London Indian Film Festival screens serious stuff
The London Indian Film Festival launches from July 15-20 in London with a range of cutting-edge movies from some of India's hottest independent talents. We aren't talking Bollywood here, but films that challenge, make you think and show a more realistic view of India today in all its colour and diversity.
The Festival's selection of films are screened across London, opening in the city centre at Cineworld (Haymarket), then Barbican, Nehru Centre, Watermans and Genesis cinemas. The Festival covers a wide range of themes from family dramas, coming-of age tales to twisted urban romance. What pervades many of these movies is a new more assured Indian cool, experimenting with cinematic styles, new technology and influenced by themes both East and West, which has helped them win favour with the young crowd in super cities like Mumbai.
The London Indian Film Festival opens at Cineworld (Haymarket) on July 15 with the UK premiere of the challenging Love, Sex Aur Dhokha, (Love, Sex and Betrayal), by director, Dibakar Banerjee. Through three intertwined tales, this controversial film explores sexuality, voyeurism, love and betrayal in modern India. The film has un-known actors, but it's radical revision, challenging the romantic Indian fairy tale romance was a big box office hit when it was released in India in March. Of course being an Opening Night expect some VIPs to turn up!
Other highlights in this festival include the high-impact City of Gold, by the Maverick director, Mahesh Manjrekar, on the forgotten history of mill workers of Mumbai, whose livelihoods were crushed when the mills were converted into the glitzy shopping malls and five star hotels. Meanwhile, Last Chance Mumbai is a sophisticated multi-strand ensemble exploring the connective lives of the city's inhabitants over a 24 hour period by acclaimed director, Saeed Akhtar Mirza.
Road To Sangam directed by Amit Rai, explores ideas of Nation India and sometimes conflicting religious identity. It tells the story of one Muslim man's desire to help take Mahatma Gandhi's remaining ashes to the holy river and explores how many Muslims in India seem themselves 60 years after independence. The closing movie is the UK premiere Vihir (The Well) by award winning director Umesh Kulkarni (world premiered at Berlin), which is stunningly filmed amongst the grandeur of the rolling Indian plains of two adolescent friends who inspire each other's journey to manhood.
London INDIAN film Festival partners from across the industry are supporting the Festival. The Satyajit Foundation's Ray Short Film Competition has joined the Festival with the winning filmmaker receiving a £1,000 Award on 20 July at Cineworld, Haymarket. More guests are expected to be confirmed nearer the time.
Detailed listings are attached below.
Listings Information:
CENTRAL LONDON VENUE
Thursday
15
July
Opening
Night
UK
Premiere
Cineworld
Haymarket
Tel:
0871
200
2000
Tickets:
£9.50
(conc.:
£7.50)
7.00pm
Love,
Sex
Aur
Dhokha
(Love,
Sex
&
Betrayal),
followed
by
Q&A
with
director,
Dibakar
Banerjee
Running
time
150
mins
approx,
Release
2010
Hindi
with
English
sub-titles
Shocking
and
gripping,
this
international
version
of
hit
film
Love,
Sex
Aur
Dhokha
pulls
no
punches
as
it
introduces
us
to
the
surveillance
crammed
world
of
today's
mega-city
India.
Deftly
told
through
3
inter-twinned
stories,
Banerjee
takes
us
on
a
roller
coaster
ride
of
twisted
tales
of
young
love,
soaked
in
betrayal.
Friday
16
July
Nehru
Centre,
8
South
Audley
Street,
London
W1K
1HF
FREE
but
rsvp
essential
e:
rsvp@nehrucentre.org.uk
Tel:
020
7491
3567
3.00pm
Satyajit
Ray
Foundation's
Short
Film
Award
nominees
screening
at
Nehru
Centre
Tuesday
20
July
Cineworld
Haymarket
Tel:
0871
200
2000
Tickets:
£9.50
(conc.:
£7.50)
7pm
Satyajit
Ray
Foundation's
Short
Film
Award
announced,
followed
by
Closing
Night
film,
VIHIR
(THE
WELL)
Q&A
with
director,
Umesh
Kulkarni
and
producer
Girish
Kulkarni
after
screening
Running
Time
(117
mins),
Release
2010
Language:
Marathi
with
English
subtitles
A wonderfully moving coming of age tale, stunningly filmed amongst the grandeur of the rolling Indian plains. Two adolescent best friends inspire each other as they grow up, until one makes a fateful decision that will change the others life forever.
CITY
Saturday
17
July
Barbican
Cinema
Tel:
020
7
638
8891
Tickets:
Standard:
£7.50
online
(£9.50
full
price)
Barbican
Members:
£6.50
online
(£7.50
full
price)
Concessions:
£7.50
7.45pm
Last
Chance
Mumbai
Dir.
Saeed
Akhtar
Mirza
Running
time
120
mins
approx,
Release
2009
Hindi
with
English
subtitles
Monsoon
Wedding
actor
Vijay
Raaz
leads
an
impressive
cast
of
characters
in
this
multi-strand
ensemble,
set
in
the
megalopolis
of
modern
Mumbai,
that
explores
the
connected
lives
of
the
city's
varied
inhabitants
over
the
same
24
hour
period.
Raaz
(a
thief),
sparks
a
sequence
of
events
that
bring
all
our
characters
lives
into
head
long
collision.
Sunday
18
July
Eastern
Eye
Gala
at
Barbican
3.45pm
Road
to
Sangam
Writer
/Dir.
Amit
Rai
Running
time
(135
mins),
Release
2010
With
English
subtitles
A
last
urn
of
Mahatma
Gandhi's
ashes
are
discovered
and
have
to
be
taken
to
the
confluence
(Sangam)
of
the
holy
rivers.
A
Moslem
mechanic
is
tasked
to
prepare
Gandhi's
vehicle
but
inter-religious
strife
lead
to
him
being
torn
between
his
morals.
Featuring
a
cameo
appearance
by
Tushar
Gandhi
(grandson
of
the
Mahatma)
with
Indian
cinema
greats,
Paresh
Rawal
and
Om
Puri
(East
is
East).
EAST LONDON
Genesis
Cinema
93-95
Mile
End
Road
London
E1
4UJ
020
7780
2000
Ticket
Prices
Mon-Thurs
Full
price
£6.00,
Student/
Concessions
£5.00
Weekend
Full
price
£7.50,
Student/Concessions
£5.00
Other
ticket
prices
available
for
senior,
children
and
families.
Friday
16
July
7.00pm
City
of
Gold
Sunday
18
July
7.00pm
City
of
Gold
Dir.
Mahesh
Manjrekar
Running
Time
(142
mins),
Release
April
2010,
with
Seema
Biswas.
Hindi
with
English
subtitles
This is a powerful tale about the untold story behind today's Mumbai - regarded by many as the City of Gold. The Dhuri family of mill workers, headed by their strong-willed mother, played by Seema Biswas (Bandit Queen), live on the edge of the slums. They struggle to survive the abyss of poverty as Mumbai's great mills are struck down by political corruption and commercial greed, to make way for glittering new shopping malls and five star hotels.
Monday
19
July
7.00pm
Road
to
Sangam
Writer
/Dir.
Amit
Rai
Running
time
(135
mins),
Release
2010
With
English
subtitles
A last urn of Mahatma Gandhi's ashes are discovered and have to be taken to the confluence (Sangam) of the holy rivers. A Moslem mechanic is tasked to prepare Gandhi's vehicle but inter-religious strife lead to him being torn between his morals. Featuring a cameo appearance by Tushar Gandhi (grandson of the Mahatma) with Indian cinema greats, Paresh Rawal and Om Puri (East is East).
WEST
LONDON
Watermans
40
High
Street,
Brentford,
TW8
0DS
Box
Office:
020
8232
1010
Tickets:
£7.50
(£6.00
conc.)
Friday
16
July
8pm
Dev
D
Dir.
Anurag
Kashyap
/
Script
Vikramaditya
Motwane,
Anurag
Kashyap
/
with
Abhay
Deol,
Mahie
Gill,
Kalki
Koechlin
/
2009
Hindi
with
English
subtitles
Trailblazer
of
a
younger
generation
of
Indian
directors
Anurag
Kashyap
brings
a
brilliant,
luxuriantly
visual
re-telling
to
the
classic
story
of
Devdas,
who
treats
his
girlfriend
in
the
wrong
way
and
ends
up
the
broken
hearted
lover.
Saturday
17
July
8pm
Love
Sex
Aur
Dhokha
(Love,
Sex
And
Betrayal)
Running
time
150
mins
approx,
Release
2010
Hindi
with
English
sub-titles
Shocking and gripping, this international version of hit film Love, Sex Aur Dhokha pulls no punches as it introduces us to the surveillance crammed world of today's mega-city India. Deftly told through 3 inter-twinned stories, Banerjee takes us on a roller coaster ride of twisted tales of young love, soaked in betrayal.
Sunday
18
July
7pm
Last
Chance
Mumbai
(Ek
Tho
Mumbai)
Last
Chance
Mumbai
Dir.
Saeed
Akhtar
Mirza
Running
time
120
mins
approx,
Release
2009
Hindi
with
English
subtitles
Monsoon
Wedding
actor
Vijay
Raaz
leads
an
impressive
cast
of
characters
in
this
multi-strand
ensemble,
set
in
the
megalopolis
of
modern
Mumbai,
that
explores
the
connected
lives
of
the
city's
varied
inhabitants
over
the
same
24
hour
period.
Raaz
(a
thief),
sparks
a
sequence
of
events
that
bring
all
our
characters
lives
into
head
long
collision.