Tag: Ashvin Kumar

PVR set to release The Forest on 4 May

MUMBAI: PVR Cinemas is set to release director Ashwin Kumar‘s The Forest under its ‘Directors Rare‘ initiative on 4 May.

The film will have a limited release in the major metros on about 19 screens to be expanded later on public demand.

The Forest is loosely based on the ‘Man-eating Leopard of Rudraprayag, one of the stories of Jim Corbett. The film has Nandana Sen caught between her husband and an ex-lover amidst a treacherous jungle terrain stalked by an angry man-eating leopard.

However, the leopard is not the only problem the trio has. It is the beast that hides behind civilised façades that poses greater danger.

Produced by Ashvin Kumar and Judith James and presented by Vijay Mallya, the film has been shot on actual locations in the Jim Corbett National Park in Uttaranchal with a foreign crew.

The horror-sex drama also stars Jaaved Jafferi, Nandana Sen and Ankur Vikal.

May 2, 2012
Ashvin Kumar‘s ‘The Forest’ set to release on 4 May

MUMBAI: Director Ashvin Kumar’s mainstream ecologic thriller The Forest is set to release on 4 May.

The Forest, a thriller with an ecological message, is a chilling tale of a man-eating leopard set in the jungles of North India.

The Forest is the third release under PVR Cinema’s Director’s Rare series. Its star cast includes the likes of Javed Jafferi, Nandana Sen, Ankur Vikal and Salim Ali Zaidi.

Incidentally, Ashwin is the youngest Indian writer-director with an Academy Award Oscar nomination for Little Terrorist and National Award winning director for Inshallah Football.

With his Oscar nomination, the director joins the select list of Indians at the Oscars like Mira Nair, Deepa Mehta, Ashutosh Gowarikar, Shekhar Kapur, Resul Pookutty, Bhanu Athaiya and AR Rahman. He is the only Indian to ever be nominated into the short film category.

The film had early premiered at Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose in February 2009 and had its market premiere at Cannes Market ‘09. It was also a part of the official competition of Montreal International Film Festival, Canada and Sitges International Film Festival, Spain.

April 6, 2012
PVR acquires rights of Ashvin Kumar’s ‘The Forest’

MUMBAI: PVR Cinemas has acquired the rights of director Ashvin Kumar’s 86-minute film, The Forest.

A tale of a man-eating leopard set in the jungles of north India, The Forest was earlier premiered at Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose in February 2009 and was also show at the Cannes Market in 2009.

The writer-director won an Oscar nomination in 2004 for Little Terrorist. The film has been part of official selections to over 130 film festivals including the British Academy of Film and Television (BAFTA) Los Angeles.

His documentary Inshallah Football is about a Kashmiri boy’s dreams to play football and how his father’s past jeopardises his dreams. With the film, he also became the first Indian to be nominated at the European Film Academy for the 15-minute short film that traces the journey of a young Pakistani boy who accidentally crosses the border between India and Pakistan in pursuit of his cricket ball and is instantly branded a terrorist by security forces.

Kumar, son of well-known designer Ritu Kumar, started his filmmaking journey with Road to Ladakh and followed it up with films like Dazed in Doon and Inshallah Kashmir: Living Terror.

March 19, 2012
Filmmaker bypasses Censors, releases film online

MUMBAI: Harried by the CBFC last year when it banned his film Inshallah, Football, director Ashvin Kumar bypassed the Censors this time and released his latest film Inshallah, Kashmir: Living Terror online on 26 January.

Confirming the online release, the director said: “The prequel to this film Inshallah, Football was banned by the Indian censor board last year. This time all Indian citizens could watch the film free-of-charge from Republic Day via the Internet.”

Inshallah, Kashmir: Living Terror is a documentary in which Kashmiris recount how their freedom is conceded and replaced by fear and institutionalised oppression.

Inshallah, Football, a film about an ex-militant and his footballer son, was given an ‘A’ certificate in June 2011 after a year of its worldwide release.

It was screened at several film festivals including 47th Chicago International Film Festival.

January 28, 2012
Mumbai Intl fest announces lineup

MUMBAI: The 12th Mumbai International Film Festival for documentary, short and animation films has announced its lineup.

Pink Saris, directed by Kim Longinotto which screened at 54th BFI London Film Festival and won an award at the 35th Hong Kong International Film Festival, will participate in the International Competition for documentaries.

Jai Bhim Comrade, directed by Anand Patwardhan which recently won a Special Mention at 8th Dubai International Film Festival, will also x be screened in International Competition.

Some of the films that will screen in the Indian competition are It’s the Same Story by Nina Sabnani, The Eclipse of Taregna by Rakesh Chaudhary, Visible Bra Straps by Ajitesh Sharma, Aaliya by Rajiv Mohite, Partners in Crime by Paromita Vohra, Inshallah, Football by Ashvin Kumar and The Rat Race by Miriam Chandy Menacherry.

Meanwhile, details of foreign entries are awaited.

The festival will be held from February 3 to 9.

January 4, 2012