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Tag: Mukti Bhawan

  • NY Indian Filmfest: ‘Mukti Bhawan’ is best feature, short on Kejriwal is best docu

    NEW DELHI: The Hindi film ‘Mukti Bhawan’ (Hotel Salvation) by Shubhashish Bhutiani on treatment of senior citizens has won the best film award at the 17th annual New York Indian Film Festival.

    The actress Konkona Sen Sharma, who hails from a film family, won two awards: one as director for ‘A death in the Gunj’ and the second as actress for ‘Lipstick under my burkha’.

    The week-long festival premiered 85 shorts, documentaries and feature films from the Indian subcontinent in Hindi and English, and in seven regional languages (Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati and Bengali).

    The best actor award went to K Kaladharan for ‘The Narrow Path’. The best screenplay award went to P Balachandran for ‘Kammattipadam’. The best short was ‘Aaba’ by Amar Kaushik and the best documentary award went to ‘An insignificant man’ by Khushboo Ranka and Vinay Shukla about the meteoric rise of Arvind Kejriwal on the Indian political scene which has already won acclaim overseas.

    ‘Aaba’ has also been selected for the Berlin International Film Festival.

    ‘Mukti Bhawan’ had also received the special mention in the National Awards for producer Red Carper Moving Pictures and director Shubhashish Bhutiani and actor Adil Hussain and had its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival on 2 September last year.

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    In addition to film premieres, the festival featured sidebar programming such as Sibling Filmmakers (Deepa & Dilip Mehta), Priyanka Produces (VENTILATOR & SARVANN), Tribute to Om Puri, Mobile Bollywood, “Shoot a Short Film” workshop, industry panels (CAA’s Short Film Initiative), nightly networking events, red carpets and a gala.

    More than 40 filmmakers attended the festival and participated in Q&A sessions after their films.

    The annual festival was organized by the Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC): Founded in 1998, the IAAC is a secular, not-for-profit, service and resource arts organization charged with the mission of promoting and building the awareness, creation, production, exhibition, publication and performance of Indian, sub-continental and cross-cultural art forms in North America.

    It also works with artists and arts organizations in North America as well as to facilitate artists and arts organizations from India as well as other countries from the rest of the Indian sub-continent to exhibit, perform and produce their work here. The IAAC works passionately to become an integral part of the amazing cultural diversity of New York City and the United States. The IAAC supports all artistic disciplines int he classical, fusion, folk and innovative forms influenced by the arts of the Indian subcontinent.

  • Mukti Bhawan (Hindi) Hotel Salvation (English)…Engrossing watch

    MUMBAI: Mukti Bhawan is a film about that aspect of Hindu philosophy with which few from generation now would be familiar, especially the metro born and bred.

    The city of Varanasi, considered to be the spiritual capital of India, draws millions of Hindus who come for a dip in the holy river Ganga to wash their sins as well as to pay obeisance at some of the legendary temples. Some also will that their last rites be performed on the banks of Ganga.

    Mukti Bhawan traces the story of a hostel in Varanasi where old people check in awaiting death because it is believed that to die in Varanasi is to attain ‘moksha’. Dying in Varanasi is said to end the circle of life and frees one from rebirth. It is a means to attain salvation. Death here is a celebration, not something to brood about or feel sad.

    The character of Adil Hussain’s father, played by Lalit Behl, keeps getting these dreams about his final day being near. He decides to spend rest of his remaining days in Varanasi and die there. Adil has no alternative but to take father to Varanasi. They check into this dingy hostel with 12 rooms. The place is managed by a worldly-wise man, the character of Anil Rastogi. While the rooms are let out for 15 days max, Rastogi extends the stay of some he knows will take longer but die in Varanasi eventually.

    Once there, it is each to his own. Nothing is on the house or served on a platter. Adil cooks, fills water and generally tends to Lalit who, at best times, is grumpy and stubborn. Adil is pulled between his duties to his father and his office targets; his office boss is almost always calling up and reminding him of his targets.

    Lalit then meets a companion in another occupant of the hostel, played by Navnindra Behl. She came to the place with her husband 18 years back, he passed away and she has stayed back awaiting her turn. While Lalit has found a soul mate, there is another chemistry taking place. That is between father and son. They both start feeling a bond between them, they rediscover each other.

    Lalit falls ill while at the hostel and everybody has given up hopes. Adil even asks his wife, played by Geetanjali Kulkarni, and daughter, played by Palomi Ghosh, to come for the last visit.

    What is best about Mukti Bhawan is that it packs subtle humour all the way, even during serious moments. Despite dealing with religious philosophy, it does not preach. In fact, that is only the backbone around which this film about relations and emotions is built. While it tracks the holy city of Varanasi, it does not try to glamourize it. The film is more about relations than Varanasi so much that even the Ganga aarti gets only limited footage.

    The background music is soothing and does not intrude. Cinematography is of high order.

    Cleverly scripted and directed with a purpose, the film keeps you engrossed for all its 102 minutes. The film has excellent performances by Aadil Hussain, Lalit Behl, Navnindra Behl, Palomi Ghosh, Geetanjali Kulkarni and Anil Rastogi; all of them are restrained and natural. The background score and cinematography are of high order.

    Producers: Sanjay Bhutiani, Sajida Sharma.
    Direction: Shubhashish Bhutiani.
    Cast: Adil Hussain, Lalit Behl, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Palomi Ghosh Navnindra Behl, Anil K. Rastogi.

  • ‘Mukti Bhawan’ wins UNESCO award at Venice International Filmfest

    ‘Mukti Bhawan’ wins UNESCO award at Venice International Filmfest

    NEW DELHI: Mukti Bhawan (called as Hotel Salvation) has bagged the UNESCO XXIIIrd Prix “Enrico Fulchignoni” at the Venice International Film Festival.

    The jury said: The award to the film by Shubhashish Bhutiani was being given “for the values finely expressed on the importance of family, time spent together in respect and with love, and those values of human rights which we all share. The maturity and depth of emotions and cinematic vocabulary used to display these belie the young age of the director, and we look forward to seeing many more of his films in the future.”

    The film – which received a 10-minute ovation after its screening at the festival — is a part of the Biennale College-Cinema program at the Venice Film Festival which gives support since 2012 to the young filmmakers to bring their vision to the big screen and, in this case, the effort has borne marvelous fruit.”

    CICT-Unesco Jury comprised Jasmina Boijc (founder and director UNAFF, Stanford University), Pierpaolo Saporito (President of OCCAM, the UN Observatory on Cultural Communication and v.president of CICT-UNESCO, Gabriel Griffin-Hall (Author and Poet), and Eliana Bantchev (CICT-UNESCO General Secretary Delegate).

    In the past, the Prix Enrico Fulchignoni was awarded to, among others: ‘Beasts of No Nation’ by Cary Fukunaga, ‘Miral’ by Julian Schnabel, ‘Land of Plenty’ by Wim Wenders, ‘Tsion, Auto-emancipatie’ by Amos Gitaï or ‘Porto da minha infancia’ by Manoel de Oliveira.

    Three years ago, Shubhashish Bhutiani’s short film Kush had won the Orizzonti Award for Best Short Film.

    The audience in Venice this time was carried away by this universal story of love, redemption and mourning.

    When Daya, a 77 year old man, wakes up from a strange nightmare, he knows his time is up and he must get to Varanasi immediately in the hope of dying there to attain salvation. His dutiful son, Rajiv, is left with no other choice but to drop everything and make the journey with his stubborn father, leaving behind his wife and daughter.

    The two of them check into Mukti Bhawan/Hotel Salvation, a hotel devoted to people hoping to spend their last days there. Rajiv finds himself having to live and take care of his father for the first time in his life.

    The festival which began on 31 August concluded today (10 September 2016) and this film was scheduled for three public and delegate screenings on 2 and 3 September apart from one web streaming.

    The 103-minute film stars Adil Hussain (Life of Pi), Lalit Behl, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Palomi Ghosh, Navnindra Behl and Anil K Rastogi.

    Also read:

    Huge ovation for Hindi film Mukti Bhawan after world premiere at Venice

    New Hindi film to have world premiere at Venice International Film Festival

  • ‘Mukti Bhawan’ wins UNESCO award at Venice International Filmfest

    ‘Mukti Bhawan’ wins UNESCO award at Venice International Filmfest

    NEW DELHI: Mukti Bhawan (called as Hotel Salvation) has bagged the UNESCO XXIIIrd Prix “Enrico Fulchignoni” at the Venice International Film Festival.

    The jury said: The award to the film by Shubhashish Bhutiani was being given “for the values finely expressed on the importance of family, time spent together in respect and with love, and those values of human rights which we all share. The maturity and depth of emotions and cinematic vocabulary used to display these belie the young age of the director, and we look forward to seeing many more of his films in the future.”

    The film – which received a 10-minute ovation after its screening at the festival — is a part of the Biennale College-Cinema program at the Venice Film Festival which gives support since 2012 to the young filmmakers to bring their vision to the big screen and, in this case, the effort has borne marvelous fruit.”

    CICT-Unesco Jury comprised Jasmina Boijc (founder and director UNAFF, Stanford University), Pierpaolo Saporito (President of OCCAM, the UN Observatory on Cultural Communication and v.president of CICT-UNESCO, Gabriel Griffin-Hall (Author and Poet), and Eliana Bantchev (CICT-UNESCO General Secretary Delegate).

    In the past, the Prix Enrico Fulchignoni was awarded to, among others: ‘Beasts of No Nation’ by Cary Fukunaga, ‘Miral’ by Julian Schnabel, ‘Land of Plenty’ by Wim Wenders, ‘Tsion, Auto-emancipatie’ by Amos Gitaï or ‘Porto da minha infancia’ by Manoel de Oliveira.

    Three years ago, Shubhashish Bhutiani’s short film Kush had won the Orizzonti Award for Best Short Film.

    The audience in Venice this time was carried away by this universal story of love, redemption and mourning.

    When Daya, a 77 year old man, wakes up from a strange nightmare, he knows his time is up and he must get to Varanasi immediately in the hope of dying there to attain salvation. His dutiful son, Rajiv, is left with no other choice but to drop everything and make the journey with his stubborn father, leaving behind his wife and daughter.

    The two of them check into Mukti Bhawan/Hotel Salvation, a hotel devoted to people hoping to spend their last days there. Rajiv finds himself having to live and take care of his father for the first time in his life.

    The festival which began on 31 August concluded today (10 September 2016) and this film was scheduled for three public and delegate screenings on 2 and 3 September apart from one web streaming.

    The 103-minute film stars Adil Hussain (Life of Pi), Lalit Behl, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Palomi Ghosh, Navnindra Behl and Anil K Rastogi.

    Also read:

    Huge ovation for Hindi film Mukti Bhawan after world premiere at Venice

    New Hindi film to have world premiere at Venice International Film Festival

  • Huge ovation for Hindi film Mukti Bhawan after world premiere at Venice

    Huge ovation for Hindi film Mukti Bhawan after world premiere at Venice

    NEW DELHI: A ten-minute standing ovation greeted the Hindi film ‘Mukti Bhawan’ (Hotel Salvation) by Shubhashish Bhutiani which had its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival on 2 September.

    This is the second film by Bhutiani who earlier received the Orizzonti Prize for Best Short Film for his short ‘Kush’.

    The Festival is being held from 31 August to 10 September 2016 and this film was scheduled for three public and delegate screenings on 2 and 3 September 2016 apart from one web streaming.

    The 103-minute film stars Adil Hussain (Life of Pi), Lalit Behl, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Palomi Ghosh, Navnindra Behl, and Anil K Rastogi.

    Bhutiani was in Venice along with producer Sanjay Bhutiani and actor Adil Hussain, who is still in Venice.

    When a 77 year old man, Daya, wakes up from a strange nightmare, he knows his time is up and he must get to Varanasi immediately in hope of dying there to attain salvation. His dutiful son, Rajiv, is left with no choice but to drop everything and make the journey with his stubborn father, leaving behind his wife and daughter. The two of them check into Mukti Bhawan/Hotel Salvation. Rajiv finds himself having to live and take care of his father for the first time in his life. But he finds himself torn, not knowing what he must do to keep his life together.

  • Huge ovation for Hindi film Mukti Bhawan after world premiere at Venice

    Huge ovation for Hindi film Mukti Bhawan after world premiere at Venice

    NEW DELHI: A ten-minute standing ovation greeted the Hindi film ‘Mukti Bhawan’ (Hotel Salvation) by Shubhashish Bhutiani which had its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival on 2 September.

    This is the second film by Bhutiani who earlier received the Orizzonti Prize for Best Short Film for his short ‘Kush’.

    The Festival is being held from 31 August to 10 September 2016 and this film was scheduled for three public and delegate screenings on 2 and 3 September 2016 apart from one web streaming.

    The 103-minute film stars Adil Hussain (Life of Pi), Lalit Behl, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Palomi Ghosh, Navnindra Behl, and Anil K Rastogi.

    Bhutiani was in Venice along with producer Sanjay Bhutiani and actor Adil Hussain, who is still in Venice.

    When a 77 year old man, Daya, wakes up from a strange nightmare, he knows his time is up and he must get to Varanasi immediately in hope of dying there to attain salvation. His dutiful son, Rajiv, is left with no choice but to drop everything and make the journey with his stubborn father, leaving behind his wife and daughter. The two of them check into Mukti Bhawan/Hotel Salvation. Rajiv finds himself having to live and take care of his father for the first time in his life. But he finds himself torn, not knowing what he must do to keep his life together.