Walking out of the theater after Ddlj, Jay (Jonathan Groff) launches into a defense of the over-the-top emotionality of Bollywood romances. “I think we’re all embarrassed by the bigness of love,” he declares. His date, Naveen (Karan Soni), is intrigued but skeptical, later recounting the interaction to his work bestie (Peter S. Kim) as a bit weird and kind of corny.
Because A Nice Indian Boy is a rom-com, though, it’s practically a given that Naveen will come around by the end. The film delights in public displays and grand gestures, such that it opens and closes on a pair of weddings. But its real strength lies in its sensitivity toward the messy feelings, smaller acts, and platonic and familial bonds that underlie those epic shows of romance. By the end, even those who don’t fancy themselves the sentimental type — as Naveen doesn’t, and I don...
Because A Nice Indian Boy is a rom-com, though, it’s practically a given that Naveen will come around by the end. The film delights in public displays and grand gestures, such that it opens and closes on a pair of weddings. But its real strength lies in its sensitivity toward the messy feelings, smaller acts, and platonic and familial bonds that underlie those epic shows of romance. By the end, even those who don’t fancy themselves the sentimental type — as Naveen doesn’t, and I don...
- 3/14/2024
- by Angie Han
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
I did not have Jonathan Groff singing “Tujhe Dekha To Yeh Jana Sanam” on my 2024 bingo card. The Broadway actor humbly steps into Indian culture in Roshan Sethi’s “A Nice Indian Boy,” which repeatedly connects back to Aditya Chopra’s “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge” — the film that originated “Tujhe Dekha”.
Written by Eric Randall (and based on Madhuri Shekar’s play), “A Nice Indian Boy” is all about subverting stereotypes about Indian culture, both within and outside of the community. The title itself is a cheeky twist on every aunty’s favorite refrain: that when a girl is of the right age, she or her family will find her a “nice Indian boy” to settle down with.
This time, however, protagonist Naveen (Karan Soni) is the one planning to bring home a nice Indian boy, which is probably not what all those aunties were picturing. But “A Nice Indian Boy” delights in defying expectations,...
Written by Eric Randall (and based on Madhuri Shekar’s play), “A Nice Indian Boy” is all about subverting stereotypes about Indian culture, both within and outside of the community. The title itself is a cheeky twist on every aunty’s favorite refrain: that when a girl is of the right age, she or her family will find her a “nice Indian boy” to settle down with.
This time, however, protagonist Naveen (Karan Soni) is the one planning to bring home a nice Indian boy, which is probably not what all those aunties were picturing. But “A Nice Indian Boy” delights in defying expectations,...
- 3/13/2024
- by Proma Khosla
- Indiewire
Filmmaker Raghuvir Joshi’s movie ‘Sahela’, an Australian production in English, set to make its South Asian premiere at the Jio Mami Mumbai International Film Festival 2023 is inspired by his own lived experience of having discovered his sexuality post-marriage.
“It was a big milestone In my life and I had to express it through the medium of film. I directed a short film called Yaman a few years ago which then became the proof of concept for the feature film, ‘Sahela’,” he tells Ians.
He however adds that it would be unfair to call the feature film an ‘extension’ of ‘Yaman’ as the story and characters, and the milieu itself is very different. “But yes, the emotional core is the same, of love and loss.”
‘Sahela’, shot in Australia, boasts of a cast including Antonio Aakeel and Anula Navlekar in lead roles along with Sheeba Chaddha, Vipin Sharma, Harish Patel,...
“It was a big milestone In my life and I had to express it through the medium of film. I directed a short film called Yaman a few years ago which then became the proof of concept for the feature film, ‘Sahela’,” he tells Ians.
He however adds that it would be unfair to call the feature film an ‘extension’ of ‘Yaman’ as the story and characters, and the milieu itself is very different. “But yes, the emotional core is the same, of love and loss.”
‘Sahela’, shot in Australia, boasts of a cast including Antonio Aakeel and Anula Navlekar in lead roles along with Sheeba Chaddha, Vipin Sharma, Harish Patel,...
- 11/4/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Filmmaker Raghuvir Joshi’s movie ‘Sahela’, an Australian production in English, set to make its South Asian premiere at the Jio Mami Mumbai International Film Festival 2023 is inspired by his own lived experience of having discovered his sexuality post-marriage.
“It was a big milestone In my life and I had to express it through the medium of film. I directed a short film called Yaman a few years ago which then became the proof of concept for the feature film, ‘Sahela’,” he tells Ians.
He however adds that it would be unfair to call the feature film an ‘extension’ of ‘Yaman’ as the story and characters, and the milieu itself is very different. “But yes, the emotional core is the same, of love and loss.”
‘Sahela’, shot in Australia, boasts of a cast including Antonio Aakeel and Anula Navlekar in lead roles along with Sheeba Chaddha, Vipin Sharma, Harish Patel,...
“It was a big milestone In my life and I had to express it through the medium of film. I directed a short film called Yaman a few years ago which then became the proof of concept for the feature film, ‘Sahela’,” he tells Ians.
He however adds that it would be unfair to call the feature film an ‘extension’ of ‘Yaman’ as the story and characters, and the milieu itself is very different. “But yes, the emotional core is the same, of love and loss.”
‘Sahela’, shot in Australia, boasts of a cast including Antonio Aakeel and Anula Navlekar in lead roles along with Sheeba Chaddha, Vipin Sharma, Harish Patel,...
- 11/4/2023
- by Agency News Desk
Distribution
BFI Distribution has acquired from A24 2022 Cannes title “God’s Creatures,” starring Emily Watson, Paul Mescal and Aisling Franciosi, for U.K. theatrical release, and is partnering with independent Irish distributor Volta Pictures, who have acquired the film for Ireland. Volta will release the film in Ireland on March 24 and and BFI Distribution in the U.K. on March 31.
Directed by Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer, the film is set in a windswept fishing village on the coast of Ireland, where a mother is torn between protecting her beloved son and her own sense of right and wrong. A lie she tells for him rips apart their family and close-knit community. Shane Crowley wrote the screenplay based on a story he co-wrote with Cronin O’Reilly.
The Nine Daughters production by Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly was developed with the support of Screen Ireland, BBC Film and A24. It was co-financed by A24, BBC Film,...
BFI Distribution has acquired from A24 2022 Cannes title “God’s Creatures,” starring Emily Watson, Paul Mescal and Aisling Franciosi, for U.K. theatrical release, and is partnering with independent Irish distributor Volta Pictures, who have acquired the film for Ireland. Volta will release the film in Ireland on March 24 and and BFI Distribution in the U.K. on March 31.
Directed by Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer, the film is set in a windswept fishing village on the coast of Ireland, where a mother is torn between protecting her beloved son and her own sense of right and wrong. A lie she tells for him rips apart their family and close-knit community. Shane Crowley wrote the screenplay based on a story he co-wrote with Cronin O’Reilly.
The Nine Daughters production by Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly was developed with the support of Screen Ireland, BBC Film and A24. It was co-financed by A24, BBC Film,...
- 1/18/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
After swaying the audience with his streaming film ‘Monica O My Darling’, filmmaker Vasan Bala is back on the streaming medium, this time with an unscripted series, ‘Cinema Marte Dum Tak’. The trailer of the series was unveiled on Tuesday and takes the viewers back to the 90s, giving them a glimpse into the fascinating, flourishing and undocumented world of Hindi pulp movies, which boasted of a loyal and strong fan-following across the country.
The six-episode reality docu-series will walk the viewers through the independent ecosystem of the 90s Pulp Cinema industry by presenting behind the scenes with four exceptionally passionate directors of that era – J Neelam, Vinod Talwar, Dilip Gulati and Kishan Shah – as they come back for their swan songs, to make a film using the similar budgets and themes from 30 years ago.
Talking about his upcoming venture, the show creator Vasan Bala said: “Cinema Marte Dum Tak’ is extremely special to me.
The six-episode reality docu-series will walk the viewers through the independent ecosystem of the 90s Pulp Cinema industry by presenting behind the scenes with four exceptionally passionate directors of that era – J Neelam, Vinod Talwar, Dilip Gulati and Kishan Shah – as they come back for their swan songs, to make a film using the similar budgets and themes from 30 years ago.
Talking about his upcoming venture, the show creator Vasan Bala said: “Cinema Marte Dum Tak’ is extremely special to me.
- 1/17/2023
- by News Bureau
- GlamSham
Kumail Nanjiani is talking about the potential sequel to Eternals, the Marvel film directed by Oscar winner Chloé Zhao.
During an appearance in a podcast, Nanjiani was asked about the superhero movie after his co-star Patton Oswalt hinted that a sequel was in the works.
“I have no idea,” Nanjiani said on the Bingeworthy podcast by The Playlist. “I don’t think Patton was right. I think that there was a hoax website – one of those where it’s like one letter off from the real one. They tweeted it, and it spread around and I think that’s what Patton saw. I honestly don’t know anything. I would love for Kingo to come back. I love playing that character. That one’s very fun to play, you’re just in a good mood. You do finger guns, you’re like a movie star – what’s not to love?...
During an appearance in a podcast, Nanjiani was asked about the superhero movie after his co-star Patton Oswalt hinted that a sequel was in the works.
“I have no idea,” Nanjiani said on the Bingeworthy podcast by The Playlist. “I don’t think Patton was right. I think that there was a hoax website – one of those where it’s like one letter off from the real one. They tweeted it, and it spread around and I think that’s what Patton saw. I honestly don’t know anything. I would love for Kingo to come back. I love playing that character. That one’s very fun to play, you’re just in a good mood. You do finger guns, you’re like a movie star – what’s not to love?...
- 11/9/2022
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Attention, bedroom walls of those 12 and under: you’re about to be joined by a new poster.
Marvel Studios today released a poster for the Harry Styles “Starfox” character from the new Eternals film. It’s the first officially sanctioned piece about his casting, which was one of the big surprises in the movie.
Styles briefly stepped into the MCU in the first of two bonus scenes that air after the credits.
The bonus post-credit scene shows Eros and Pip the Troll (voiced by Patton Oswalt) appearing before Thena (Angelina Jolie), Druig (Barry Keoghan), and Makkari (Lauren Ridloff), who are left confused and need assistance after Arishem the Judge (David Kaye) takes Sersi (Gemma Chan), Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani), and Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) to reckon for their actions.
Eternals tells the story of an immortal alien race that, after thousands of years, comes out of hiding to protect Earth from their evil counterparts,...
Marvel Studios today released a poster for the Harry Styles “Starfox” character from the new Eternals film. It’s the first officially sanctioned piece about his casting, which was one of the big surprises in the movie.
Styles briefly stepped into the MCU in the first of two bonus scenes that air after the credits.
The bonus post-credit scene shows Eros and Pip the Troll (voiced by Patton Oswalt) appearing before Thena (Angelina Jolie), Druig (Barry Keoghan), and Makkari (Lauren Ridloff), who are left confused and need assistance after Arishem the Judge (David Kaye) takes Sersi (Gemma Chan), Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani), and Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) to reckon for their actions.
Eternals tells the story of an immortal alien race that, after thousands of years, comes out of hiding to protect Earth from their evil counterparts,...
- 11/19/2021
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Stars: Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Angelina Jolie, Kumail Nanjiani, Salma Hayek, Brian Tyree Henry, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Lauren Ridloff, Lia McHugh, Harish Patel | Written by Chloé Zhao, Patrick Burleigh, Ryan Firpo, Kaz Firpo | Directed by Chloé Zhao
Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao directs the latest Marvel superhero adventure, Eternals, which attempts to make a few subtle-but-important shifts in the MCU. As such, it’s largely successful, though the standard Marvel formula is nigh-on indomitable and remains firmly in place.
Based on characters and concepts created by Jack Kirby in 1974, Eternals posits that alien beings called Celestials created a race of immortal, super-powered humanoids called Eternals and sent them to Earth 7,000 years ago, in order to protect humanity from invading alien monsters known as Deviants. The Eternals extinguished the last of the Deviants some 500 years ago, so it’s understandably concerning when one of them attacks Sersi (Gemma Chan) in present-day London.
Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao directs the latest Marvel superhero adventure, Eternals, which attempts to make a few subtle-but-important shifts in the MCU. As such, it’s largely successful, though the standard Marvel formula is nigh-on indomitable and remains firmly in place.
Based on characters and concepts created by Jack Kirby in 1974, Eternals posits that alien beings called Celestials created a race of immortal, super-powered humanoids called Eternals and sent them to Earth 7,000 years ago, in order to protect humanity from invading alien monsters known as Deviants. The Eternals extinguished the last of the Deviants some 500 years ago, so it’s understandably concerning when one of them attacks Sersi (Gemma Chan) in present-day London.
- 11/8/2021
- by Matthew Turner
- Nerdly
In a hopeful sign that the theatrical market is getting back on track, Eternals posted the fourth largest opening of the pandemic-era last weekend, behind only Black Widow, Godzilla vs. Kong and Fast & Furious 9.
Bowing on $5.92 million from 695 screens, the Disney/Marvel title was overwhelmingly the main choice of cinemagoers across the country, capturing a 58 per cent market share.
Directed by Chloe Zhao, the film follows a group of immortal aliens who have protected the Earth since the dawn of man, and who forced to reunite in order to defeat their evil counterparts, the Deviants. The ensemble cast includes Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Harish Patel, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek and Angelina Jolie.
In the US/Canada, Eternals opened on $US91 million. Australia was the fifth largest market for the film internationally behind Korea, UK, France and Mexico,...
Bowing on $5.92 million from 695 screens, the Disney/Marvel title was overwhelmingly the main choice of cinemagoers across the country, capturing a 58 per cent market share.
Directed by Chloe Zhao, the film follows a group of immortal aliens who have protected the Earth since the dawn of man, and who forced to reunite in order to defeat their evil counterparts, the Deviants. The ensemble cast includes Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Harish Patel, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek and Angelina Jolie.
In the US/Canada, Eternals opened on $US91 million. Australia was the fifth largest market for the film internationally behind Korea, UK, France and Mexico,...
- 11/8/2021
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
Eternals Review — Eternals (2021) Film Review, a movie directed by Chloe Zhao and starring Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kit Harington, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Ma Dong-seok, Harish Patel, Bill Skarsgard, Haaz Sleiman, Esai Daniel Cross, Harry Styles, Alan Scott and Hannah Dodd. Director [...]
Continue reading: Film Review: Eternals (2021): Spectacular Visual Effects Undermined By Unusual Characterizations...
Continue reading: Film Review: Eternals (2021): Spectacular Visual Effects Undermined By Unusual Characterizations...
- 11/7/2021
- by Thomas Duffy
- Film-Book
Chicago – At some point, everything evolves. This isn’t something that’s exclusive to Pokemon, but a process that all of us have undergone to get to where we are. Evolution is always gradual, only made noticeable to us in retrospect. Are you exactly the same person that you were 10 years ago? Hopefully not.
There will come a point when we look back at Eternals with much more generous eyes and realize that not only is this a good film, but a necessary one.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
I won’t say that this comic book property is an obscure one because I don’t want any of the ire from fanboys yelling reasons at me for why this property is so well-known. What I will say is that it is not one I’m at all familiar with, at least not to the caliber of some of Marvel’s other juggernauts like Iron-Man,...
There will come a point when we look back at Eternals with much more generous eyes and realize that not only is this a good film, but a necessary one.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
I won’t say that this comic book property is an obscure one because I don’t want any of the ire from fanboys yelling reasons at me for why this property is so well-known. What I will say is that it is not one I’m at all familiar with, at least not to the caliber of some of Marvel’s other juggernauts like Iron-Man,...
- 11/5/2021
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Spoiler Alert: This story contains details from Disney/Marvel’s Eternals.
Eternals director Chloé Zhao never considered casting anyone other than Harry Styles to portray Thanos’ brother Eros in a bonus scene from the Disney/Marvel film, which hit U.S. theaters on Thursday. All she needed to make that dream a reality was for Marvel boss Kevin Feige and the musician-actor to agree.
Styles steps into the MCU as the superhero Starfox in the first of two bonus scenes that air after the credits.
The bonus post-credit scene shows Eros and Pip the Troll (voiced by Patton Oswald) appear before Thena (Angelina Jolie), Druig (Barry Keoghan), and Makkari (Lauren Ridloff) who are left confused and needing assistance after Arishem the Judge (David Kaye) takes Sersi (Gemma Chan), Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani), and Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) to reckon for their actions.
“Harry as Eros was very much a package deal for me,...
Eternals director Chloé Zhao never considered casting anyone other than Harry Styles to portray Thanos’ brother Eros in a bonus scene from the Disney/Marvel film, which hit U.S. theaters on Thursday. All she needed to make that dream a reality was for Marvel boss Kevin Feige and the musician-actor to agree.
Styles steps into the MCU as the superhero Starfox in the first of two bonus scenes that air after the credits.
The bonus post-credit scene shows Eros and Pip the Troll (voiced by Patton Oswald) appear before Thena (Angelina Jolie), Druig (Barry Keoghan), and Makkari (Lauren Ridloff) who are left confused and needing assistance after Arishem the Judge (David Kaye) takes Sersi (Gemma Chan), Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani), and Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) to reckon for their actions.
“Harry as Eros was very much a package deal for me,...
- 11/5/2021
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s not every day that a Latina woman in her 50s stars in a Marvel movie. It’s something that director Chloé Zhao was very aware of when she cast 54-year-old Salma Hayek to play Ajak in the upcoming “Eternals.”
“Ageism in Hollywood is a very concerning issue that we must stand against as artists,” Zhao tells Variety. “Aging is a beautiful part of life that should be celebrated. It’s really an honor for us to have Salma to lead the ‘Eternals’ family. I can’t take all the credits. When [executive producer] Nate Moore first showed me the treatment, which he worked on with [writers] Kaz Firpo and Ryan Firpo, I was impressed with the age diversity of the characters they put together, and it was a big part of what got me really excited about ‘Eternals.’”
While audiences have only seen a glimpse of Hayek in character, she says...
“Ageism in Hollywood is a very concerning issue that we must stand against as artists,” Zhao tells Variety. “Aging is a beautiful part of life that should be celebrated. It’s really an honor for us to have Salma to lead the ‘Eternals’ family. I can’t take all the credits. When [executive producer] Nate Moore first showed me the treatment, which he worked on with [writers] Kaz Firpo and Ryan Firpo, I was impressed with the age diversity of the characters they put together, and it was a big part of what got me really excited about ‘Eternals.’”
While audiences have only seen a glimpse of Hayek in character, she says...
- 5/21/2021
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
In a Gold Derby exclusive, we have learned the category placements of the key Emmy Awards contenders for Hulu. For this season, the company has returning hits “The Handmaid’s Tale” (Elisabeth Moss), “Ramy” (Ramy Youssef) and “Shrill” (Aidy Bryant) as part of their 2020 campaign. Newcomers could include “The Great” (Elle Fanning), “High Fidelity” (Zoe Kravitz) and “Little Fires Everywhere”.
Below, the list of Hulu lead, supporting and guest submissions for their comedy, drama and limited series. More names might be added by the studio on the final Emmy ballot. Also note that performers not included on this list may well be submitted by their personal reps.
SEEMeet the red-hot cast of ‘Little Fires Everywhere’
“Ask Dr. Ruth”
Documentary or Nonfiction Special
“Castle Rock”
Limited Series
Movie/Limited Actress – Lizzy Caplan
Movie/Limited Supporting Actor – Barkhad Abdi, Tim Robbins, Paul Sparks
Movie/Limited Supporting Actress – Elsie Fisher, Yusra Warsama
Culture Shock...
Below, the list of Hulu lead, supporting and guest submissions for their comedy, drama and limited series. More names might be added by the studio on the final Emmy ballot. Also note that performers not included on this list may well be submitted by their personal reps.
SEEMeet the red-hot cast of ‘Little Fires Everywhere’
“Ask Dr. Ruth”
Documentary or Nonfiction Special
“Castle Rock”
Limited Series
Movie/Limited Actress – Lizzy Caplan
Movie/Limited Supporting Actor – Barkhad Abdi, Tim Robbins, Paul Sparks
Movie/Limited Supporting Actress – Elsie Fisher, Yusra Warsama
Culture Shock...
- 5/4/2020
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Vulture Watch
Will Hulu say "I do" to season two? Has the Four Weddings and a Funeral TV show been cancelled or renewed for a second season on Hulu? The television vulture is watching all the latest TV cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of Four Weddings and a Funeral season two. Bookmark it, or subscribe for the latest updates. Remember, the television vulture is watching your shows. Are you?
What's This TV Show About?
A Hulu TV show adaptation of the 1994 film of the same name, Four Weddings and a Funeral stars Nathalie Emmanuel, Zoe Boyle, Guz Khan, Sophia La Porta, Harish Patel, Nikesh Patel, John Reynolds, Rebecca Rittenhouse, and Brandon Mychal Smith. The romantic comedy centers on four American friends, Maya (Emmanuel), Craig (Smith), Ainsley (Rittenhouse), and Duffy (Reynolds), as they reunite at...
Will Hulu say "I do" to season two? Has the Four Weddings and a Funeral TV show been cancelled or renewed for a second season on Hulu? The television vulture is watching all the latest TV cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of Four Weddings and a Funeral season two. Bookmark it, or subscribe for the latest updates. Remember, the television vulture is watching your shows. Are you?
What's This TV Show About?
A Hulu TV show adaptation of the 1994 film of the same name, Four Weddings and a Funeral stars Nathalie Emmanuel, Zoe Boyle, Guz Khan, Sophia La Porta, Harish Patel, Nikesh Patel, John Reynolds, Rebecca Rittenhouse, and Brandon Mychal Smith. The romantic comedy centers on four American friends, Maya (Emmanuel), Craig (Smith), Ainsley (Rittenhouse), and Duffy (Reynolds), as they reunite at...
- 8/9/2019
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Have you fallen in love with the first season of the Four Weddings and a Funeral TV show on Hulu? As we all know, the Nielsen ratings typically play a big role in determining whether a TV show like Four Weddings and a Funeral is cancelled or renewed for season two (this is seeming like a true miniseries). Hulu and other streaming platforms, however, collect their own data. If you've been watching this TV series, we'd love to know how you feel about the Four Weddings and a Funeral season one episodes. We invite you to rate them for us here.
A Hulu romantic comedy based on the 1994 feature film, Four Weddings and a Funeral stars Nathalie Emmanuel, Zoe Boyle, Guz Khan, Sophia La Porta, Harish Patel, Nikesh Patel, John Reynolds, Rebecca Rittenhouse, and Brandon Mychal Smith. The romantic comedy centers on...
A Hulu romantic comedy based on the 1994 feature film, Four Weddings and a Funeral stars Nathalie Emmanuel, Zoe Boyle, Guz Khan, Sophia La Porta, Harish Patel, Nikesh Patel, John Reynolds, Rebecca Rittenhouse, and Brandon Mychal Smith. The romantic comedy centers on...
- 8/1/2019
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Network: Hulu.
Episodes: Ongoing (hour).
Seasons: Ongoing.
TV show dates: July 31, 2019 — present.
Series status: Has not been cancelled.
Performers include: Nathalie Emmanuel, Zoe Boyle, Guz Khan, Sophia La Porta, Harish Patel, Nikesh Patel, John Reynolds, Rebecca Rittenhouse, Brandon Mychal Smith, and Andie MacDowell.
TV show description:
Based on the 1994 British film by Richard Curtis, the Four Weddings and a Funeral TV show adaptation comes from creators Mindy Kaling and Matt Warburton. The series follows four American friends, Maya (Emmanuel), Craig (Smith), Ainsley (Rittenhouse), and Duffy (Reynolds), as they reunite for a wedding.
Maya works as the communications director for a New York senatorial campaign. Struggling through a heartache, when she gets a wedding invitation from...
Episodes: Ongoing (hour).
Seasons: Ongoing.
TV show dates: July 31, 2019 — present.
Series status: Has not been cancelled.
Performers include: Nathalie Emmanuel, Zoe Boyle, Guz Khan, Sophia La Porta, Harish Patel, Nikesh Patel, John Reynolds, Rebecca Rittenhouse, Brandon Mychal Smith, and Andie MacDowell.
TV show description:
Based on the 1994 British film by Richard Curtis, the Four Weddings and a Funeral TV show adaptation comes from creators Mindy Kaling and Matt Warburton. The series follows four American friends, Maya (Emmanuel), Craig (Smith), Ainsley (Rittenhouse), and Duffy (Reynolds), as they reunite for a wedding.
Maya works as the communications director for a New York senatorial campaign. Struggling through a heartache, when she gets a wedding invitation from...
- 7/31/2019
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
In today’s TV news roundup, Hulu drops the first trailer for Mindy Kaling’s “Four Weddings and a Funeral” and Netflix has released official art from the upcoming “Witcher” series.
First Looks
Netflix has released first look images from its upcoming “The Witcher” series, based on the video game of the same name. Below (from left to right) are three of the main characters, Ciri (Freya Allan), Geralt (Henry Cavill), and Yennefer (Anya Cholatra). Geralt is described as a solitary monster hunter who struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts.
Hulu has dropped the official trailer for its anthology romantic comedy series “Four Weddings and a Funeral” from Mindy Kaling. Zoe Boyle, Nathalie Emmanuel, Guz Khan, Sophia La Porta, Harish Patel, Nikesh Patel, John Reynolds, Rebecca Rittenhouse and Brandon Mychal Smith all star in the series about a group of...
First Looks
Netflix has released first look images from its upcoming “The Witcher” series, based on the video game of the same name. Below (from left to right) are three of the main characters, Ciri (Freya Allan), Geralt (Henry Cavill), and Yennefer (Anya Cholatra). Geralt is described as a solitary monster hunter who struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts.
Hulu has dropped the official trailer for its anthology romantic comedy series “Four Weddings and a Funeral” from Mindy Kaling. Zoe Boyle, Nathalie Emmanuel, Guz Khan, Sophia La Porta, Harish Patel, Nikesh Patel, John Reynolds, Rebecca Rittenhouse and Brandon Mychal Smith all star in the series about a group of...
- 7/1/2019
- by Dano Nissen
- Variety Film + TV
Hulu previewed its revamped version of rom-com Four Weddings and a Funeral with a breezy, snarky first trailer. Mindy Kaling and writer Matt Warburton (Community, The Mindy Project) co-wrote the pilot for the upcoming miniseries based on the 1994 film of the same name starring Hugh Grant.
The clip follows Maya (Nathalie Emmanuel), a political communications director from New York who flies to London for a friend’s wedding. There, she reconnects with three old friends and becomes entangled in their personal crises — from reignited love affairs to social and political scandals.
The clip follows Maya (Nathalie Emmanuel), a political communications director from New York who flies to London for a friend’s wedding. There, she reconnects with three old friends and becomes entangled in their personal crises — from reignited love affairs to social and political scandals.
- 7/1/2019
- by Claire Shaffer
- Rollingstone.com
Are you ready for romance? The first trailer for Four Weddings and a Funeral, Mindy Kaling's new anthology series based on the movie of the same name, is here and it's got Kaling's fingerprints all over it. The series, which stars Game of Thrones veteran Nathalie Emmanuel, Guz Khan, Zoe Boyle, Harish Patel, Nikesh Patel, John Reynolds, Rebecca Rittenhouse and Brandon Mychael Smith, follows Maya (Emmanuel), a communications director for a senatorial campaign, who receives a wedding invite from her college classmate in London. After Maya leaves her professional and personal life behind to reconnect with friends at the wedding, things take a turn and a personal crisis ensues. The trailer below features said...
- 7/1/2019
- E! Online
When Missandei plummeted from that wall during the final season of “Game of Thrones,” audiences didn’t know she’d be resurrected so quickly — and in the form of a romantic comedy on Hulu. If only Daenerys had known her friend would be back so soon, and leading her very own Mindy Kaling show, maybe the finale of “Game of Thrones” would have turned out better for everyone.
The actress is now flexing her comedy chops in a series based on the classic 1994 romantic comedy starring Andie MacDowell and Hugh Grant, “Four Weddings and a Funeral.” Written by Richard Curtis and directed by Mike Newell, the original follows a group of clever friends over five social occasions as one reluctant couple falls in love.
This latest iteration was created by Kaling with Matt Warburton, her executive producer on “The Mindy Project” and a longtime writer/Ep on “The Simpsons.” Where...
The actress is now flexing her comedy chops in a series based on the classic 1994 romantic comedy starring Andie MacDowell and Hugh Grant, “Four Weddings and a Funeral.” Written by Richard Curtis and directed by Mike Newell, the original follows a group of clever friends over five social occasions as one reluctant couple falls in love.
This latest iteration was created by Kaling with Matt Warburton, her executive producer on “The Mindy Project” and a longtime writer/Ep on “The Simpsons.” Where...
- 7/1/2019
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Hulu debuted the first trailer for Mindy Kaling’s “Four Weddings and a Funeral” TV adaptation on Monday, and it’ll make you believe in love and friendship again.
Watch the preview via the video above.
“Game of Thrones” star Nathalie Emmanuel is No. 1 on miniseries’ call sheet — a role that was originally booked by Jessica Williams, but ultimately got recast. Brandon Mychal Smith, Zoe Boyle, Jennie Jacques, Harish Patel, Guz Khan, Rebecca Rittenhouse and John Reynolds will follow Emmanuel’s lead. “Four Weddings” also locked down a connection to the original film, with Andie MacDowell appearing as a guest star.
Also Read: Hulu in July: Here's Everything Coming and Going
The show will follow four American friends — Maya (Emmanuel), Craig (Smith), Ainsley (Rittenhouse) and Duffy (Reynolds) — who reunite for a London wedding, but must weather a tumultuous year of romance and heartbreak after a bombshell at the altar throws their lives into turmoil.
Watch the preview via the video above.
“Game of Thrones” star Nathalie Emmanuel is No. 1 on miniseries’ call sheet — a role that was originally booked by Jessica Williams, but ultimately got recast. Brandon Mychal Smith, Zoe Boyle, Jennie Jacques, Harish Patel, Guz Khan, Rebecca Rittenhouse and John Reynolds will follow Emmanuel’s lead. “Four Weddings” also locked down a connection to the original film, with Andie MacDowell appearing as a guest star.
Also Read: Hulu in July: Here's Everything Coming and Going
The show will follow four American friends — Maya (Emmanuel), Craig (Smith), Ainsley (Rittenhouse) and Duffy (Reynolds) — who reunite for a London wedding, but must weather a tumultuous year of romance and heartbreak after a bombshell at the altar throws their lives into turmoil.
- 7/1/2019
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Wedding bells are ringing on Hulu. The streaming service just announced the premiere date for their TV show adaptation of Four Weddings and a Funeral.
From executive producer Mindy Kaling, the series will follow four American friends as they endure a year of tumultuous romance and heartbreak. The cast includes Zoe Boyle, Nathalie Emmanuel, Guz Khan, Sophia La Porta, Harish Patel, Nikesh Patel, John Reynolds, Rebecca Rittenhouse, and Brandon Mychal Smith.
Read More…...
From executive producer Mindy Kaling, the series will follow four American friends as they endure a year of tumultuous romance and heartbreak. The cast includes Zoe Boyle, Nathalie Emmanuel, Guz Khan, Sophia La Porta, Harish Patel, Nikesh Patel, John Reynolds, Rebecca Rittenhouse, and Brandon Mychal Smith.
Read More…...
- 4/16/2019
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Hulu has set July 31 for the launch of the 10-episode Four Weddings and a Funeral series.
The series will e available weekly beginning Wednesday July 31 and stars Zoe Boyle, Nathalie Emmanuel, Guz Khan, Sophia La Porta, Harish Patel, Nikesh Patel, John Reynolds, Rebecca Rittenhouse and Brandon Mychal Smith. The pilot script is written by Mindy Kaling and Matt Warburton.
The series is executive produced by Mindy Kaling, Tracey Wigfield, Richard Curtis, Matt Warburton, Jonathan Prince, Howard Klein of 3Arts Entertainment, Charlie Grandy, Tristram Shapeero and Charles McDougall (Ep. 1 & 2). The series is produced by MGM Television and Universal Television, with MGM serving as the lead studio.
Here’s Hulu’s synopsis: “Four American friends reunite for a fabulous London wedding. But after a bombshell at the altar throws their lives into turmoil, they must weather a tumultuous year of romance and heartbreak. Relationships are forged and broken, political scandals exposed, London social life lampooned,...
The series will e available weekly beginning Wednesday July 31 and stars Zoe Boyle, Nathalie Emmanuel, Guz Khan, Sophia La Porta, Harish Patel, Nikesh Patel, John Reynolds, Rebecca Rittenhouse and Brandon Mychal Smith. The pilot script is written by Mindy Kaling and Matt Warburton.
The series is executive produced by Mindy Kaling, Tracey Wigfield, Richard Curtis, Matt Warburton, Jonathan Prince, Howard Klein of 3Arts Entertainment, Charlie Grandy, Tristram Shapeero and Charles McDougall (Ep. 1 & 2). The series is produced by MGM Television and Universal Television, with MGM serving as the lead studio.
Here’s Hulu’s synopsis: “Four American friends reunite for a fabulous London wedding. But after a bombshell at the altar throws their lives into turmoil, they must weather a tumultuous year of romance and heartbreak. Relationships are forged and broken, political scandals exposed, London social life lampooned,...
- 4/12/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Hulu’s TV series remake of “Four Weddings and a Funeral” has rounded out its cast, adding “Game of Thrones” star Nathalie Emmanuel in a recasting of the leading role originally set to be played by Jessica Williams. The show also locked down a connection to the original film, with Andie MacDowell signing on for a guest-starring role.
Other new cast members include Brandon Mychal Smith (“You’re the Worst”), Zoe Boyle (“Frontier”), Jennie Jacques (“Vikings”), Harish Patel (“Run Fatboy Run”) and Guz Khan (“Finding Fatima”). They join previously-announced cast members Rebecca Rittenhouse and John Reynolds.
The show will follow four American friends — Maya (Emmanuel), Craig (Smith), Ainsley (Rittenhouse) and Duffy (Reynolds) — who reunite for a London wedding, but must weather a tumultuous year of romance and heartbreak after a bombshell at the...
Other new cast members include Brandon Mychal Smith (“You’re the Worst”), Zoe Boyle (“Frontier”), Jennie Jacques (“Vikings”), Harish Patel (“Run Fatboy Run”) and Guz Khan (“Finding Fatima”). They join previously-announced cast members Rebecca Rittenhouse and John Reynolds.
The show will follow four American friends — Maya (Emmanuel), Craig (Smith), Ainsley (Rittenhouse) and Duffy (Reynolds) — who reunite for a London wedding, but must weather a tumultuous year of romance and heartbreak after a bombshell at the...
- 11/22/2018
- by Ross A. Lincoln
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Andie MacDowell, star of the hit 1994 film Four Weddings and a Funeral, is set to guest star on the Hulu limited series inspired by the British romantic comedy. She will play a new character in the project, written and executive produced by Mindy Kaling and Matt Warburton, which has recast its lead, with Game Of Thrones co-star Nathalie Emmanuel replacing originally cast Jessica Williams.
The romantic comedy series, which is heading into production for a 2019 debut, also has added five new cast members, Brandon Mychal Smith (You’re the Worst), Zoe Boyle (Frontier), Jennie Jacques (Vikings), Harish Patel (Run Fatboy Run), and Guz Khan (Finding Fatima). They join previously cast Nikesh Patel, Rebecca Rittenhouse and John Reynolds.
Hulu’s Four Weddings and a Funeral, from MGM Television and Universal TV, with MGM serving as the lead studio, revolves around four American friends — Maya (Emmanuel), Craig (Smith), Ainsley (Rittenhouse) and...
The romantic comedy series, which is heading into production for a 2019 debut, also has added five new cast members, Brandon Mychal Smith (You’re the Worst), Zoe Boyle (Frontier), Jennie Jacques (Vikings), Harish Patel (Run Fatboy Run), and Guz Khan (Finding Fatima). They join previously cast Nikesh Patel, Rebecca Rittenhouse and John Reynolds.
Hulu’s Four Weddings and a Funeral, from MGM Television and Universal TV, with MGM serving as the lead studio, revolves around four American friends — Maya (Emmanuel), Craig (Smith), Ainsley (Rittenhouse) and...
- 11/22/2018
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
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
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
Iffla alum Amit Gupta’s film will close the 12th Indian Film Festival Of Los Angeles (Iffla) set to run in Hollywood from April 8-13.
Kulvinder Ghir, Amara Karan, Harish Patel, Tom Mison and Madhur Jaffrey star in Jadoo, which premiered in Berlin.
As previously announced, Iffla will open with Jeffrey D Brown’s Sold, on which Emma Thompson serves as executive producer.
All in all Iffla 2014 will screen 33 films including three world premieres, six North American premieres, six Us premieres and 16 Los Angeles premieres.
“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 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.”
Programme highlights include the North American premiere of Anurag Kashyap’s psychothriller Ugly, Sundance premiere...
Kulvinder Ghir, Amara Karan, Harish Patel, Tom Mison and Madhur Jaffrey star in Jadoo, which premiered in Berlin.
As previously announced, Iffla will open with Jeffrey D Brown’s Sold, on which Emma Thompson serves as executive producer.
All in all Iffla 2014 will screen 33 films including three world premieres, six North American premieres, six Us premieres and 16 Los Angeles premieres.
“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 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.”
Programme highlights include the North American premiere of Anurag Kashyap’s psychothriller Ugly, Sundance premiere...
- 3/18/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Miranda Hart and Joanna Lumley are to star in a BBC adaptation of Gangsta Granny.
David Walliams's best-selling children's novel will be turned into a one-off 60-minute film for BBC One, following the success of the TV adaptation of Mr Stink.
Julia McKenzie (Marple) will star as the title character in the comedy drama, which begins filming on Sunday (October 27), for a broadcast at Christmas.
The project has been co-written by Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley (Gnomeo & Juliet) with Walliams.
Gangsta Granny follows schoolboy Ben (Reece Buttery), who becomes bored after being forced to stay with his grandma.
However, she soon tells him the story of when she used to be an international jewel thief, before they join forces to complete the big heist she never completed.
Lumley will portray the Queen, while Walliams and Hart will play Ben's parents Mike and Linda.
Rob Brydon will play nosy neighbour Mr Parker,...
David Walliams's best-selling children's novel will be turned into a one-off 60-minute film for BBC One, following the success of the TV adaptation of Mr Stink.
Julia McKenzie (Marple) will star as the title character in the comedy drama, which begins filming on Sunday (October 27), for a broadcast at Christmas.
The project has been co-written by Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley (Gnomeo & Juliet) with Walliams.
Gangsta Granny follows schoolboy Ben (Reece Buttery), who becomes bored after being forced to stay with his grandma.
However, she soon tells him the story of when she used to be an international jewel thief, before they join forces to complete the big heist she never completed.
Lumley will portray the Queen, while Walliams and Hart will play Ben's parents Mike and Linda.
Rob Brydon will play nosy neighbour Mr Parker,...
- 10/24/2013
- Digital Spy
★★★☆☆ Released in UK cinemas this week following a world premiere in Berlin earlier this year comes light-hearted British delicacy Jadoo (2013), from the team behind 2011's Resistance. Trading the rolling hills of the Welsh countryside for an urban setting, the director, Amit Gupta, returns back to his roots with his second feature. Portraying competing Indian restaurants in his native Leicester, Jadoo is a warm comedy that neatly balances its specific and more general themes and is liberally seasoned with laughs. We begin as Shalini (Amara Karan) returns to her home town to inform her family that she is getting married.
Shalini's one wish for the wedding is that both her father, Raja (Harish Patel), and uncle, Jagi (Kulvinder Ghir), will attend but the feuding restaurateurs are cold to her pleas. Their fierce rivalry has been ongoing for twenty-odd years, with each possessing half of their mother's fabled recipe book. Between them...
Shalini's one wish for the wedding is that both her father, Raja (Harish Patel), and uncle, Jagi (Kulvinder Ghir), will attend but the feuding restaurateurs are cold to her pleas. Their fierce rivalry has been ongoing for twenty-odd years, with each possessing half of their mother's fabled recipe book. Between them...
- 9/5/2013
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
First things first, do not go into this film on an empty stomach, because you will be distracted by the dishes on display. Go into it thinking part self-exposition story, part Indian cuisine lesson, on behalf of the writer-director Amit Gupta (who gave us wartime drama Resistance back in 2011). Gupta’s second feature Jadoo has a little too many ingredients that spoil the overall product – in fact it’s a little overcooked, without going into caricature, and often undercooked when it comes to some basic story facts. That said it’s very hard not to enjoy the sweet centre it offers too.
Brilliant chefs but rival Indian brothers Raja (Harish Patel) and younger Jagi (Kulvinder Ghir) fell out years before when a family recipe was sold off, and have not spoken since, even though they each own identically named restaurants on opposite sides of the road in Leicester’s ‘Golden Mile’. The trouble is,...
Brilliant chefs but rival Indian brothers Raja (Harish Patel) and younger Jagi (Kulvinder Ghir) fell out years before when a family recipe was sold off, and have not spoken since, even though they each own identically named restaurants on opposite sides of the road in Leicester’s ‘Golden Mile’. The trouble is,...
- 9/5/2013
- by Lisa Giles-Keddie
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Making its world debut out in Berlin back in the spring, Jadoo is just a few weeks away from arriving on our shores, and has its sights on becoming the best British-Asian comedy since Four Lions.
With its 6th September release date on our shores very much on the horizon, we’ve exclusively got the film’s new poster to share, which will hopefully be arriving on the Underground and in bus shelters soon.
Jadoo, in cinemas, 6th Sept, is a British-made film set in Leicester, and tells the story of two brothers, Raja (Harish Patel – Run Fatboy Run) and Jagi (Kulvinder Ghir – Bend it Like Beckham). Both wonderful chefs, who fall out so catastrophically that in the climax of their dispute they rip the family recipe book in half: one brother gets the starters and the other gets the main courses. They set up rival restaurants, on opposite sides...
With its 6th September release date on our shores very much on the horizon, we’ve exclusively got the film’s new poster to share, which will hopefully be arriving on the Underground and in bus shelters soon.
Jadoo, in cinemas, 6th Sept, is a British-made film set in Leicester, and tells the story of two brothers, Raja (Harish Patel – Run Fatboy Run) and Jagi (Kulvinder Ghir – Bend it Like Beckham). Both wonderful chefs, who fall out so catastrophically that in the climax of their dispute they rip the family recipe book in half: one brother gets the starters and the other gets the main courses. They set up rival restaurants, on opposite sides...
- 7/31/2013
- by Kenji Lloyd
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
A stellar cast of Hugh Bonneville, David Walliams, Sheridan Smith, Johnny Vegas and Pudsey the dog, star in Mr Stink, a magical, heart-warming and funny tale, adapted from David Walliams’ bestselling children’s book which comes to BBC One on Sunday 23 December 6.30-7.30pm.
Adapted by Walliams himself with Simon Nye, this 60-minute family comedy tells the story of lonely 12-year-old Chloe played by Nell Tiger Free), who invites local tramp Mr Stink (Hugh Bonneville) and his dog Duchess played by Britain's Got Talent winner Pudsey to hide out in her family’s garden shed.
Chloe also has to cope with an overbearing mum (Sheridan Smith) who is more interested in her own political ambitions and her infatuation with the Prime Minister (David Walliams), than her daughter. ‘Perfect’ younger sister Annabelle (Isabella Blake-Thomas) and nasty girls at school also make Chloe’s life miserable. Chloe’s only allies are...
Adapted by Walliams himself with Simon Nye, this 60-minute family comedy tells the story of lonely 12-year-old Chloe played by Nell Tiger Free), who invites local tramp Mr Stink (Hugh Bonneville) and his dog Duchess played by Britain's Got Talent winner Pudsey to hide out in her family’s garden shed.
Chloe also has to cope with an overbearing mum (Sheridan Smith) who is more interested in her own political ambitions and her infatuation with the Prime Minister (David Walliams), than her daughter. ‘Perfect’ younger sister Annabelle (Isabella Blake-Thomas) and nasty girls at school also make Chloe’s life miserable. Chloe’s only allies are...
- 12/4/2012
- by noreply@blogger.com (ScreenTerrier)
- ScreenTerrier
The Raid; The Cabin in the Woods; The Angels' Share; All in Good Time; Free Men; The Dictator
Film fans enduring the typically murky stereoscopy of Dredd 3D in UK cinemas may also experience a sense of deja vu about its plot, which traps beleaguered law enforcement agents in a tower block run by vicious drug-dealing criminals, from which they must attempt to escape with their lives. A strikingly similar scenario underpins Gareth Huw Evans's altogether superior martial-arts thriller The Raid (2011, Momentum, 18), though any comparison between the two ends there. For while Dredd galumphs its heavy booted, bombastic way around the screen, The Raid is altogether lighter on its feet, reminding us of the close comparison between martial arts movies and highly choreographed musicals, both of which have the unmistakeable physicality of acrobatic human interaction at their heart.
Incongruously directed in Indonesia by Welshman Evans, The Raid plays its...
Film fans enduring the typically murky stereoscopy of Dredd 3D in UK cinemas may also experience a sense of deja vu about its plot, which traps beleaguered law enforcement agents in a tower block run by vicious drug-dealing criminals, from which they must attempt to escape with their lives. A strikingly similar scenario underpins Gareth Huw Evans's altogether superior martial-arts thriller The Raid (2011, Momentum, 18), though any comparison between the two ends there. For while Dredd galumphs its heavy booted, bombastic way around the screen, The Raid is altogether lighter on its feet, reminding us of the close comparison between martial arts movies and highly choreographed musicals, both of which have the unmistakeable physicality of acrobatic human interaction at their heart.
Incongruously directed in Indonesia by Welshman Evans, The Raid plays its...
- 9/22/2012
- by Mark Kermode
- The Guardian - Film News
The Earl of Grantham is doing one for the kids. Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville will play the title role in BBC One children’s novel adaptation Mr. Stink. The family comedy is based on the book by comic actor David Walliams, best known as half of the Little Britain duo. Walliams and Simon Nye are adapting. BBC In-house is producing. The story follows a lonely 12-year-old girl who befriends a local tramp, Mr. Stink. When she invites him to hide out in her yard, she must try to conceal him while coping with her complicated family. Harish Patel (David Schwimmer’s Run Fat Boy Run) and Walliams also star. Bonneville may be stiff-upper-lipped as Downton‘s Robert Crawley, but he’s no stranger to comedy. He recently starred in BBC Olympics mockumentary Twenty Twelve which also ran on BBC America and won the 2011 British Comedy Award for best sitcom.
- 9/21/2012
- by NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International Editor
- Deadline TV
All in Good Time is set for release next Monday 24th September and to make the occasion, we’ve got this great interview featurette with Reece Ritchie who talks us through quite a few different elements of the movie from striking the right balance of comedy to working with Director Nigel Cole. Ritchie also talks about working with his co-stars Meera Syal, Harish Patel, Reece Ritchie, Amara Karan and how much fun they all had working on the set together. Have a watch of the interview below.
You can pre-order your copy of the movie here.
From the award-winning director of A lot like Love and Calendar Girls, Nigel Cole presents All In Good Time – a hugely warm-hearted comic tale, adapted for the big screen from the Olivier award winning play Rafta Rafta by Ayub Karan Din (East is East.)
Centred around a close knit, larger-than-life British Asian family living in present day Bolton,...
You can pre-order your copy of the movie here.
From the award-winning director of A lot like Love and Calendar Girls, Nigel Cole presents All In Good Time – a hugely warm-hearted comic tale, adapted for the big screen from the Olivier award winning play Rafta Rafta by Ayub Karan Din (East is East.)
Centred around a close knit, larger-than-life British Asian family living in present day Bolton,...
- 9/17/2012
- by David Sztypuljak
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
This year has already seen a successful British Asian film, The Exotic Marigold Hotel. Now comes All in Good Time, from the writer of East is East, Ayub Khan-Din. The director, Nigel Cole’s last film, Made in Dagenham, about female workers striking at the Ford Car Plant for equal pay, was critically appreciated. The film is also produced by the same person who bought you Oscar winning film The Queen. With an impressive team behind the it and based on an Asian theme, read on to find out if you should make time to watch All in Good Time.
The story in a nutshell centres around a close knit Asian family, focussing on newly married couple Atul Dutt (Reece Ritchie – Prince of Persia) and Vina (Amara Karan – The Darjeeling Limited). When their honeymoon to Goa is cancelled the day after the wedding, the newlyweds have to return home to live with the family.
The story in a nutshell centres around a close knit Asian family, focussing on newly married couple Atul Dutt (Reece Ritchie – Prince of Persia) and Vina (Amara Karan – The Darjeeling Limited). When their honeymoon to Goa is cancelled the day after the wedding, the newlyweds have to return home to live with the family.
- 5/14/2012
- by Anjum Shabbir
- Bollyspice
A classic 1960s working-class drama translates beautifully into a comedy of contemporary British Asian family life
All in Good Time is a touching, likable comedy of life in Lancashire's Hindu community. Though this aspect is little publicised, it's closely based on Bill Naughton's 1965 play of the same title.
Born in Ireland and raised in Bolton, Naughton emerged as a novelist and playwright in the late 50s in the wave of northern working-class writers like Shelagh Delaney, Keith Waterhouse, Alan Sillitoe, David Storey and Stan Barstow. But having been born in 1910 and worked for years as a coal-bagger, cotton-loom operator and lorry driver, Naughton belonged to an earlier generation and was altogether less chippy, aggressive, and self-consciously political about his background.
He enjoyed considerable success in the theatre and had three of his plays filmed, though his most enduringly popular work, the film version of Alfie, completely misrepresented Naughton's radio play,...
All in Good Time is a touching, likable comedy of life in Lancashire's Hindu community. Though this aspect is little publicised, it's closely based on Bill Naughton's 1965 play of the same title.
Born in Ireland and raised in Bolton, Naughton emerged as a novelist and playwright in the late 50s in the wave of northern working-class writers like Shelagh Delaney, Keith Waterhouse, Alan Sillitoe, David Storey and Stan Barstow. But having been born in 1910 and worked for years as a coal-bagger, cotton-loom operator and lorry driver, Naughton belonged to an earlier generation and was altogether less chippy, aggressive, and self-consciously political about his background.
He enjoyed considerable success in the theatre and had three of his plays filmed, though his most enduringly popular work, the film version of Alfie, completely misrepresented Naughton's radio play,...
- 5/12/2012
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
It is all too apt that Ayub Khan-Din began his career as a bit-player in Stephen Frears’ seminal British drama My Beautiful Launderette, what with that film’s focus on the culture clash of Asians growing up in Britain. Khan-Din’s subsequent screenplays for smash hit East is East and acclaimed follow-up West is West depict a similar struggle, and this time, returns with an adaptation of Bill Naughton’s play All in Good Time. While the theme might start feeling well-harvested by now, this is a unique, unconventional film of its type, enticing even when it doesn’t always work.
Atul (Reece Ritchie) and Vina (Amara Karan) are a young Asian British couple growing up in Bolton. We meet them at their wedding, and while it should be the happiest day of their lives, their meddling, more traditionally Indian families are only making things harder.
It is all too apt that Ayub Khan-Din began his career as a bit-player in Stephen Frears’ seminal British drama My Beautiful Launderette, what with that film’s focus on the culture clash of Asians growing up in Britain. Khan-Din’s subsequent screenplays for smash hit East is East and acclaimed follow-up West is West depict a similar struggle, and this time, returns with an adaptation of Bill Naughton’s play All in Good Time. While the theme might start feeling well-harvested by now, this is a unique, unconventional film of its type, enticing even when it doesn’t always work.
Atul (Reece Ritchie) and Vina (Amara Karan) are a young Asian British couple growing up in Bolton. We meet them at their wedding, and while it should be the happiest day of their lives, their meddling, more traditionally Indian families are only making things harder.
- 5/12/2012
- by Shaun Munro
- Obsessed with Film
Bollyspice were at the red carpet event for All in Good Time, an exciting new British Asian film starring Meera Syal (Goodness Gracious Me, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom), at London’s prestigious British Film Institute. The film is adapted from the award winning play Rafta Rafta, written by Ayub Khan Din, who also wrote the successful East is East.
Set in Bolton, in the north west of England, it centres around a close knit Asian family, focussing on newly married couple Atul Dutt (Reece Ritchie – Prince of Persia) and Vina (Amara Karan – The Darjeeling Limited). When their honeymoon is cancelled the day after the wedding, the newlyweds reluctantly return home to the family. From here on begins the chaotic challenge of noesy neighbours and meddling parents and how the couple struggle to keep their marriage ticking…
Walking the red carpet were the films director Nigel Cole (Calendar Girls, Made in Dagenham), writer Ayub Khan Din,...
Set in Bolton, in the north west of England, it centres around a close knit Asian family, focussing on newly married couple Atul Dutt (Reece Ritchie – Prince of Persia) and Vina (Amara Karan – The Darjeeling Limited). When their honeymoon is cancelled the day after the wedding, the newlyweds reluctantly return home to the family. From here on begins the chaotic challenge of noesy neighbours and meddling parents and how the couple struggle to keep their marriage ticking…
Walking the red carpet were the films director Nigel Cole (Calendar Girls, Made in Dagenham), writer Ayub Khan Din,...
- 5/10/2012
- by Anjum Shabbir
- Bollyspice
It’s been another Bollywonderful week – they buzz for Jannat 2 is strong – it’s a very engaging movie and the chemistry between Emraan Hashmi and Randeep Hooda is very strong! Emran was over the moon when we told him he’s the first hero to have three consecutive blockbusters in a row. He is still very unassuming and believes he can only succeed if the script and direction is right. When we joked about who is the best kisser in Bollywood he laughed and whispered that it has to be him! Emran is looking forward to the release of Shanghai opposite Abhay Deol and says his fans will see him in a different light. One thing Emran does want to do is plan for a long awaited holiday with his family in Europe where he will switch his phone off for two weeks and be “normal” for a while.
- 5/10/2012
- by RajPablo
- Bollyspice
The perils of living with your parents are laid bare in this new clip from British romantic-comedy All In Good Time. There's nothing like the sound of dad flushing the loo to kill wedding night passion stone dead.The pair of suffering lovebirds are Atul (Reece Ritchie) and Vina (Amara Karan), the trouble couple at the heart of Ayub Khan Din's adaptation of Rafta Rafta, his own Olivier-winning play. The East Is East writer is back on familiar terrain with a Bolton-set tale of love, families, Asian culture, and, presumably, the odd hoodie. With Nigel 'Calendar Girls' Cole behind the camera on this one, there's a strong feel-good vibe, despite the cancelled honeymoon and the nuptial nightmare that's unfolding under patriarch Harish Patel's roof. There may also be running.Can All In Good Time repeat the success of those Brit hits? Find out from May 11.brightcove.
- 5/3/2012
- EmpireOnline
All in Good Time hits UK cinemas May 11th and Studio Canal have given us 10 pairs of tickets for various locations over the next few days to give away to you lucky HeyUGuys readers. This evening’s screening in Bolton at the Cineworld will be attended by members of the cast who will conduct a Q&A so it’s definitely one not to be missed.
We have tickets to give away in Bolton tonight (16th April), Manchester tomorrow (17th April), Birmingham Wednesday (18th) and Leicester Thursday (19th). All you have to do is fill in the form below and include the location that you’d like to attend and then 10 people randomly picked from the entries will win a pair of tickets each.
All In Good Time is directed by Nigel Cole (Calendar Girls, Made In Dagenham) and produced by Oscar nominated Andy Harries (The Queen) and Suzanne MacKie (Calendar Girls,...
We have tickets to give away in Bolton tonight (16th April), Manchester tomorrow (17th April), Birmingham Wednesday (18th) and Leicester Thursday (19th). All you have to do is fill in the form below and include the location that you’d like to attend and then 10 people randomly picked from the entries will win a pair of tickets each.
All In Good Time is directed by Nigel Cole (Calendar Girls, Made In Dagenham) and produced by Oscar nominated Andy Harries (The Queen) and Suzanne MacKie (Calendar Girls,...
- 4/16/2012
- by Competitons
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The stars of Ayub Khan Din’s new offering All in Good Time have been dazzling audiences at the Glasgow and Dublin Film Festivals.
Over the past two weeks, Amara Karan, Reece Ritchie and Meera Syal have been busy introducing cinema-goers to the hugely warm hearted, comic tale adapted for the big screen from the Olivier award winning play ‘Rafta Rafta’.
Centred around a close knit, larger than life British Asian family living in present day Bolton, All in Good Time stars Reece Ritchie (The Lovely Bones) and Amara Karan (The Darjeeling Limited) as Atul Dutt and his young bride Vina, for whom the first taste of married life is proving far from straightforward.
Amara says of the response from the festivals: “The Glasgow audience was the first to see the film in all its glory. We couldn’t have asked for a warmer reception and reaction to the film.
Over the past two weeks, Amara Karan, Reece Ritchie and Meera Syal have been busy introducing cinema-goers to the hugely warm hearted, comic tale adapted for the big screen from the Olivier award winning play ‘Rafta Rafta’.
Centred around a close knit, larger than life British Asian family living in present day Bolton, All in Good Time stars Reece Ritchie (The Lovely Bones) and Amara Karan (The Darjeeling Limited) as Atul Dutt and his young bride Vina, for whom the first taste of married life is proving far from straightforward.
Amara says of the response from the festivals: “The Glasgow audience was the first to see the film in all its glory. We couldn’t have asked for a warmer reception and reaction to the film.
- 3/1/2012
- by Press Releases
- Bollyspice
Written by Aasif Mandvi (The Daily Show with Jon Stewart) and Jonathan Bines (writer, Jimmy Kimmel Live!) and starring Mandvi, Today’S Special tells the story of Samir, a sous chef who dreams of becoming the head chef at an upscale Manhattan restaurant. When he is passed over for a promotion he impulsively quits and lets his co-worker, Carrie (Jess Weixler, Teeth), know that he intends to go to Paris and apprentice under a master French chef. Dreams must be put aside, though, after his father Hakim (Harish Patel, Run, Fat Boy, Run) has a heart attack and Samir is forced to take over Tandoori Palace, the nearly bankrupt family restaurant in Jackson Heights, Queens.
Samir’s mother, Farrida (Madhur Jaffrey), is consumed with trying to find a wife for her son, while Samir is trying to master Indian cooking to salvage the family business. Luckily, he crosses paths with Akbar (Naseeruddin Shah,...
Samir’s mother, Farrida (Madhur Jaffrey), is consumed with trying to find a wife for her son, while Samir is trying to master Indian cooking to salvage the family business. Luckily, he crosses paths with Akbar (Naseeruddin Shah,...
- 2/3/2012
- by sheriwetherell
- Foodista
After spending untold amounts of cash on hundreds of dramas and comedies — most of which will never make it to your living rooms — the five broadcast networks will begin announcing in New York next week which projects are good enough to earn a coveted fall pickup. (NBC and Fox will present their fall schedule to advertisers on Monday, followed by ABC on Tuesday, CBS on Wednesday and the CW on Thursday).
Buzz is already strong for several projects (for more on the hot ones, click here). But every year, we always wonder what diamond-in-the-rough was left on the cutting room...
Buzz is already strong for several projects (for more on the hot ones, click here). But every year, we always wonder what diamond-in-the-rough was left on the cutting room...
- 5/10/2011
- by Lynette Rice and James Hibberd
- EW - Inside TV
New Video will release the food-filled 2009 comedy movie Today’s Special, starring comic Aasif Mandvi (Funny People) and Jess Weixler (Teeth), on DVD on May 24.
Aasif Mandvi and Jess Weixler put the cooking on hold in Today's Special.
In the independent film, Mandvi plays Samir, a traditionally trained chef who needs to look after the family business — a dingy Indian restaurant in Queens, N.Y. — after his father (Harish Patel) suffers a severe heart attack. Samir has spent years learning to prepare gourmet cuisine, but he hasn’t had much experience making Indian food, and his mother (Madhur Jaffrey, Cotton Mary) is singularly unimpressed with his efforts. In time, Samir learns about the soul of Indian cuisine, along with a few things about himself, as he also makes time for Carrie (Weixler), whom he used to work with at an upscale restaurant in Manhattan.
Directed by David Kaplan and co-written by Mandvi and Jonathan Bines,...
Aasif Mandvi and Jess Weixler put the cooking on hold in Today's Special.
In the independent film, Mandvi plays Samir, a traditionally trained chef who needs to look after the family business — a dingy Indian restaurant in Queens, N.Y. — after his father (Harish Patel) suffers a severe heart attack. Samir has spent years learning to prepare gourmet cuisine, but he hasn’t had much experience making Indian food, and his mother (Madhur Jaffrey, Cotton Mary) is singularly unimpressed with his efforts. In time, Samir learns about the soul of Indian cuisine, along with a few things about himself, as he also makes time for Carrie (Weixler), whom he used to work with at an upscale restaurant in Manhattan.
Directed by David Kaplan and co-written by Mandvi and Jonathan Bines,...
- 4/6/2011
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
And they’re off! Casting is all but completed and production has already begun on scores of pilots for the five broadcast networks. But not every comedy and drama will go the distance. Which project has the right stuff? What pilot already has you feeling like you popped a Lunesta? Check out the mammoth slate for fall consideration. (And remember, all projects are whittled down in late April/early May before the nets present their fall slates to advertisers in New York):
CBS
The Doctor (Rina Mimoun, David Nutter). A mother (Christine Lahti) reconnects with her adult children when...
CBS
The Doctor (Rina Mimoun, David Nutter). A mother (Christine Lahti) reconnects with her adult children when...
- 3/23/2011
- by Lynette Rice and James Hibberd
- EW - Inside TV
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