TORONTO TIFF does it again: INDIAN PREMIERES

Still from Ship of Theseus by Anand Ghandi

Next September's Toronto International Film Festival 2012 is again interested in what happens in this side of the cinema world. Voicing its approval of contemporary Indian cinema by adopting Bombay as its Spotlight City for the festival's "City to City" programmes, this year's TIFF showcases ten new films from Bombay. Several of these releases are world premieres while some will be North American premieres. The lineup is:

Gangs of Wasseypur – Part One and Part Two  by Anurag Kashyap
Starring Manoj Bajpayee, Richa Chadda and Reema Sen.

While Part One of Anurag Kashyap’s much awaited gangster saga has premiered in Cannes and New York, Toronto will see Part Two as a North American premiere. Gangs of Wasseypur tells the story of a bloody war between two mafia clans at the time of India's struggle towards independence. Indian audiences are eagerly expecting its release next week while its trailer does the rounds of several TV channels.

Ship of Theseus by Anand Gandhi
Starring Aida El-Kashef, Sohum Shah and Neeraj Kabi

Another debut feature film is delivered by the hands of Anand Gandhi, who has received great applause as a playwright. Gandhi opens a window into the lives of three Mumbaikars: a monk, a blind photographer and a stockbroker with a heightened sense of justice.

Miss Lovely by Ashim Ahluwalia  

Starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Niharika Singh and Anil George

Deep, dark, dramatic. Miss Lovely depicts the sex-horror film industry of  Bombay's 1980s. Cinematography, casting and the unusual choice of topic make it an interesting and intriguing option, apart from the fact that it was very well received in Cannes and that it stars an excellent actor such as Nawazzudin Siddiqui (who also stars in Kashyap's Gangs of Wasseypur).

Shanghai by Dibakar Banerjee

Starring Abhay Deol and Kalki Koechlin

Through an adaptation of Vassilis Vassilikos' Z, the director of Love Sex aur Dhokla delivers a paced and exciting political drama.   

Shahid by Hansal Mehta 

Starring Raj Kumar, Prabhleen Sandhu and Baljinder Kaur.
Shahid revisits the life of lawyer Shahid Azmi, who was murdered in 2010 after being involved in the defense of human rights. A fascinating story of a young Muslim boy who became a symbol later in his life.

Mumbai Cha Raja by Manjeet Singh 

Starring Rahul Bairagi, Arbaaz Khan and Tejas Parvatkar.
Young Rahul and Arbaaz live in the streets of Bombay finding ways to make their existence more tolerable while Rahul searches a way to reclaim his dignity by "taking care" of his violent father.

Peddlers by Vasan Bala 

Starring Gulshan Devaiah and Siddharth Mennon.

A directorial debut for Vasan Bala, Peddlers is a pulsating thriller that brings together the lives of three improbable characters in Bombay's underworld. 

Ishaqzaade by Habib Faisal 

Starring Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra

Action with a quirky edge, the love story between both protagonists has won accolades for delivering a different mainstream film.

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The Bright Day by Mohit Takalkar 

Starring Mohan Agashe, Radhika Apte and Shernaz Patel

Following the spiritual journey of a young man across India, images tell a soul's coming of age.

Consult the TIFF City to City programme 2012 for more information.

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HINDI CINEMA AT CANNES 2012 - Kashyap at the forefront

The Hindi Cinema Blog is gleefully watching how Anurag Kashyap has become the new Indian "coqueluche" at the Cannes cinema festival. The director that our partner CinemaHindi interviewed back in August 2009 (read the Exclusive Interview with Anurag Kashyap) will be showcasing 3 of his banner's films at the coveted screens of the festival:

PEDDLERS, by Vasan Bala (assistant in Gulaal and  Dev D), has been selected for the Semaine de la Critique (Cannes Film Critics Week). The film stars Gulshan Deviah (Hate Story) and Kriti Malhotra (acclaimed for her performance in Dhobi Ghat).

Moreover, none other than Kashyap's most recent film, GANGS OF WASSEYPUR (Parts I and II), starring Manoj Bajpayee and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, is one of the select group of films to be scheduled for the festival's Directors Fortnight.

Anurag Kashyap excitedly announced his participation in Cannes through Twitter "Three of our films; Peddlers, Gangs Of Wasseypur (I&II) at Cannes Film Festival. HUGE MOMENT OF PRIDE FOR US!' 'Waiting at theBrussels airport in a silent zone, wanting to scream out loud, off to Copenhagen.. I am very happy..really Happy today." 

Apart from Kashyap’s films, another Indian film, MISS LOVELY, by Ashim Ahluwalia will compete in the Un Certain Regard category, which has been selecting high quality cinema over the years.We are looking forward to see Nawazuddin Siddiqui performing in this film too and are delighted to see two of his films are being showcased.

Last but not least, the film DELHI BELLY by Abhinay Deo is allegedly set to be screened at the festival, off competition, and we wish it utmost success.

We hope this new wave of Indian cinema at the prestigious festival will set a precedent and will get the French audience increasingly acquainted with Indian cinema. It is high time!

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An Unmissable KAHAANI! - Film Review

Shah Rukh Khan once said about his co-star Madhuri Dixit: "Madhuri is the most solid man I've met in the industry. Yeah, you heard right. She's truly like a man. She's the most solid thinker, solid emotionally, solid believer (...) She's the complete Indian film heroine."

The above quote today inevitably brings to the mind current "hero-ine" Vidya Balan. In a male centered film industry, her sound script sense and her talent currently make her one of Bollywood's most regarded professionals, up there with the sharpness of the market-savviest male stars or the talent of the best actors in the industry. She has turned the audience's focus to women characters with a solid hand, making men and women alike love her for it. After Ishqiya, No One Killed Jessica and The Dirty Picture, it is today Kahaani's turn to blow the spectator away with Balan's ability to subtly perform within a team, focusing on her characters as individuals more than as female roles, while intelligently allowing her co-stars to shine along with her too.

Kahaani is the story of Vidya Bagchi (Vidya Balan), a 7-month pregnant woman who arrives in Kolkata from London to look for her missing husband but is confronted with clues that her husband in reality does not exist. It is natural to feel for a Vidya who struggles to know who is telling the truth while the story effectively morphs into a suspense-thriller, with the audience hanging on to every moment hoping to unravel the mystery and wishing that the main character will manage to keep her and her unborn baby safe.

Mrs. Bagchi's kahaani is however not solely about herself. This queen is surrounded by a tight circle of  highly accomplished actors and interesting characters. Let us take a closer look at the performers that make this Bengali story alive:

First and foremost, we should mention marvelously cast Parambrata Chattopadhyay, who embodies police inspector Rana and scours the town along with Mrs. Bagchi, becoming her faithful aid and unrequited admirer. He is a fabulous match to Balan's talent and his character has heroic undertones that are masterfully performed.

No less merit goes to Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who fantastically plays the consummate Intelligence Bureau officer, scorching the screen with his natural presence and giving his character oodles of attitude, layering it all to perfection. Saswata Chatterjee gives a chilling impersonation of an insurance agent who also earns his life by murdering on contract. Indraneil Sengupta, Dhritiman Chatterjee and the two child artistes also richly add to the performance quotient.

Last but not least, this is the only recent film in my opinion that convincingly incorporates a city as if it were a full-fledged character. Kahaani would not be what it is without Kolkata and the intriguing way it is filmed, at times colourful and vivacious, at others in all its dingy glory. The city silently permeates the screen with its presence and makes the audience fear and hope, alike an excellent actor giving life to a vibrant but mysterious character. Kolkata comes alive and we say cheers and kudos to Satyajit Pande, in cinematography for accomplishing such an impressive feat.

Yes, we all wonder why an inspector takes it to heart to help Mrs. Bagchi, how clues appear so suddenly or how the surprising climax came to be, but unlike a vast amount of films, the script takes center stage in this one! Sujoy Ghosh, Advaita Kala, Nikhil Vyas and Suresh Nair have done a superlative job in terms of writing, successfully navigating between a moving situation and a compelling thriller and giving audiences a film that is proudly Indian (observe Kahaani's deep symbolism in its continuous referrals to Durga Puja throughout its narrative) but universally capable of being well received. Sujoy Ghosh's direction is of sterling quality and suitably enhanced by Namrata Rao's nimble editing. The movie succeeds in keeping us at the edge of our seats.

Consequently, Kahaani is the type of film that we would wish to share with cinema enthusiasts in India and beyond. It has the ingredients to engage audiences from any culture. Sujoy Ghosh's film can cross borders and does away with Bollywood clichés, pushing storytelling forward. A definite thumbs up. Do not miss it at a cinema near you!

Visit the Kahaani Official Website
Read the Kahaani Music Review
Purchase the Kahaani soundtrack
Follow Kahaani on Facebook

KAHAANI

Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Producers: Kushal Gada and Sujoy Ghosh
Cast: Vidya Balan, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Indraneil Sengupta, Dhritiman Chatterjee, Darshan Jariwala, Saswata Chatterjee
Screenplay: Sujoy Ghosh, Advaita Kala, Nikhil Vyas and Suresh Nair
Editing: Namrata Rao
Cinematograhy: Satyajit Pande
Music: Vishal-Shekhar

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