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Category: Movies

  • Jai Gangaajal….Drab and routine

    Jai Gangaajal….Drab and routine

    Jai Gangaajal, as the title suggests is the sequel to Prakash Jha’s 2003 film, Gangaajal. Unlike its precursor, this film has a female protagonist playing the crusading cop. As is Jha’s wont, the film has a Bihar background and pits an honest police person with a corrupt local politician and his goons.

    The police force in the town of Lakhisarai is corrupt and at the beck and call of the politicians, especially the local MLA, ManavKaul. Manav has been winning elections for the last four terms as no one daresstand against him. His strategy is simple, fear. Anyone who dares to raise his voice against him is killed. The police is by his side with Prakash Jha, who takes to acting with this film, is his eyes and ears in the force.

    Manav is into land grabbing, having already presold plots which belong to farmers and local bazaar traders. The land is needed for an ambitious power plant which is the dream project of the chief minister and Manav. Both stand to make crores through the deal.The victims, led by Rahul Bhat, are agitating but not with much success. The police frame whoever protests in some or the other case. 

    To help his cause and control dissentin the region, the chief minister appoints Priyanka Chopra to take control of the Lakhisarai police force. The chief minister has obliged Priyanka’s family a lot, andas such, he expects her to toe his line. He does not want controversies as the elections are due soon.

    As Priyanka takes charge, she realizes that she has to contend not only with Manav and his goons led by his maniacal brother NinadKamat, but also remove the rot which has set into her police force. Almost all officers seem to be working for Manav instead of for the state.

    Priyanka arrests one of Manav’s goons for molesting a girl in broad daylight in a crowded street. When the goon is presented in court, bomb explosions in the court house help the goon escape. As Priyanka chases the goon, Jha shoots him as if to show that he is trying to save Priyanka. Priyanka understands that not only Jha and others work for Manav, but are also working against her. 

    There is, however, one farmer who refuses to sell his land leading to Manav’s deal being stuck. The farmer is lynched, his daughter is raped and found hanging from a tree. The incident changes Jha. He is no more willing to help Manav and proceeds to arrest Kamat. Encouraged, the mob also gets involved.

    The rest of the film is about Priyanka helping her officers regain their confidence and the end of Manav’s empire. In the process,the best scenes are hogged by Jha himself, leaving Priyanka in the shadows. 

    The film offers nothing new when compared to other such UP-Bihar Bahubali films. While the first half is fairly gripping, the script loses steam in the second half. Jha’s direction is passable with no sparks of genius anywhere. The film lacks music and romance and is lengthy at 148 minutes (after deleting 10 minutes) with no major stars to pull it through except Priyanka. Priyanka is good as a determined cop. Jha impresses as a corrupt cop turned kosher. Manav is okay while Kamat andMurli Sharma are good.
    Jai Ganaajal is a dry film with no entertainment value as such. The opening has been discouraging and so are the reports.

    Producer: Prakash Jha.
    Director: Prakash Jha.
    Cast: Priyanka Chopra, ManavKaul, Prakash Jha, NinadKamat.

  • PVR launches six-screen multiplex in Bangalore

    PVR launches six-screen multiplex in Bangalore

    MUMBAI: PVR Cinema has launched a new six-screen multiplex at Vaishnavi Sapphire Mall, Yashwantpur in Bangalore.

    PVR Cinemas CEO Gautam Dutta said, “We are very excited about this brand new property. The cinema would be a new hub of entertainment for the residents in the nearby vicinity. Also, with the wide range of programming mix provided at the box office and the vast offerings of food and beverages at the property, we ensure to provide a wholesome family entertainment outing to our patrons.” 

    Equipped with state-of-the-art technology, the cinema also has Christie digital projection; 3D enabled screens along with Dolby digital 7.1 surround sound system. 

    PVR joint managing director Sanjeev Kumar Bijli said, “Bangalore is a unique market for cinema exhibition as it has a very interesting mix of audience that prefers a varied range of movies. From animated movies to drama, action to regional, the market demands are high on terms of entertainment. People here are very keen to get the best quality in terms of ambience, technology and food and beverages. Hence, we have taken utmost care whilst building this property. I would also like to thank Sugam Vanijay holdings, our mall developers for providing us a strategic location in the city. We look forward to have further associations with them.”

  • PVR launches six-screen multiplex in Bangalore

    PVR launches six-screen multiplex in Bangalore

    MUMBAI: PVR Cinema has launched a new six-screen multiplex at Vaishnavi Sapphire Mall, Yashwantpur in Bangalore.

    PVR Cinemas CEO Gautam Dutta said, “We are very excited about this brand new property. The cinema would be a new hub of entertainment for the residents in the nearby vicinity. Also, with the wide range of programming mix provided at the box office and the vast offerings of food and beverages at the property, we ensure to provide a wholesome family entertainment outing to our patrons.” 

    Equipped with state-of-the-art technology, the cinema also has Christie digital projection; 3D enabled screens along with Dolby digital 7.1 surround sound system. 

    PVR joint managing director Sanjeev Kumar Bijli said, “Bangalore is a unique market for cinema exhibition as it has a very interesting mix of audience that prefers a varied range of movies. From animated movies to drama, action to regional, the market demands are high on terms of entertainment. People here are very keen to get the best quality in terms of ambience, technology and food and beverages. Hence, we have taken utmost care whilst building this property. I would also like to thank Sugam Vanijay holdings, our mall developers for providing us a strategic location in the city. We look forward to have further associations with them.”

  • PVR gets shareholder nod for Bijli amalgamation

    PVR gets shareholder nod for Bijli amalgamation

    BENGALURU: In September 2015, the board of directors of multiplex operator PVR Limited had said it had approved an amalgamation scheme between Bijli Holdings Pvt Ltd and itself to simplify PVR’s shareholding structure. Today, the company has informed the bourses that it has received 99.99 per cent of its shareholders approval though postal as well as electronic ballot forms.

    “The Board of Directors has considered and approved the Scheme of Amalgamation…Between Bijli Holdings, based on the recommendation of the audit committee,” the company said at that time in a BSE filing.

    The purpose of the amalgamation is to simplify the shareholding structure of PVR and reduce the shareholding tiers. It also envisages to demonstrate Bijli Holdings’ direct engagement with PVR, the September 2015 filing explained

    “Bijli Holdings is part of the promoter group of PVR. Post-amalgamation, paid-up capital of the company will remain the same and there shall be no dilution for any shareholders, including public shareholders,” PVR had said in its earlier filing.

  • PVR gets shareholder nod for Bijli amalgamation

    PVR gets shareholder nod for Bijli amalgamation

    BENGALURU: In September 2015, the board of directors of multiplex operator PVR Limited had said it had approved an amalgamation scheme between Bijli Holdings Pvt Ltd and itself to simplify PVR’s shareholding structure. Today, the company has informed the bourses that it has received 99.99 per cent of its shareholders approval though postal as well as electronic ballot forms.

    “The Board of Directors has considered and approved the Scheme of Amalgamation…Between Bijli Holdings, based on the recommendation of the audit committee,” the company said at that time in a BSE filing.

    The purpose of the amalgamation is to simplify the shareholding structure of PVR and reduce the shareholding tiers. It also envisages to demonstrate Bijli Holdings’ direct engagement with PVR, the September 2015 filing explained

    “Bijli Holdings is part of the promoter group of PVR. Post-amalgamation, paid-up capital of the company will remain the same and there shall be no dilution for any shareholders, including public shareholders,” PVR had said in its earlier filing.

  • Poor films help ‘Neerja’ fly at box office with Rs 34.2 crore

    Poor films help ‘Neerja’ fly at box office with Rs 34.2 crore

    MUMBAI: This has proved to be a disastrous week. A numerous non-descript films released, which found some sort of play time at multiplexes but did not manage to find an audience. 

    The much hyped Aligarh from Hansal Mehta comes a cropper. A real life incident of an Aligarh Muslim University professor caught in a sting with his pants down with another male, offered nothing new to the viewers to attract them to the cinema halls. Film experience is certainly not about showing skeletons in the cupboard of a man. The film had very poor response on day one, day two as well as day three to show collections of Rs 1.2 crore for its opening weekend.

    The other noticeable release of the week, Tere Bin Laden: Dead Or Alive, emerged as a poor attempt at 1960s American humour. The film lacked on all counts including, mainly, on gags. Direction was poor. What is it with Laden character spewing native Punjabi twang and English dialogue having English sub-titles?  The film has managed to collect Rs 1.95 crore for its first weekend.

    Other releases like Bollywood Diaries, Love Shagun, Rhythm, Jab Tum Kaho and Dhara 302, passed as unnoticed as they came.

    Loveshudha, a second attempt to launch Girish Taurani, fails miserably. The film opens with no audience, no show and somehow manages to end its first week with a figure of Rs 2.2 crore.

    Weak oppositions helped much appreciated Neerja hold well as it ended its first week with a total of Rs 34.2 crore. The film’s good run continued as the new releases also happened to be poor and Neerja enjoyed a healthy second weekend. 

    Sanam Re adds Rs 1.5 crore in its second week to take its two week total to Rs 28.1 crore.

    Fitoor adds Rs 75 lakh in its second week thus taking its two week tally to Rs 17.9 crore.

    Ghayal Once Again collects Rs 75 lakh in its third week taking its three week total to Rs 35.7 crore. 

    Airlift adds Rs 1.1 crore in its fifth week to take its five week total to Rs 125.7 crore.

  • Poor films help ‘Neerja’ fly at box office with Rs 34.2 crore

    Poor films help ‘Neerja’ fly at box office with Rs 34.2 crore

    MUMBAI: This has proved to be a disastrous week. A numerous non-descript films released, which found some sort of play time at multiplexes but did not manage to find an audience. 

    The much hyped Aligarh from Hansal Mehta comes a cropper. A real life incident of an Aligarh Muslim University professor caught in a sting with his pants down with another male, offered nothing new to the viewers to attract them to the cinema halls. Film experience is certainly not about showing skeletons in the cupboard of a man. The film had very poor response on day one, day two as well as day three to show collections of Rs 1.2 crore for its opening weekend.

    The other noticeable release of the week, Tere Bin Laden: Dead Or Alive, emerged as a poor attempt at 1960s American humour. The film lacked on all counts including, mainly, on gags. Direction was poor. What is it with Laden character spewing native Punjabi twang and English dialogue having English sub-titles?  The film has managed to collect Rs 1.95 crore for its first weekend.

    Other releases like Bollywood Diaries, Love Shagun, Rhythm, Jab Tum Kaho and Dhara 302, passed as unnoticed as they came.

    Loveshudha, a second attempt to launch Girish Taurani, fails miserably. The film opens with no audience, no show and somehow manages to end its first week with a figure of Rs 2.2 crore.

    Weak oppositions helped much appreciated Neerja hold well as it ended its first week with a total of Rs 34.2 crore. The film’s good run continued as the new releases also happened to be poor and Neerja enjoyed a healthy second weekend. 

    Sanam Re adds Rs 1.5 crore in its second week to take its two week total to Rs 28.1 crore.

    Fitoor adds Rs 75 lakh in its second week thus taking its two week tally to Rs 17.9 crore.

    Ghayal Once Again collects Rs 75 lakh in its third week taking its three week total to Rs 35.7 crore. 

    Airlift adds Rs 1.1 crore in its fifth week to take its five week total to Rs 125.7 crore.

  • PVR picks up Ritesh Batra’s ‘The Sense of an Ending’ for India

    PVR picks up Ritesh Batra’s ‘The Sense of an Ending’ for India

    MUMBAI: FilmNation Entertainment, which holds the worldwide rights of Ritesh Batra’s The Sense of an Ending, has completed international sales for the movie at Berlin’s European Film Market.

    In major deals across various territories, PVR has acquired the India rights of the film from FilmNation Entertainment.

    On the other hand, Sony has acquired Latin America and Eastern Europe; Wild Bunch has closed France, Germany, Italy and Spain; Studiocanal took the UK; and Fox International Channels has acquired Pan-Asian pay TV rights.

    In other deals, Longride (Japan), Roadshow (Australia), Svensk (Scandinavia), Mediasoft (South Korea), and Lumiere (Benelux) have picked up the drama that stars the Academy Award winner Jim Broadbent along with Harriet Walter, Emily Mortimer, Michelle Dockery and Charlotte Rampling.

    Among other territories closed are Greece (Spentzos), Israel (Lev), the Middle East (Italia), Portugal (Lusomundo),Switzerland (Frenetic), Turkey (Aqua), Hong Kong (Edko), India (PVR), Indonesia (Prima Cinema), Singapore (Shaw Renters) and South Africa (Ster Kinekor).

    The movie stars Broadbent as a recluse who is forced to face the devastating legacy of his first love and revise his understanding of his own nature.

    The film is co-financed by BBC Films and produced by Origin Pictures.

    Batra says, “It’s been a real pleasure to adapt Julian Barnes’s great novel to the screen, I loved working with the writer Nick Payne and with production. These are exciting times as the film has sold all over the World, I do believe that it is a matter of time before we make Indian stories with great Indian actors that will travel more than or as much as English language cinema does.”

    Batra’s previous film, the critically acclaimed hit The Lunchbox, starring Irrfan Khan, and Nimrat Kaur, was BAFTA nominated and won the Viewers’ Choice Award at the 2014 Cannes Festival.

  • PVR picks up Ritesh Batra’s ‘The Sense of an Ending’ for India

    PVR picks up Ritesh Batra’s ‘The Sense of an Ending’ for India

    MUMBAI: FilmNation Entertainment, which holds the worldwide rights of Ritesh Batra’s The Sense of an Ending, has completed international sales for the movie at Berlin’s European Film Market.

    In major deals across various territories, PVR has acquired the India rights of the film from FilmNation Entertainment.

    On the other hand, Sony has acquired Latin America and Eastern Europe; Wild Bunch has closed France, Germany, Italy and Spain; Studiocanal took the UK; and Fox International Channels has acquired Pan-Asian pay TV rights.

    In other deals, Longride (Japan), Roadshow (Australia), Svensk (Scandinavia), Mediasoft (South Korea), and Lumiere (Benelux) have picked up the drama that stars the Academy Award winner Jim Broadbent along with Harriet Walter, Emily Mortimer, Michelle Dockery and Charlotte Rampling.

    Among other territories closed are Greece (Spentzos), Israel (Lev), the Middle East (Italia), Portugal (Lusomundo),Switzerland (Frenetic), Turkey (Aqua), Hong Kong (Edko), India (PVR), Indonesia (Prima Cinema), Singapore (Shaw Renters) and South Africa (Ster Kinekor).

    The movie stars Broadbent as a recluse who is forced to face the devastating legacy of his first love and revise his understanding of his own nature.

    The film is co-financed by BBC Films and produced by Origin Pictures.

    Batra says, “It’s been a real pleasure to adapt Julian Barnes’s great novel to the screen, I loved working with the writer Nick Payne and with production. These are exciting times as the film has sold all over the World, I do believe that it is a matter of time before we make Indian stories with great Indian actors that will travel more than or as much as English language cinema does.”

    Batra’s previous film, the critically acclaimed hit The Lunchbox, starring Irrfan Khan, and Nimrat Kaur, was BAFTA nominated and won the Viewers’ Choice Award at the 2014 Cannes Festival.

  • Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) announces Galas and a stellar line-up

    Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) announces Galas and a stellar line-up

    MUMBAI:  The 14 edition of the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) held at ArcLight, Hollywood in Los Angeles, California from 6 to 10 April, 2016, announced its eclectic line-up of 27 films (16 features and 11 shorts) to be screened this year.

    The festival is widely recognized as the premiere showcase of ground breaking Indian cinema globally.

    Opening the festival on April 6 is the U.S. premiere of the powerful Angry Indian Goddesses, from filmmaker and four-time IFFLA alum Pan Nalin. Anu Menon’s poignant Waiting, starring Naseeruddin Shah and Kalki Koechlin, closes the festival with its North American premiere on April 10. Gala tickets and passes are now available at http://www.indianfilmfestival.org/.

    Three films will have their world premiere at the five-day film festival namely, CRD by Kranti Kanade, Babu’s Dilemma by Collin D’Cunha, and Anurag Kashyap produced Mochi (The Cobbler) by Saqib Pandor. In addition, there will be two North American premieres, and ten U.S. premieres.
    More features and shorts from female filmmakers will be presented this year by IFFLA than ever before, including: Deepa Mehta’s gangster drama Beeba Boys; Leena Yadav’s Parched, a piercing examination of India’s patriarchal culture through the stories of four women; Ruchika Oberoi’s genre-bending triptych, Island City; and Rinku Kalsy’s documentary For the Love of a Man, about the fierce devotion shared by South-Indian superstar Rajinikanth’s fans; and in the shorts program, Payal Sethi’s Leeches, Megha Ramaswamy’s Bunny, Pritha Chakraborthy’s Ashrut (Silent Voices) and Sonejuhi Sinha’sLove Comes Later, among others.

    The festival also features two LGBT titles, Hansal Mehta’s politically-charged Aligarh and the short Daaravtha (The Threshold) by Nishant Roy Bombarde, which are bold and compelling statements from filmmakers.

    Tamil cinema has recently emerged as a force on the world stage, and this is exemplified in the two fascinating? Tamil features in the program: Visaaranai (Interrogation) and Kirumi (Virus).

    Highlights in the shorts program include the world premiere of Mochi (The Cobbler), an impressive directorial debut from Saqib Pandor, produced by Anurag Kashyap, and the North American premiere of Anuj Gulati’s The Manliest Man, a boldly told, absurdist tale that reveals a visionary emerging director.

    Attending the festival this year to present their films will be a host of celebrated filmmakers, including Bhaskar Hazarika (Kothanodi), KrantiKanade (CRD), Hansal Mehta (Aligarh), Prashant Nair & Swati Shetty (Umrika), Pan Nalin(Angry Indian Goddesses),Ruchika Oberoi (Island City), Q (Brahman Naman) and Leena Yadav (Parched).
    IFFLA will also host stars from a number of films, including Kalki Koechlin (Waiting) and many of the actors featured in Angry Indian Goddesses.

    Talking about the impressive line-up, Christina Marouda, Founder of IFFLA said, “India’s independent filmmakers are taking bold risks, defying convention, and responding to injustice in each of these visionary films, and the results are breathtaking.” Mike Dougherty, the Director of Programming adds, “I’m extremely excited for our Los Angeles audience to experience these films, which have garnered raves from around the world, or are making their world premieres with us.”

    Complete Line-up

    OPENING NIGHT GALA

    ANGRY INDIAN GODDESSES
    India/2015/115min/DCP/Hindi and English
    U.S. Premiere
    Director: Pan Nalin

    Logline: When an eclectic group of women gathers to celebrate the impending nuptials of a close mutual friend, sparks fly as they each discover the power – and the fury – of the angry goddesses that lie within.  

    CLOSING NIGHT GALA

    WAITING
    India/2015/92min/DCP/Hindi and English
    North American Premiere
    Director: Anu Menon

    Logline: While their spouses lie in comas, two strangers develop a deep connection in the hospital to help support each other through the trials of waiting and grief.

    FEATURES

    •ALIGARH
    India/2015/114min/DCP/Hindi
    Los Angeles Premiere
    Director: Hansal Mehta
    Logline: The true story of Dr. ShrinivasRamchandraSiras, a linguistics professor at Aligarh Muslim University whose outing and threatened termination caused an uproar.

    •BEEBA BOYS
    Canada/2015/103min/DCP/Punjabi and English
    Los Angeles Premiere
    Director: Deepa Mehta (IFFLA alum)
    Logline: A ruthless and charismatic Sikh Canadian gangster leads his crew into war for drugs, money and respect.

    •BRAHMAN NAMAN
    UK/2015/90min/DCP/English
    Los Angeles Premiere
    Director: Q
    Logline:  A team of misfits at Bangalore University makes an alcohol-fueled cross-country journey to the National Quiz Championships, determined to defeat their archrivals and lose their virginities.

    This year’s Sundance Film Festival heard non-stop buzz about director Q’s latest brazen cinematic provocation: a 1980s-set coming-of-age sex comedy. There’s much more on this film’s mind than young lust and sexual hijinks…but it does have plenty of that to spare!

    •CRD
    India/2016/108min/DCP/Hindi and English
    World Premiere
    Director: Kranti Kanade (IFFLA alum)
    Logline:  As aspiring writer Chetan prepares to compete in a prestigious college theater festival, he explores his creative impulses in radical, hilarious and destructive ways.

    •FOR THE LOVE OF A MAN
    India/2015/82min/DCP/Tamil and English
    U.S. Premiere
    Director: Rinku Kalsy
    Logline: An entertaining and unforgettable look at the godlike devotion by millions of fans for South-Indian super-star Rajinikanth.

    •ISLAND CITY
    India/2015/111min/DCP/Hindi
    U.S. Premiere
    Director: Ruchika Oberoi
    Logline: Three stories set in the sprawling city of Mumbai reveal the absurd, bittersweet and heartbreaking ways three characters attempt to push back against society’s plans for them.

    Oberoi brilliantly plays with genre as her film effortlessly shifts from absurdist comedy to escapist fantasy to realist drama (there’s even a tinge of science fiction). Though each character’s journey is markedly different, their goals are similar: to push back against the demands forced on them without any regard for their personal desires. Oberoi’s unique vision won the Best Young Director Award of the Venice Days section at the 2015 Venice Film Festival.

    •KIRUMI (Virus)
    India/2015/99min/DCP/Tamil
    U.S. Premiere
    Director: Anucharan Murugaiyan
    Logline:  An irresponsible young man finds work as a police informant, but his careless tactics soon anger some of Chennai’s most dangerous criminals, and put him and his loved ones in jeopardy.

    First-time director Anucharan Murugaiyan delivers a riveting, white-knuckle thriller from a script co-written with rising star and Tamil filmmaker M. Manikandan (director of 2015 IFFLA Audience Award winner THE CROW’S EGG). Their collaboration is a fine example of Tamil cinema’s recent emergence as a force on the world stage, and a superb elevation of the crime genre into a stylish, sophisticated look at corruption from the inside.

    •KOTHANODI (The River of Fables)
    India/2015/117min/DCP/Assamese
    U.S. Premiere
    Director: Bhaskar Hazarika
    Logline:  A darker side to motherhood is revealed in these Assamese folktales about four women’s strange and unsettling relationships with their children.

    •MASAAN (Fly Away Solo)
    India, France/2015/109min/DCP/Hindi
    Director: Neeraj Ghaywan (IFFLA alum)
    Logline:  Four very different lives intersect along the Ganges, each longing to escape the moral constructs of a small town.

    In the past year, IFFLA alum Neeraj Ghaywan’s debut feature has become one of the most celebrated independent Indian films in recent memory. Its premiere in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section saw the film win the prestigious FIPRESCI prize, and the section’s jury honored Ghaywan with the Promising Future Award. The film’s release in India garnered rave reviews and is poised to make stars of its talented young cast, including Vicky Kaushal, Richa Chadha and Shweta Tripathi.

    •OTTAAL (The Trap)
    India/2014/81min/DCP/Malayalam
    U.S. Premiere
    Director:  Jayaraj Rajasekharan Nair
    Logline: When an orphan’s kind grandfather falls ill, the young boy is confronted with the bleak fate of millions of children worldwide.

    Winner of the Crystal Bear in the Generation Kplus section of the 2016 Berlin International Film Festival, OTTAAL is directed with patient mastery by director Jayaraj Rajasekharan Nair, and anchored by a heartbreaking performance from its young lead, Ashanth K. Sha.

    •PARCHED
    India/UK/USA/2015/117min/DCP/Hindi
    Los Angeles Premiere
    Director: Leena Yadav
    Logline: Four small-town women struggling with mistreatment and misogyny find surprising ways to take control of their lives.

    Leena Yadav’s drama premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival, and went on to play the Stockholm International Film Festival, where it won the festival’s Impact Award. With vivid, lived-in performances and a script by Yadav that never simplifies what is a complex reality for many Indian women, PARCHED spotlights a harsh patriarchal culture and the women and girls who remain steadfast within it.

    •UMRIKA
    India/2015/102min/DCP/Hindi
    Los Angeles Premiere
    Director: Prashant Nair (IFFLA alum)
    Log line: A young man must learn the truth about what happened to his older brother after he left their small Indian village for the magical, faraway land of “Umrika.”

    Showcasing winning performances by Suraj Sharma (LIFE OF PI) and Tony Revolori (THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL), UMRIKA won the Sundance World Cinema Dramatic Audience Award along with other accolades at festivals around the world. With a moving mix of humor, piercing loss and sacrifice, writer-director and IFFLA alum Prashant Nair captures the power of stories about the faraway, mythical places that are never quite real, but we still risk everything to reach.

    •VISAARANAI (Interrogation)
    India/2015/108min/DCP/Tamil
    Los Angeles Premiere
    Director: Vetri Maaran
    Logline: When a Tamil-speaking immigrant lands in jail on trumped up charges, he must navigate a labyrinth of police brutality and corruption.

    SHORTS

    •ASHRUT (Silent Voices)
    India/2014/26min/DCP/Bengali
    Los Angeles Premiere
    Director: Pritha Chakraborty
    Logline: An intimate documentary portrait of three sisters and their mother that explores the women’s unrealized dreams and confinement to domesticity.

    •BABU’S DILEMMA
    India/2015/24min/HDCAM/Hindi and English
    World Premiere
    Director: Collin D’Cunha
    Logline: An immigrant construction worker in Dubai who can barely make ends meet must find a way to send an expensive gift to his wife back in India.

    •BUNNY
    India/2015/15min/DCP/Non-dialogue
    Los Angeles Premiere
    Director: Megha Ramaswamy
    Logline: A young girl mourns the death of her stuffed bunny.

    •CHHAYA (The Shadow)
    UK/2015/10min/DCP/Non-dialogue 
    Director: Debanjan Nandy
    Logline: Fantasy and reality vehemently clash in the nursing home quarters of a lonely widower.

    •DAARAVTHA (The Threshold)
    India/2016/30min/DCP/Marathi
    U.S. Premiere
    Director: Nishant Roy Bombarde
    Logline: Torn between a patriarchal Indian upbringing and his natural urge to identify with the opposite gender, an adolescent boy discovers his sexuality.

    •LEECHES
    India/2016/27min/DCP/Urdu and Dakhani
    U.S. Premiere
    Director: Payal Sethi
    Logline: A woman embarks on a dangerous journey to save her young sister from being sold as a One-Day Bride.

    •LOVE COMES LATER
    USA/2015/10min/Blu-ray/English
    Los Angeles Premiere
    Director: Sonejuhi Sinha
    Logline: An undocumented motel worker faces a life-altering decision when she discovers she’s pregnant.

    •MAST QALANDAR
    India/2015/15min/DCP/Punjabi and Hindi
    U.S. Premiere
    Director: Divij Roopchand
    Logline: All this rap-loving Sikh boy wants for his thirteenth birthday is a new hairdo.

    •MOCHI (The Cobbler)
    India/2016/20min/Blu-ray/Hindi and Marathi
    World Premiere
    Director: Saqib Pandor
    Logline: When a struggling shoe repairman loses an expensive pair of shoes, his entire world starts to crumble.

    •PLAYGROUNDS
    India/2014/18min/Blu-ray/Hindi and Tamil
    U.S. Premiere
    Directors: ShamikSen Gupta, Pallavi MD
    Logline: When a rickshaw driver discovers a young boy in the back seat of his auto, he embarks on a dark journey to find the child’s parents.

    •THE MANLIEST MAN
    India/2016/23min/DCP/ Hindi and Bundeli
    North American Premiere
    Director: Anuj Gulati
    Logline: When the village potter fails to produce a son, the community Chief calls for a “manlier” man to help the family bear a male offspring.

    About IFFLA
    Now in its 14th 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 and promoting the diverse perspectives of the Indian diaspora.

    The five-day festival is the premiere platform for the latest in cutting-edge global Indian cinema and bridges the gap between the two largest entertainment industries in the world – Hollywood and India. The festival will showcase more than 25 films from the Indian filmmaking community across the globe, host the highly anticipated Opening and Closing red carpet Galas, and the Closing Awards ceremony.

    About ArcLight Cinemas
    ArcLight Cinemas, created by Pacific Theatres, a privately owned, Los Angeles based company with 60 years of theatrical exhibition history throughout California, Hawaii and Washington. ArcLight Cinemas operates five theaters in California including Hollywood, Pasadena, Sherman Oaks, El Segundo and La Jolla, and one theater in Bethesda, Md., with additional theaters under construction in Chicago and Santa Monica, California, slated for a 2015 opening. ArcLight also owns and operates the historic Cinerama Dome and programs the TCL Chinese Theatre and IMAX in Hollywood. Pacific Theatres currently operates theaters in Los Angeles that include The Grove and The Americana at Brand in Glendale, CA.

    Christina Marouda, Founder of IFFLA and participant filmmakers are available for interviews. Kindly let us know if you would like to speak to anyone of them.