researcher working on a top secret study of the inexplicable phenomena surrounding Flight 828. Her path crosses with Ben Stone (Dallas), whom she views as a valuable source of biological information.
Lopez-Sohaili will portray Eagan Tehrani, a Flight 828 passenger...
- 12/16/2020
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Ever since “Mad Men” led to the surfeit of mid-century modern furniture on every design blog, period dramas have been television’s bread and butter — creating an abundance of shows that are as enjoyable for their eye-watering design as for their dramatic storytelling. Hit shows like “The Crown,” “The Queen’s Gambit, and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” may have first lured viewers with their plucky women characters, sure, but the ornate wallpapers and enviable wardrobes kept them coming back for more. No matter how critical these shows purport to be of the elite classes they portray, such candy-colored visuals never fail to add a veneer of romanticism cloaking the sexism, classism, and racism that lurks in the shadows.
Delivering sumptuous visuals of a different ilk is “A Suitable Boy,” a six-part BBC miniseries set in 1950s India, during the country’s first years of independence from British colonial rule. The entire...
Delivering sumptuous visuals of a different ilk is “A Suitable Boy,” a six-part BBC miniseries set in 1950s India, during the country’s first years of independence from British colonial rule. The entire...
- 12/7/2020
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
In today’s TV News roundup, PlutoTV announced new channels for classic shows like “Happy Days,” and Netflix revealed that “Nate: A One Man Show” will be available starting Dec. 1.
Casting
Actor Megan Suri will join Season 2 of Netflix‘s “Never Have I Ever” as a recurring guest star. The comedy drama series follows Maitreyi Ramakrishnan in the role of Devi, a young girl learning to navigate school and friendships as she enters her sophomore year. Suri, known for roles in “Atypical” and “Fresh Off the Boat,” will take on the role of a new Indian student attending Devi’s high school, posing a threat to the main character due to her perceived confidence. Mindy Kaling co-created and executive produces the show, while Lang Fisher co-created and serves as showrunner. Howard Klein and David Miner also executive produce.
Dates
Netflix has announced a Dec. 1 premiere date for “Nate: A One Man Show,...
Casting
Actor Megan Suri will join Season 2 of Netflix‘s “Never Have I Ever” as a recurring guest star. The comedy drama series follows Maitreyi Ramakrishnan in the role of Devi, a young girl learning to navigate school and friendships as she enters her sophomore year. Suri, known for roles in “Atypical” and “Fresh Off the Boat,” will take on the role of a new Indian student attending Devi’s high school, posing a threat to the main character due to her perceived confidence. Mindy Kaling co-created and executive produces the show, while Lang Fisher co-created and serves as showrunner. Howard Klein and David Miner also executive produce.
Dates
Netflix has announced a Dec. 1 premiere date for “Nate: A One Man Show,...
- 11/23/2020
- by Eli Countryman
- Variety Film + TV
Having worked in a bookstore for much of my university life, I was definitely aware that Vikram Seth’s “A Suitable Boy” was something special. But it did not intrigue me enough to delve into the 1500 pages long acclaimed novel. So, when I heard about the BBC mini-series, I was quite excited to find out what the fuss was all about. The excitement grew even more when Mira Nair’s name was mentioned. A maker par excellence, I was really keen to see her flaunt her talent in this long film format. And that she did. The fact that A Suitable Boy still manages to stay with you long after the 6th and final episode concludes, despite its glaring flaws is a huge compliment to the maker.
What are those glaring flaws you ask? Well, on a key aspect of a piece of cinema, language. Set in 50s India, the characters speak English.
What are those glaring flaws you ask? Well, on a key aspect of a piece of cinema, language. Set in 50s India, the characters speak English.
- 11/20/2020
- by Prathna Tiwari
- Bollyspice
One of the BBC’s most ambitious and cinematic TV series ever makes its highly-anticipated Stateside debut on Acorn TV this December: A Suitable Boy, an epic tale of life and love set in vibrant 1950s India in the first screen adaptation of the classic, bestselling, 1,349-page novel of the same name by Vikram Seth. A Suitable Boy will premiere exclusively on Acorn TV in the U.S. and Canada with two episodes on Monday, December 7, 2020, and weekly episodes every Monday through January 4, 2021.
With a dynamic cast of India’s most well-known actors alongside rising stars, this six-part, six-hour drama tells the story of spirited university student Lata Mehra as she comes of age in North India at the same time as the country is carving out its own identity as an independent nation and is about to go to the polls for its first democratic general election.
A Suitable Boy is a vast,...
With a dynamic cast of India’s most well-known actors alongside rising stars, this six-part, six-hour drama tells the story of spirited university student Lata Mehra as she comes of age in North India at the same time as the country is carving out its own identity as an independent nation and is about to go to the polls for its first democratic general election.
A Suitable Boy is a vast,...
- 11/19/2020
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
AMC Networks-backed streamer Acorn TV has snapped up North American rights to Mira Nair’s acclaimed period drama “A Suitable Boy.”
The eagerly anticipated deal, which was brokered with producer Lookout Point and distributor BBC Studios, will see Acorn TV premiere the series to audiences in the U.S. and Canada on Dec. 7.
The six-part drama recently closed the Toronto International Film Festival — the first television title to do so — and also screened as part of AFI Fest’s ‘Special Presentations’ program. An adaptation of the eponymous Vikram Seth novel, which weighs in at around 1,349 pages, “A Suitable Boy” was adapted by “War and Peace” scribe Andrew Davies. Seth also served as an executive producer on the show.
Set in post-Partition North India in 1951, “A Suitable Boy” tells the story of spirited 19-year-old university student Lata Mehra (rising star Tanya Maniktala) as she comes of age at the same...
The eagerly anticipated deal, which was brokered with producer Lookout Point and distributor BBC Studios, will see Acorn TV premiere the series to audiences in the U.S. and Canada on Dec. 7.
The six-part drama recently closed the Toronto International Film Festival — the first television title to do so — and also screened as part of AFI Fest’s ‘Special Presentations’ program. An adaptation of the eponymous Vikram Seth novel, which weighs in at around 1,349 pages, “A Suitable Boy” was adapted by “War and Peace” scribe Andrew Davies. Seth also served as an executive producer on the show.
Set in post-Partition North India in 1951, “A Suitable Boy” tells the story of spirited 19-year-old university student Lata Mehra (rising star Tanya Maniktala) as she comes of age at the same...
- 10/27/2020
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Review While Tabu and Ishaan Khatter shine in their respective roles, the English dialogue sticks out as unpalatable.Geetika MantriScreenshot/NetflixIndian parents’ desire to find a suitable match for their children is the stuff of legends – you’ll find references in folklore and mythical tales, in documented history, in fiction and in reality. So when you hear the phrase A Suitable Boy, it’s not hard to imagine what it will entail. In this case, the plot is premised on a widowed woman determined to find a match for her young daughter. Based on Vikram Seth’s massive novel, the BBC adaptation of A Suitable Boy, directed by Mira Nair and written by Andrew Davies, released on Netflix on Friday. With a runtime of six hours split into six episodes, the series follows Lata Mehra (Tanya Maniktala), a young English literature student in the fictional town of Brahmpur, whose mother,...
- 10/24/2020
- by Geetika
- The News Minute
One of two things happen when Mira Nair tries making an Indian film in India. She crafts a story that is beautifully authentic and inspired by India that is (think Salaam Bombay! or Monsoon Wedding). Or, she tries recreating an India that was, in which case the outcome is beautifully plastic (think Kama Sutra).
Mira Nair's new web series talks of an India that was. The show diligently tries to belong to the former lot, but tends to gravitate to the second category.
Maybe it was the challenge of adapting Vikram Seth's book of the same name. A massive work of fiction comprising nearly six lakh words would seem difficult to capture in six episodes.
Or maybe, just as it was blatant in the case of Kama Sutra, Nair was out making an Indian film in India for the West.
The trouble with A Suitable Boy is despite so much story to tell,...
Mira Nair's new web series talks of an India that was. The show diligently tries to belong to the former lot, but tends to gravitate to the second category.
Maybe it was the challenge of adapting Vikram Seth's book of the same name. A massive work of fiction comprising nearly six lakh words would seem difficult to capture in six episodes.
Or maybe, just as it was blatant in the case of Kama Sutra, Nair was out making an Indian film in India for the West.
The trouble with A Suitable Boy is despite so much story to tell,...
- 10/23/2020
- by Glamsham Editorial
- GlamSham
Fighting for, and gaining, freedom can be the most liberating experience for not just a country, but also individual people. That’s certainly the case for the character of Lata Mehra, as well as her country of India, in the new BBC television drama miniseries, ‘A Suitable Boy.’ Set in the newly post-independence, post-partition North India […]
The post Mahira Kakkar Tries to Stop Tanya Maniktala’s Secret Romance on A Suitable Boy appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Mahira Kakkar Tries to Stop Tanya Maniktala’s Secret Romance on A Suitable Boy appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 8/2/2020
- by Karen Benardello
- ShockYa
Actors Ram Kapoor, Shahana Goswami and Vivek Gomber have joined the star cast of filmmaker Mira Nair's upcoming "A Suitable Boy".
They have joined the previous-announced cast members -- Tabu, Ishaan Khatter, newcomer Tanya Maniktala, Rasika Dugal, Namit Das, Gagan Dev Riar, Danesh Razvi, Mikhail Sen and Mahira Kakkar.
Also Read:?Tabu, Ishaan Khatter join Mira Nair's 'A Suitable Boy'
A Lookout Point production for BBC One, "A Suitable Boy" will be the first screen adaptation of Vikram Seth's international bestseller of the same name. It has been penned by screenwriter Andrew Davies.
The six-part adaptation is being directed by Nair and filming has already started at locations across India including Lucknow.
"A Suitable Boy" tells the story of spirited university student Lata (Tanya) in 1951 at the same time as the country is carving out its own identity as an independent nation and is about to...
They have joined the previous-announced cast members -- Tabu, Ishaan Khatter, newcomer Tanya Maniktala, Rasika Dugal, Namit Das, Gagan Dev Riar, Danesh Razvi, Mikhail Sen and Mahira Kakkar.
Also Read:?Tabu, Ishaan Khatter join Mira Nair's 'A Suitable Boy'
A Lookout Point production for BBC One, "A Suitable Boy" will be the first screen adaptation of Vikram Seth's international bestseller of the same name. It has been penned by screenwriter Andrew Davies.
The six-part adaptation is being directed by Nair and filming has already started at locations across India including Lucknow.
"A Suitable Boy" tells the story of spirited university student Lata (Tanya) in 1951 at the same time as the country is carving out its own identity as an independent nation and is about to...
- 11/6/2019
- GlamSham
Actors Rasika Dugal, Namit Das, Gagan Dev Riar, Danesh Razvi, Mikhail Sen and Mahira Kakkar have joined the star cast of filmmaker Mira Nairs upcoming "A Suitable Boy".
They have joined the previous-announced cast members -- Tabu, Ishaan Khatter and newcomer Tanya Maniktala.
A Lookout Point production for BBC One, "A Suitable Boy" will be the first screen adaptation of Vikram Seth's international bestseller of the same name. It has been penned by screenwriter Andrew Davies.
"A Suitable Boy" tells the story of spirited university student Lata (Tanya) in 1951 at the same time as the country is carving out its own identity as an independent nation and is about to go to the polls for its first democratic general election. It is a tale charting the fortunes of four large families and exploring India and its rich and varied culture at a crucial point in its history.
Rasika will...
They have joined the previous-announced cast members -- Tabu, Ishaan Khatter and newcomer Tanya Maniktala.
A Lookout Point production for BBC One, "A Suitable Boy" will be the first screen adaptation of Vikram Seth's international bestseller of the same name. It has been penned by screenwriter Andrew Davies.
"A Suitable Boy" tells the story of spirited university student Lata (Tanya) in 1951 at the same time as the country is carving out its own identity as an independent nation and is about to go to the polls for its first democratic general election. It is a tale charting the fortunes of four large families and exploring India and its rich and varied culture at a crucial point in its history.
Rasika will...
- 9/30/2019
- GlamSham
On August 16, 2013, I finished the first draft of my second feature film, “Bite Me.” Today, on August 12, 2017, four years and 48 drafts later, I am riding the subway to our first day of production. But the story I am telling begins far earlier and, with any luck, will last far longer.
I have this memory that still guts me when I think about it today. I’m sitting in a movie theater as a middle-schooler and watching “The Princess Diaries.” I’m not sure if you remember that film, but at the beginning the central character played by a young Anne Hathaway is supposed to be a mega-nerd. To indicate the depths of her social pariah-hood, they made Anne wear glasses and frizzed her hair out a bit. But, if you’ve ever seen Anne Hathaway, you can probably imagine that, even in this state, she still, you know, looked like Anne Hathaway.
I have this memory that still guts me when I think about it today. I’m sitting in a movie theater as a middle-schooler and watching “The Princess Diaries.” I’m not sure if you remember that film, but at the beginning the central character played by a young Anne Hathaway is supposed to be a mega-nerd. To indicate the depths of her social pariah-hood, they made Anne wear glasses and frizzed her hair out a bit. But, if you’ve ever seen Anne Hathaway, you can probably imagine that, even in this state, she still, you know, looked like Anne Hathaway.
- 8/12/2017
- by Naomi McDougall Jones
- Indiewire
Review by Kathy Kaiser
As we step deep into the twenty-first century, we meet Asha (Mahira Kakkar), who is studying film in Prague and who has decided to reach out via video – what else would a film student do? – To the maker of a fantastic film she has just viewed named Hank (Andrew Pastides).
Intrigued by this young woman who has sent him a video message, Hank returns the message as the two of them keep in touch via video, learning more and more about one another as the weeks pass by.
Asha is incredibly beautiful, and Hank seems to be mesmerized by her beauty and their similar interests, even though they are thousands of miles apart. Hank becomes so invested in this “video relationship” that he ends up sending a ticket to Paris to Asha, as she shared that Paris it someplace she has always wanted to go in one of her messages.
As we step deep into the twenty-first century, we meet Asha (Mahira Kakkar), who is studying film in Prague and who has decided to reach out via video – what else would a film student do? – To the maker of a fantastic film she has just viewed named Hank (Andrew Pastides).
Intrigued by this young woman who has sent him a video message, Hank returns the message as the two of them keep in touch via video, learning more and more about one another as the weeks pass by.
Asha is incredibly beautiful, and Hank seems to be mesmerized by her beauty and their similar interests, even though they are thousands of miles apart. Hank becomes so invested in this “video relationship” that he ends up sending a ticket to Paris to Asha, as she shared that Paris it someplace she has always wanted to go in one of her messages.
- 9/2/2014
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Get ready London film fans! The fabulous London Indian Film Festival, running July 10th – 17th, will bring you an eclectic and cool mix of films! Now Europe’s largest platform for Indian cinema, the London Indian Film Festival returns to the Capital, in association with Pure Heaven, the British Film Institute, and official Hotel Partner Grange Hotels, celebrating the exploding movement of Indian Independent cinema and bringing to UK audiences a rare selection of cutting-edge films from some of the Indian subcontinent’s hottest independent talents. Going way beyond Bollywood, the festival presents a kaleidoscope of new films that challenge, shock, generate debate and present a more realistic view of India and the subcontinent today, in all its diversity.
The festival has many highlights and will showcase Emma Thompson’s Sold and Million Dollar Arm, which stars Jon Hamm and also boasts a bevy of Bollywood stars! The festival will stretch citywide,...
The festival has many highlights and will showcase Emma Thompson’s Sold and Million Dollar Arm, which stars Jon Hamm and also boasts a bevy of Bollywood stars! The festival will stretch citywide,...
- 6/12/2014
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
"It seems strange how we used to wait for letters to arrive, but what’s strangest still, is how something so small can keep you alive" sings lead vocalist Win Butler in Arcade Fires's nostalgic tune "We Used To Wait", a song that resonates with truth about the lack of a deep connection in modern human interactions. These days, letter writing is essentially non-existent, and the concept of showing mutual appreciation has been reduced to “liking” an online manifestation of someone via pictures or statements. What has been created is a terrifying detachment between people, in which technology has become a cold intermediary. Now, relationships exist in a non-tangible storage platform eager to capture information without the emotional capabilities to discern it. How can anyone find meaning in a world that values instant demonstrations of affection that rarely translate to the real world?
Sharply executed and taking advantage of this surrealist virtual era, James E. Duff’s tiny delight Hank and Asha finds warmth in such ephemeral connections through screens. His protagonists, and only characters, live thousands of miles apart between New York and Prague. Both are filmmakers of sorts, Hank (Andrew Pastides), made a documentary that showed at a festival in the Czech capital, where Asha (Mahira Kakkar), originally from India, saw it. Their first exchange is initiated by her love for his film, she tracks downs his contact information and sends him a joyful video message congratulating him.
Initially Asha’s genuine interest in him, and what he does, takes Hank by surprise. A seed of curiosity has been planted in him, he is now more than intrigued by such and unexpected and joyful message. The way the entire film works is simple, one of them sends a video message and the other replies with an answer to a question, or with new facts about themselves to share. Hank warms up to Asha very quickly. Her unbreakable sense of wonder is something Hank seems to have lost working as s a Pa for a reality show. Luckily for him, there is enough wonder in her world for her to share, and to rekindle that love for life he had replaced with contemptuous apathy.
Coming from a traditional Indian family Asha has her own troubles. Her year in Prague studying film is not only important for her career, but it helps delay the arranged marriage that awaits her back home. Hank represents choice, represents a different life apart from her predestined future. But it might be to idealistic for them to feed the idea of being together. He takes her out on a "date" not caring how silly he looks dining with a camera in front of him, or how bizarrely humorous his interpretation of Bollywood musicals is. Thus, when he invites Asha to meet him in Paris, their story takes on a more serious tone.
Their unusual correspondence is never deterred by the role the camera plays between them, is as if in their minds, the recording instrument has become a palpable surrogate for each other. Afraid of losing the enchanting mechanics of their friendship, they refuse to chat live because it would obliterate the pleasure of waiting, that feeling of expectation in which everything is possible. As days go by they become dependent on one another for their daily dose of hope, laughter and, of course, love. The intimacy transferred in those short clips hits them deeply, it can appear irrational to fall in love with the snippets of a person far away, but for them it is natural, it is real.
Economical in its concept, Duff’s film is a work of its time that exploits the incredibly raw performances of his actors. With his characters he recreates the beauty of long distant loving for the new millennium. Even if occasionally the format might be perceived as tiresome or repetitive, the running time is just right for a compact story like this. Each heartfelt, and sometimes heartbreaking, cyber postcard unveils a different layer of each of their personalities; they are getting to know each other not instantly but over time. Whether messages are written on paper or shot on HD, knowing someone waits on the other side is something small that should keep us alive. And although Arcade Fire argues otherwise, we still do wait.
Hank and Asha played at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles last week and it's now playing in select theaters.
Sharply executed and taking advantage of this surrealist virtual era, James E. Duff’s tiny delight Hank and Asha finds warmth in such ephemeral connections through screens. His protagonists, and only characters, live thousands of miles apart between New York and Prague. Both are filmmakers of sorts, Hank (Andrew Pastides), made a documentary that showed at a festival in the Czech capital, where Asha (Mahira Kakkar), originally from India, saw it. Their first exchange is initiated by her love for his film, she tracks downs his contact information and sends him a joyful video message congratulating him.
Initially Asha’s genuine interest in him, and what he does, takes Hank by surprise. A seed of curiosity has been planted in him, he is now more than intrigued by such and unexpected and joyful message. The way the entire film works is simple, one of them sends a video message and the other replies with an answer to a question, or with new facts about themselves to share. Hank warms up to Asha very quickly. Her unbreakable sense of wonder is something Hank seems to have lost working as s a Pa for a reality show. Luckily for him, there is enough wonder in her world for her to share, and to rekindle that love for life he had replaced with contemptuous apathy.
Coming from a traditional Indian family Asha has her own troubles. Her year in Prague studying film is not only important for her career, but it helps delay the arranged marriage that awaits her back home. Hank represents choice, represents a different life apart from her predestined future. But it might be to idealistic for them to feed the idea of being together. He takes her out on a "date" not caring how silly he looks dining with a camera in front of him, or how bizarrely humorous his interpretation of Bollywood musicals is. Thus, when he invites Asha to meet him in Paris, their story takes on a more serious tone.
Their unusual correspondence is never deterred by the role the camera plays between them, is as if in their minds, the recording instrument has become a palpable surrogate for each other. Afraid of losing the enchanting mechanics of their friendship, they refuse to chat live because it would obliterate the pleasure of waiting, that feeling of expectation in which everything is possible. As days go by they become dependent on one another for their daily dose of hope, laughter and, of course, love. The intimacy transferred in those short clips hits them deeply, it can appear irrational to fall in love with the snippets of a person far away, but for them it is natural, it is real.
Economical in its concept, Duff’s film is a work of its time that exploits the incredibly raw performances of his actors. With his characters he recreates the beauty of long distant loving for the new millennium. Even if occasionally the format might be perceived as tiresome or repetitive, the running time is just right for a compact story like this. Each heartfelt, and sometimes heartbreaking, cyber postcard unveils a different layer of each of their personalities; they are getting to know each other not instantly but over time. Whether messages are written on paper or shot on HD, knowing someone waits on the other side is something small that should keep us alive. And although Arcade Fire argues otherwise, we still do wait.
Hank and Asha played at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles last week and it's now playing in select theaters.
- 4/20/2014
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Editor’s note: Our review of Hank and Asha originally ran long ago during the 2013 Slamdance Film Festival, but we’re re-posting it as the film finally opens theatrically this weekend. Narrative gimmicks don’t always draw me in, but when I’m in the middle of watching a bunch of unremarkable festival films and something as original as Hank and Asha comes along, I’m easily seduced. That makes it sound undeserving, though, which isn’t the truth. The film is dominated by an unconventional structure that should in theory quickly become tedious for the viewer and a burden on the story, yet it carries on with great charm and a romantic spirit that’s rarely found at the movies today. It begins with a video message from Asha (Mahira Kakkar), an Indian studying film in Prague, sent to Hank (Andrew Pastides), a New York-based filmmaker whose documentary just screened at a festival she attended. He...
- 4/12/2014
- by Christopher Campbell
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
The epistolary novel is a tricky format, with stringent narrative limitations, yet it boasts a healthy literary tradition. Epistolary cinema has grown recently, thanks to the rise of webcam culture and the found-footage horror boom, but James E. Duff's Hank and Asha may be the first consisting solely of video missives.
The gambit is ambitious but fails to produce much drama, as this two-hander doesn't feature much more than its leads speechifying to their cameras, a challenging basis for visual storytelling.
Hank (Andrew Pastides) is a New York filmmaker who receives a video from film student Asha (Mahira Kakkar) after she sees a documentary he made in Prague, where she's studying. A video correspondence commences, as they reveal their favorite haunts and gradually sha...
The gambit is ambitious but fails to produce much drama, as this two-hander doesn't feature much more than its leads speechifying to their cameras, a challenging basis for visual storytelling.
Hank (Andrew Pastides) is a New York filmmaker who receives a video from film student Asha (Mahira Kakkar) after she sees a documentary he made in Prague, where she's studying. A video correspondence commences, as they reveal their favorite haunts and gradually sha...
- 4/9/2014
- Village Voice
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.
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...
- 4/8/2014
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
In an increasingly digital world, love can be found in the most unlikely places, with just the click of a button. And that's where we find "Hank And Asha," in this Slamdance Film Festival Audience Award-winning romance that tells the tale of long distance love aided by modern technology. Co-written and directed by James E. Duff and starring Mahira Kakkar and Andrew Pastides, the story follows an Indian woman studying in Prague and a lonely New Yorker, who strike up a friendship via video letters that soon becomes something much more when their connection grows deeper. And the pair will soon have to decide whether or not to meet in person. In this exclusive clip, we see the sparks of the romance beginning to bubble with Asha sharing her enthusiasm at being in Europe and taking in the beautiful sights of her new home. "Hank And Asha" opens April 11th...
- 4/7/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
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
I was happy to be invited for the second year to serve on the jury for narrative features with Dan Mirvisch, indie filmmaker and founder of Slamdance, Dana Harris, editor in chief of Indiewire, Morrie Warchawski, author of Shaking the Money Tree and former Executive Director of the Bay Area Video Coalition and The Media Project. We had a spirited discussion about the films we saw, drank a lot of great wine at marvelous receptions and had a superb dinner in the dining room of the Black Stallion Winery which is on the former site of the famous Napa Valley Equestrian Center and has been owned by three generations of the Indelicato family. Chef Misty Phelps prepared a wonderful meal which we shared with invited guests, Hollywood Foreign Press members Patricial Danaher from Ireland and Dierk Sindermann who was on the doc jury and is a correspondent for 10 European publications. It was the second great dinner I had with Hfp folks, the previous one being at Spago after the screening of Japan's Like Father Like Son. These Hollywood Foreign Press people live a nice life because they love films so much! Their love of film is proven because the small indies, foreign language and doc films are not what their employers pay them to see or review. Their love of film brings them to see these films in addition to the star studded blockbusters. I digress because I am beginning to love the Hfp members, sharing dinners as we do, there are always interesting conversations as well. Other filmmakers and jury members were served equally special dinners at the Alpha Omega and Chappellet Reserve, Beaulieu Vineyards, Bello Family Vineyards and Cardinale. Films, food and wine truly served as catalysts for conversation.
We awarded The Best Narrative Feature Prize to Hank and Asha (www.hankandasha.com) directed by James E. Duff. It had previously won the Audience Award at Slamdance and won at Portland, Brooklyn, Rhode Island and Woods Hole Film Festivals. It was a beautifully shot near-romance of an Indian film student in Prague who connects via webcam with a New York based filmmaker whose film she admired when she was the the Prague Film Festival. Their intercultural exchange leads to a love and affection which is never culminated by a meeting.
The Audience Favorite for Documentary Feature went to Finding Hillywood (www.findinghillywood.com) directed by Christopher Towey and Leah Warshawski (the daughter of our own jury member, Morrie Warchawski). This film has played in numerous festivals and garnered many awards and much attention as it shows the fledgling Rwandan filmmaking community.
Here are the other awards!
Juried Awards
Best Narrative Feature: Hank and Asha directed by James E. Duff
Best Feature Documentary: Alice Walker: Beauty In Truth directed by Pratibha Parmar
Best Short Documentary: Sky Burial directed by Tad Fettig
Best Animated Short: Sleight of Hand directed by Michael Cusack
> Honorable Mention: The Right Place directed by Jamie Gallant
> Honorable Mention: Horsepower directed by Olivia Lai Shetler
Best Narrative Short: King of Norway directed by Sylvia Sether
> Honorable Mention: The Romantics directed by Ryan Daniel Dobson
> Honorable Mention: The Listing Agent directed by Matthew Helfgott & Jared Hillman
Special Jury Prize for Most Thought Provoking Film: The Last White Knight directed by Paul Saltzman
Audience Awards
Favorite Narrative Feature : The Little Tin Man directed by Matthew Perkins
Favorite Actor : Andrew Pastides, Hank & Asha
Favorite Actress : Mahira Kakkar, Hank & Asha
Favorite Documentary Feature : Finding Hillywood directed by Christopher Towey and Leah Warshawski
Favorite Documentary Short : Make Haste Slowly: The Kikkoman Story directed by Lucy Walker
Favorite Narrative Short : The Listing Agent directed by Mathew Helfgott and Jared Hillman
Favorite Animated Short : Horsepower directed by Olivia Lai Shetler
Favorite Lounge Feature : Starring Adam West directed by James Tooley
Favorite Lounge Short : The Romantics directed by Ryan Daniel Dobson
Next year's Napa Valley Film Festival will take place on 12-16 November 2014. To buy passes visit Here...
We awarded The Best Narrative Feature Prize to Hank and Asha (www.hankandasha.com) directed by James E. Duff. It had previously won the Audience Award at Slamdance and won at Portland, Brooklyn, Rhode Island and Woods Hole Film Festivals. It was a beautifully shot near-romance of an Indian film student in Prague who connects via webcam with a New York based filmmaker whose film she admired when she was the the Prague Film Festival. Their intercultural exchange leads to a love and affection which is never culminated by a meeting.
The Audience Favorite for Documentary Feature went to Finding Hillywood (www.findinghillywood.com) directed by Christopher Towey and Leah Warshawski (the daughter of our own jury member, Morrie Warchawski). This film has played in numerous festivals and garnered many awards and much attention as it shows the fledgling Rwandan filmmaking community.
Here are the other awards!
Juried Awards
Best Narrative Feature: Hank and Asha directed by James E. Duff
Best Feature Documentary: Alice Walker: Beauty In Truth directed by Pratibha Parmar
Best Short Documentary: Sky Burial directed by Tad Fettig
Best Animated Short: Sleight of Hand directed by Michael Cusack
> Honorable Mention: The Right Place directed by Jamie Gallant
> Honorable Mention: Horsepower directed by Olivia Lai Shetler
Best Narrative Short: King of Norway directed by Sylvia Sether
> Honorable Mention: The Romantics directed by Ryan Daniel Dobson
> Honorable Mention: The Listing Agent directed by Matthew Helfgott & Jared Hillman
Special Jury Prize for Most Thought Provoking Film: The Last White Knight directed by Paul Saltzman
Audience Awards
Favorite Narrative Feature : The Little Tin Man directed by Matthew Perkins
Favorite Actor : Andrew Pastides, Hank & Asha
Favorite Actress : Mahira Kakkar, Hank & Asha
Favorite Documentary Feature : Finding Hillywood directed by Christopher Towey and Leah Warshawski
Favorite Documentary Short : Make Haste Slowly: The Kikkoman Story directed by Lucy Walker
Favorite Narrative Short : The Listing Agent directed by Mathew Helfgott and Jared Hillman
Favorite Animated Short : Horsepower directed by Olivia Lai Shetler
Favorite Lounge Feature : Starring Adam West directed by James Tooley
Favorite Lounge Short : The Romantics directed by Ryan Daniel Dobson
Next year's Napa Valley Film Festival will take place on 12-16 November 2014. To buy passes visit Here...
- 11/26/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Newly formed distribution outfit FilmRise has acquired all North American rights to Hank and Asha, the independent romantic comedy that won the Audience Award at the 2013 Slamdance Film Festival. The movie will be released theatrically in the first quarter of 2014, beginning with select runs in New York and Los Angeles. From husband-and-wife team James E. Duff and Julia Morrison, Hank and Asha stars Mahira Kakkar as an Indian woman studying in Prague and Andrew Pastides as a lonely New Yorker. The two begin an unconventional video correspondence that culminates with them deciding whether or not to
read more...
read more...
- 10/24/2013
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.