London Indian Film Festival Kicks Off 14 July With a Killer Lineup

I reviewed opening night film, Parched, as part of the New York Indian Film Festival and came away hugely impressed

Parched is the story of a quartet of women in rural Gujarat who struggle against the oppressively patriarchal power structure in their small town to attempt to gain a bit of autonomy. Tannishtha Chatterjee ( Sunrise , Angry Indian Goddesses , Chauranga , Monsoon Shootout , Siddharth ) plays Rani, the matriarch of a family into whom a woman from a neighboring village is wed. The new bride Janaki, played by Lehar Khan, appears for the wedding having cut off all of her beautiful hair because of lice, setting the entire village a flutter...

Parched is a scathing critique of the intransigence of the patriarchy in rural India, but more than that, it's a celebration of the liberty that comes from smashing said patriarchy. Any film can paint a dour picture and beg for your attention, it takes a special work to reassemble the broken pieces into a thing of beauty, and that is what Parched does.

I reviewed Malayalam film Ottaal as part of the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles and also really loved it:

Ottaal is a powerful film. A film that emphasizes the capacity for hope in a world that attempts to crush it at every turn. A film that builds its hero into a beacon of positivity in a sea of bad options. Ottaal both challenges by faith in humanity and restores it, all in the space of eighty-one minutes. Ottaal makes me both grateful not to be have been born poor in India, and sad for the opportunities missed. Ottaal is the kind of film that, even though it leaves its audience on a completely dour note, still leaves room for hope by the fact that its hopeless lead always comes out on top. Ottaal managed to wring more emotions from me in its short run time than perhaps any film twice its length has ever managed. That's what I want from my cinema, I want to go on an emotional journey, and Ottaal took me there.

Director Manikandan returns after the massive critical success of Kakkaa Muttai with his new thriller Kutrame Thandanai:

This new film, Kutrame Thandanai ( Crime is Punishment ), is Manikandan's return to the director's chair, and it's an exciting change of pace from Kaaka Muttai .

Actor Vidarth plays Ravichandran, a bill collector who finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation after a pretty young girl in his housing block ends up dead. Ravi seems like a pretty milquetoast, unremarkable guy. He goes to work, pines for a cute girl who works the phones, and goes home again. His only remarkable quirk is one that he keeps to himself, Ravi suffers from severe tunnel vision. The audience is privvy to this information only due to the fact that we are occasionally given Ravi-eye-view shots in which only a tiny circle in the center of the frame is visible.

Manikandan is, without question, one of the most interesting and talented filmmakers of a region on the upswing. Kaaka Muttai was a critical and box office blockbuster and Crime is Punishment is further confirmation of his talents. This is certainly a a film worth seeking out, though at the moment it rests on the second tier of Tamil New Wave dramas right below films like Visaranai and Kirumi .

LIFF programmer Naman Ramachandran dips his toe into writing for the screen with the hilarious sex-comedy Brahman Naman, directed by avant garde Bengali filmmaker, Q. Alex Koehne reviewed the film from its Sundance premiere in January

One does not typically see raunchy, teen sex comedies coming out of India, which is precisely why acclaimed director Qaushiq Mukherjee, known simply as "Q" set out to make such a movie. After his acclaimed film Gandu became controversial in India for its depiction of sexuality and nudity, Q has not shied away from such subject matter and instead has continued to address it directly with the aim to fill that gap in the Indian discourse. Yet the discussion of sexuality, the Indian caste system and the trials and tribulations of growing up in the rapidly changing 1980's India in is merely a set of undertones that harmonize with an otherwise fun, silly, and highly entertaining movie about a group of friends and their misadventures with drinking, partying, and a flailing pursuit of women.

For a movie that takes place in a very different time and place, it is impressively relatable. Naman calls the girl he has a crush on but hangs up as soon as she answers - way too nervous to talk. Their rival, Ronnie (Sid Mallya) invites them to his party, only to make fun of them once they arrive. Yet they go expecting this anyway, just to be at the cool kids party. With hilarious vignettes of their experiences, Brahman Naman might be called the Indian Superbad. It's got just as much heart as it does antics and with an interesting cultural critique running just below the surface, there is more than meets the eye at play in this fantastic farce.

Rinku Kalsy's documentary on the rabid cult that worships Tamil movie Rajinikanth, For the Love of a Man, was one of my favorite films at IFFLA this year.

There are movie stars and then there are MOVIE STARS, and on some level beyond the latter, there exists Superstar Rajinikanth. For nearly forty years, this former bus conducter has inspired almost religious devotion from his fans both inside and away from his home territory in Tamil Nadu, India. Director Rinku Kalsy explores the cult of Rajinikanth fandom in For the Love of a Man and discovers that sometimes the adoration that his fans point outward may be better focused back at their own lives.

Full disclosure: I am a fan of Superstar Rajinikanth. Any time a new Rajini film appears in cinemas, I'm there first day, first show. But, at the end of the film, once the adrenaline high has worn off, I go back to my life, put my son to bed, and give my wife a kiss. For the subjects of For the Love of a Man , the movie never ends, and it's aternately fascinating and horrifying as their fade away from their families and what really makes their lives whole.

Here is the rest of the line-up for this year's festival. I haven't seen many of these but I can definitely recommend Kranti Kanade's CRD and the new restoration of Mani Ratnam's 1987 classic, Nayakan. In terms of guests there are many, but perhaps none as exciting as a rare appearance of Indian cinema legend Kamal Hassan in conversation. Check it out:

Europe’s Largest Indian Film Festival Fearlessly Presses Feminist and LGBTQ+ Buttons

Pioneering Indian Film Festival brings cinematic diversity to London and Birmingham: 14-24 July

Challenging stereotypes of India and South Asia, and wrestling with some very hard issues the 7th Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival returns this Summer.

The diverse programme of brand new features, documentaries and shorts includes seven films directed by power-packed women filmmakers that give the Bechdel Test a run for its money, including the Thelma and Louise-esque opening night buddy movie, Parched, set in the desert villages of India’s Gujarat (female director Leena Yadav and Producer and Bollywood star Ajay Devgn, is expected). Double Oscar® winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, introduces her punch in the guts, documentary, A Girl In The River - The Price of Forgiveness.

With a strong LGBTQ+ following the festival proudly hosts its first Transgender movie based on an empowering true story - I am Not He…She, at BFI Southbank, supported by MAC Cosmetics and Sun Mark Ltd, amongst others. Bangalore Director BS Lingadevaru, is expected.

Reflecting the linguistic diversity of UK's South Asian communities, the carefully curated programme will include 15 major languages, including films from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka. All films are English subtitled.

This celebration of Indian regional diversity includes a very rare on-stage Q&A at BFI Southbank with one of South India’s greatest ever superstars - Kamal Haasan, who moved from child actor to Tamil cinema star, to produce, write and direct some of India’s most acclaimed features, including many Bollywood hits. He is adored by millions of fans, worldwide.

The closing night gala, is the world premiere of the incredibly moving and intense Toba Tek Singh, which focuses on patients locked in a Punjabi mental health hospital during the Partition (legendary director Ketan Mehta, is expected).

Sri Lankan breakout filmmakers Kalpana & Vindana Ariyawansa explore the taboo subject of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in a very personal family drama Dirty, Yellow, Darkness, while at the ICA, Director Jayaraj from Kerala, presents the Berlinale Crystal-Bear winner, Ottaal (The Trap), a heart-wrenching drama, based on the roots of child slave labour.

On a lighter note the festival also celebrates two icons of cinema with on-stage interviews with Satyajit Ray’s favourite actress Sharmila Tagore from Kolkata and the only Indian filmmaker to truly cross from Bollywood to Hollywood - Shekhar Kapur , who will discuss his plans for Elizabeth 3. Let's hope that Cate Blanchett continues her reign in this expected sequel.

Also in the line-up is a special screening of the risque film Brahman Naman, directed by India's leading indie director Q, the hilarious coming-of-age comedy is exclusive to Netflix. The Mumbai music industry focused Jugni, shows that love and a damn-good Punjabi song, can conquer even the toughest hearts (female director, Shefali Bhushan, is expected).

As well as synchronous screenings in London and Birmingham from 14-24 July, the Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival goes live on digital, with the festival showing a selection of films on BFI Player into the Autumn.

Festival Patron Tony Matharu, who is also our founding sponsor, from Grange Hotels, continues to support with full fervour, and the festival welcomes back supporters including title sponsor, the Bagri Foundation, who share our passion for South Asian arts and culture. The British Film Institute and Cineworld Cinemas have supported LIFF since year one. The festival enjoys on-going essential support from major sponsor, Sun Mark Ltd.

The Director of the Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival, Cary Rajinder Sawhney states:

"We aim to showcase films that entertain but challenge and make one think about the many social issues happening in India today, and that includes many positive changes including the fact that so many emerging Indian women filmmakers who are producing world-class films that are giving their male counterparts a serious run for their money”.

Title Sponsor Alka Bagri of the Bagri Foundation says:

“We are delighted to support such an incredible festival which reveals the richness of South Asian culture and offers a wonderful platform for emerging talent. This year’s programme epitomises the diversity and dynamism of South Asian cinema, and through films, debates and panel discussions, we will explore topical issues such as gender, identity, mental health and equality. We look forward to being joined by two acclaimed figures of Indian cinema: Kamal Haasan and Shekhar Kapur who will take us on their cinematic journey”.

LIFF presents the prestigious annual Satyajit Ray Short Film Competition, in association with the Bagri Foundation, with a prize of £1,000 to the winning film. The short film programme screens at the ICA on Wednesday 20th July and the winning short will be announced at the closing night gala, on 21st July, at BFI Southbank. The festival continues in Birmingham, until 24th July.

Participating cinemas' in London are: Cineworld (Haymarket, O2, Wandsworth, Wembley), BFI Southbank, ICA, Picture House Central, Crouch End Picturehouse, East London’s rustic Boleyn Cinema, with Cineworld Broad Street and Midland Arts Centre (MAC), in Birmingham.

- For more information on the festival please visit:

http://www.londonindianfilmfestival.co.uk

- The full festival programme for London and Birmingham:

http://londonindianfilmfestival.co.uk/programme.htm

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