India On Film

India has one of the world’s richest and most prolific film industries. Throughout 2017, the BFI celebrated the diversity of Indian filmmaking and films about India, from Bollywood to Tollywood (home of Telugu and Bengali cinema) – in cinemas and online.

The season was a major cultural collaboration between the UK and India, with new films, independent cinema and restorations of classic titles being made available in both countries.

 

India on Film 1899-1947

For Film Hub Wales members wishing to take part in the India on Film season, the BFI has made the following features available for booking:

Raman Raghav 2.0 

Raman Raghav 2.0 

Year: 2016

Format: DCP

Synopsis: Set in present day Mumbai the story follows the life of a serial killer Ramanna who is inspired by an infamous serial killer from the 1960s, Raman Raghav. His strange obsession with Raghavan, a young cop keeps growing as he closely follows him without his knowledge and often creates situations where both of them come face to face.

Booking contact: Sunny Chada – sumit.m.chada@relianceada.com

Kapoor & Sons

Kapoor & Sons

Year: 2016

Format: DCP

Synopsis: A story revolving around a dysfunctional family of 2 brothers who visit their family and discover that their parents marriage is on the verge of collapse,the family is undergoing a financial crunch and much more as the drama unfolds.

Booking contact: Mark Truesdale – mark@parkcircus.com

Court

Court

Year: 2014

Format: DCP

Synopsis: The apparent ‘suicide’ of a sewage cleaner leads to the arrest of Dalit activist/folk singer. The 65-year old is held on grounds of abetting the suicide through his lyrics. The film follows the personal lives of the Judge, the Public Prosecutor & the activist’s lawyer as the case meanders its away across months courtesy of numerous excuses and delays.

Booking contact: Sonali Joshi – sonali@day-for-night.org

Om Shanti Om

Om Shanti Om

Year: 2017

Format: 35mm

Synopsis: Om Shanthi Om is an 2015 Tamil supernatural drama film directed by D. Suryaprabhakar and produced by Arumai Chandran. The film features Srikanth and Neelam Upadhyaya in the lead roles, while Vijay Ebenezer composes the film’s music.

Booking contact: Bhavna Mistry – bhavna.mistry@erosintl.com

Bajirao Mastani

Bajirao Mastani

Year: 2015

Format: DCP

Synopsis: An account of the romance between the Maratha general, Baji Rao I and Mastani, princess of Bundelkhand.

Booking contact: Bhavna Mistry – bhavna.mistry@erosintl.com

ICO: India on Film on Tour

The Independent Cinema Office is also offering the India on Film on Tour package for exhibitors. Along with a selection of nine films, there is funding available from the ICO to support venues that screen four or more films, and a number of speakers available for introductions to films. For more information or to express your interest, contact programming@independentcinemaoffice.org.uk

The Music Room

The Music Room

Year: 1960

Format: DCP and 35mm

Synopsis: ‘An exceedingly simple, moving film, expressing a human dilemma that should be comprehensible to all’ – The New York Times. Produced between the final two parts of his celebrated Apu trilogy, Satyijat Ray’s evocative, masterful film is a parable of modernity clashing with tradition, set within the decaying palace of a landlord incapable of seeing that the world around him is crumbling.

The Cloud-Clapped Star

The Cloud-Clapped Star

Year: 1960

Format: DCP and 35mm

Synopsis: An undisputed arthouse classic that introduced a new vision of Indian cinema to the world, writer/director Ritwik Ghatak’s story of a post-partition Bangali family is a dark melodrama full of expressionistic beauty and evincing a rare empathy for its female characters.

Bombay

Bombay

Year: 2005

Format: DCP and 35mm

Synopsis: Both a critical and box office hit, Mani Ratman’s melodrama of starcrossed lovers is set during the 1993 Bombay riots and is masterfully scored by A. R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire). Gorgeous songs and brilliantly choreographed dance numbers tell the story of a Hindu man and Muslim woman seeking to find a place for their love in a repressive society.

Pyaasa

Pyaasa

Year: 1957

Format: DCP and 35mm

Synopsis: ‘Possibly one of the most remarkable transpotitions of poetry on screen’ (Olivier Assayas). An immortal classic, director/star Guru Dutt’s soulful, romantic Pyaasa is a sumptuous tale of a young poet’s ambitions. Starkly photographed in swoon-worthy black and white, it is easy to see why Dutt is considered one of the true masters of Indian cinema.

The Clay Bird

The Clay Bird

Year: 2002

Format: DCP and 35mm

Synopsis: The masterpiece of Bangladeshi director Tareque Masud, The Clay Bird won the FIPRESCI Price at Cannes 2002. As Bangladesh gains independence in 1960, a young boy is sent to a madrasa by his devout Muslim father. But the divisions both within his family and within the country are not so easily resolved. A complex modern portrayal of Islam in a film as visually compelling as it is poetic.

Hotel Salvation

Hotel Salvation

Year: 2016

Format: DCP and 35mm

Synopsis: A Best Exotic Marigold Hotel told from the Indian perspective, young talent Shubhashish Bhutiani’s featured debut sees a father and son navigating the complexities of family and mortality. A warm and thoughtful film that tells an authentic story of middle class Indian today. It won the UNESCO award at Venice 2017.

Scorching Winds

Scorching Winds

Year: 1974

Format: DCP and 35mm

Synopsis: One of the most poignant and celebrated films made about Partition, sensitively depicting the human cost of political change, Scorching Winds is the rare tale of the plight of Muslims who opted to stay in the land of their forefathers rather than leave for Pakistan.

Day Shall Dawn

Day Shall Dawn

Year: 1958

Format: DCP and 35mm

Synopsis: The moving neorealist story of a fisherman who refuses to be destroyed by the crushing conditions he lives under, this film was recently unearthed in a stunning restoration, having not been shown for decades following its director A.J. Kardar’s arrest for his Communist sympathies.

Silent Waters

Silent Waters

Year: 2003

Format: DCP and 35mm

Synopsis: In her insightful, ’70s-set debut feature, director Sabiha Sumar tells a personal and very affecting story about Islamic radicalisation and the political evolution of Pakistan, as a widow’s beloved but headstrong son finds himself beguiled by dangerous forces.

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