Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival 2016

Europe’s Largest Indian Film Festival Fearlessly Presses Feminist and LGBTQ+ Buttons

Pioneering Indian Film Festival brings cinematic diversity to London and Birmingham: 14-24 July

Challenging stereotypes of India and South Asia, and wrestling with some very hard issues the 7th Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival returns this Summer.

The diverse programme of brand new features, documentaries and shorts includes seven films directed by power-packed women filmmakers that give the Bechdel Test a run for its money, including the Thelma and Louise-esque Opening Night buddy movie, Parched, set in the desert villages of India’s Gujarat (female Director Leena Yadav and Producer and Bollywood star Ajay Devgn, expected). Double Oscar winner Sharmeen Obaid Chinnoy introduces her punch in the guts award-winning doc. A Girl In The River – The Price of Forgiveness.

With a strong LGBTQ+ following the festival proudly hosts its first Transgender movie based on an empowering true story – I am Not He…She, at BFI Southbank, supported by MAC Cosmetics and Sun Mark Ltd, amongst others. Bangalore Director BS Lingadevaru, expected.

Reflecting the many dialects of UK South Asian communities, the carefully curated programme will include 15 major languages, including films from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka. All films are English subtitled. This celebration of Indian regional diversity includes a very rare on-stage Q&A at BFI Southbank with one of South India’s greatest ever superstars – Kamal Haasan, who moved from child actor in Tamil cinema star, to produce, write and direct some of India’s most acclaimed features, including many Bollywood hits. He is adored by millions of fans, worldwide.

The Closing Night Gala is the World Premiere of the incredibly moving and intense Toba Tek Singh which focuses on patients locked in a Punjabi mental health hospital during the Partition (legendary director Ketan Mehta, expected). Sri Lankan breakout filmmakers Kalpana & Vindana Ariyawansa explore the taboo subject of OCD in a very personal family drama Dirty, Yellow, Darkness, while at ICA, Kerala Director Jayaraj presents Berlinale Crystal-Bear winner, The Trap, a heart-wrenching drama on the roots of child slave labour.

On a lighter note the festival also celebrates two icons of cinema with on-stage interviews with Satyajit Ray’s favourite Actress Sharmila Tagore from Kolkata and the only Indian filmmaker to truly cross from Bollywood to Hollywood – Shekhar Kapur, who will discuss his plans for Elizabeth 3. Lets hope that Cate Blanchett continues her reign in this expected sequel. A special screening of Brahman Naman screens.

Directed by India’s leading indie director Q, the hilarious coming-of-age comedy is exclusive to Netflix. The Mumbai music industry focused Jugni, shows that love and a damn-good Punjabi song, can conquer even the toughest hearts (female Director Shefali Bhushan, expected).

As well as synchronous screenings in London and Birmingham from 14-24 July the Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival goes live on digital, with the festival showing a selection of films on BFI Player into the Autumn.

Festival Patron Tony Matharu, who is also our founding sponsor, from Grange Hotels, continues to support with full fervour, and the festival welcomes back supporters including title sponsor, the Bagri Foundation, who share a passion for South Asian arts and culture. The British Film Institute and Cineworld Cinemas have supported LIFF since year one. The festival enjoys on-going essential support from major sponsor, Sun Mark Ltd.

The Director of the Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival, Cary Rajinder Sawhney states:

“We aim to showcase films that entertain but challenge and make one think about the many social issues happening in India today, and that includes many positive changes including the fact that so many emerging Indian women filmmakers who are producing world-class films that are giving their male counterparts a serious run for their money”.

Title Sponsor Alka Bagri of the Bagri Foundation says:

“We are delighted to support such an incredible festival which reveals the richness of South Asian culture and offers a wonderful platform for emerging talent. This year’s programme epitomises the diversity and dynamism of South Asian cinema, and through films, debates and panel discussions, we will explore topical issues such as gender, identity, mental health and equality. We look forward to being joined by two acclaimed figures of Indian cinema: Kamal Haasan and Shekhar Kapur who will take us on their cinematic journey”.

LIFF presents the prestigious annual Satyajit Ray Short Film Competition, in association with the Bagri Foundation, with a prize of £1,000, to the winning film. The short film programme screens at the ICA on Wednesday 20th July and the winning short will be announced at the closing night gala, on 21st July, at BFI Southbank. The festival continues in Birmingham, until 24th July.

Participating cinema’s in London are: Cineworld (Haymarket, O2, Wandsworth, Wembley), BFI Southbank, ICA, Picture House Central, Crouch End Picturehouse, East London’s rustic Boleyn Cinema, and participating cinema’s in Birmingham are: Cineworld Broad Street, Midland Arts Centre (MAC).

– For images & press assets:

http://londonindianfilmfestival.co.uk/downloads/LIFF_2016_Press_Images.zip
http://londonindianfilmfestival.co.uk/downloads/LIFF_Logo_2016.zip

– For more information on the festival please visit:

http://www.londonindianfilmfestival.co.uk

– Join us on social media:

www.facebook.com/LondonIndianFilmFestival
www.twitter.com/LoveLIFF
www.instagram.com/LoveLIFF

– For press enquiries, email: ashanti@londonindianfilmfestival.co.uk

Notes to Editors:

– Icons from India, polymath Kamal Haasan (whose films have the highest number of Oscar submissions from India) & director of the exquisite BAFTA & Academy Award winning Elizabeth & The Golden Age films, Shekhar Kapur, giving masterclasses at BFI Southbank, with the famous female scion of the Tagore family, who married into Indian royalty, Sharmila Tagore, speaking at the historic art deco cinema, Cineworld Haymarket.

– A 2016 highlight, is a celebration of empowered Indian female film makers, including double Oscar®-winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, who are bringing their acclaimed films to the silverscreen in London.

– In prior years, the festival has featured much lauded “Screen Talk” events at the BFI Southbank, with Slumdog Millionaire/The Lunchbox star Irrfan Khan in conversation with Oscar winner Asif Kapadia, Bollywood polymath Farhan Akhtar stopping traffic, and stalwart directors Adoor Gopalakrishnan & Mani Ratnam delivering masterclasses.

– BBC Asian Network is a national digital radio station with a strong focus on music – particularly supporting new British Asian music, plus news and current affairs. Asian Network offers a unique platform for creativity, entertainment and impactful debate.

– DESIblitz.com – UK’s leading and multi award-winning British Asian and Desi Lifestyle Online Magazine.

– Asiana.tv is the leading website for South Asian arts, culture, fashion and lifestyle in the UK – with a strong focus on film, it supports independent global cinema with regular reviews and interviews with filmmakers.

– Sunrise Radio, broadcasting the UK’s BIGGEST Asian Mix nationally on DAB and on 963/972am in London.

Full Programme (BIRMINGHAM TO BE ADDED)

Director Leena Yadav tells a wonderfully joyous and inspiring tale of comradery. Four ordinary women live in a desert Gujarati village, weighed down by centuries of tradition. Rani (Tannishtha Chatterjee) lost her husband at 16 and struggles to bring up her teenage son, careful to follow every village rule. Her friend Lajjo (Radhika Apte) is always brimming with positivity, but fears beatings from her drunken husband. Bijli (Surveen Chawla) is secretly Rani’s friend, she’s a local performer and prostitute, but her beauty is coming to an end along with her youth. Janaki (Lehar Khan) is a child bride to Rani’s son, secretly struggling to come to terms with a loveless marriage. As the magical festival of Dussehra approaches these friends’ bonds are put to the test, forcing them to make decisions that will dynamically change their lives forever.
Q&A with Director Leena Yadav and other special guests.

14 JULY | 18:00 | CINEWORLD HAYMARKET
16 JULY | 17.30 | CINEWORLD WEMBLEY
20 JULY | 20.40 | BFI SOUTHBANK

Acclaimed director Ketan Mehta delivers this unforgettably moving and at times joyous version of Manto’s legendary story, produced by the Zeal for Unity project. Award-winning actor Pankaj Kapur gives a career defining performance as Bishen Singh, a Sikh inmate of a mental institution, who hasn’t slept for 15 years and always asks the same question “Where is Toba Tek Singh?”, the name of his home village. The new warden, played by Vinay Pathak, takes delight in Bishen and the other patients’ eccentricities. However, with the Partition of India and Pakistan it seems that the world outside is more insane than the folk inside, and the institution must give up all its Hindu and Sikh inmates. Singh is marched to the new border, but in which country is his beloved home?
Q&A with Director Ketan Mehta and other special guests.
Supported by: Zeal for Unity

Master Director Jayaraj won the Crystal Bear at this year’s Berlinale with this adaption of Anton Chekhov’s social concern short story Vanka – transposing it into the sumptuous wetlands of the Southern Indian state of Kerala. Kuttappayi has lost both his parents but has been raised by his loving grandfather. Together they tend flocks of ducks in vast flooded fields and tell each other whimsical stories. Kuttappayi’s life seems good and easy and he dreams of going to school, but suddenly the old man falls ill and very soon the boy’s future is put into doubt. The hard realities of poverty, shared by so many millions of children around the world, soon mean that Kuttappayi must face a hard new future to survive.

15 JULY | 18:30 | ICA
16 JULY | 16:00 | BOLEYN
17 JULY | 16:00 | CINEWORLD WANDSWORTH

JUGNI
Hindi / Punjabi with English subtitles | 115 min | India 2016 | Dir. Shefali Bhushan | with: Sugandha Garg, Siddhant Behl, Sadhana Singh.

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

Travelling through the verdant fields of Punjab, Vibhavari (Vibs) is a gorgeous, young composer from Mumbai. She is in search of Bibi Saroop, the voice that she believes will be the saviour of her new score. She bumps into Bibi’s dashing son Mastana who has a stunning voice. Vibs records Mastana’s renditions of Punjabi folk songs and the duo soon fall for each other. Vibs returns to a soured relationship with her boyfriend in Mumbai. Mastana is left brokenhearted, but his voice is indeed the magical ingredient of the score, which becomes an instant hit. When Vibs calls Mastana to the big city he is full of hope, but they are forced to make tough choices between their careers and their hearts.
Q&A with Director Shefali Bhushan
Supported by: Asian Single Solution

15 JULY | 19:00 | CINEWORLD WEMBLEY
16 JULY | 18:00 | CINEWORLD HAYMARKET
17 JULY | 20:00 | CINEWORLD O2

MOH MAYA MONEY (IN GREED WE TRUST)
Hindi with English subtitles | 108 min | India 2015 | Dir. Munish Bhardwaj | with: Ranvir Shorey, Neha Dhupia, Devendra Chauhan.
EUROPEAN PREMIERE

In this fast-paced slice of Delhi noir, a crooked real estate broker who dreams of riches, embezzles money from the firm he works for and gets involved in a series of scams. But the proceeds of his schemes are not enough for his greed and when he finds out about a huge deal in his company, he passes it on to a small-time real estate broker and a thug, for a bigger piece of the pie. Soon, he gets involved in a major crime along with his wife. Matters spiral out of control, leading to murder, mayhem and an out of left field twist of a climax. Bollywood stars Ranvir Shorey (star of Cannes Golden Camera nominated Titli) and Neha Dhupia (Singh is King) are on terrific form in this cracking thriller that will leave you gasping for breath.
Supported by DESIblitz.com

15 JULY | 19:00 | PICTUREHOUSE CENTRAL
16 JULY | 20:30 | CINEWORLD WEMBLEY
18 JULY | 19:00 | CROUCH END PICTUREHOUSE

KUTRAME THANDANAI (CRIME IS PUNISHMENT)
Tamil with English subtitles | 98 min | India 2016 | Dir. M. Manikandan | with: Vidharth, Nasser, Rahman, Aishwarya Rajesh.
EUROPEAN PREMIERE

Tamil Naidu’s hottest young filmmaker M.Manikandan returns to the festival after last year’s hit Kaakkaa Muttai (Crow’s Egg), with a stylish, twisted plot thriller. Mild-mannered, hard-working bachelor, Ravi has tunnel vision and is on the brink of blindness. With little in the bank, he can’t raise money for an eye transplant. He lives in a cheek-by-jowl tenement block and every day watches a young female neighbour below as she greets her male visitors. One day the police call on Ravi. The woman has been mysteriously murdered. Ravi says he saw the last two culprits, but as he is called in to testify in court, the wealthy murder culprits’ go-betweens try to bribe Ravi to refute his claim. Ravi sees a last ditched opportunity to make some money and save his sight. He embarks on the dangerous journey into corruption, where he is soon also in danger of becoming the murder suspect.

15 JULY | 20:00 | CINEWORLD WANDSWORTH
17 JULY | 18:00 | CINEWORLD HAYMARKET

ENEMY
Konkani with English subtitles | 94 min | India 2015 | Dir. Dinesh P. Bhonsle | with: Meenacshi Martins, Salil Naik, Antonio Crasto.
INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE
In the midst of the festive season, a Goan Catholic family discovers that they have lost their property to the Government and their family honour is at stake. An Indian army captain and his mother are dismayed when corrupt civil servants and politicians gang up against them using the Enemy Property Act of 1968, enacted after the Indo-Pak war in 1965, to usurp their prime land. During their fight against the establishment they find that they are not alone in their struggle and there are several other Goan families who are going through the same crisis. As the tension and drama builds up, the captain finds himself pushed to the edge. The tense narrative also finds time to incorporate the vibrant colours and music of Goa while telling a chilling and compelling tale.
Supported by DESIblitz.com

18 JULY | 20:00 | CINEWORLD WANDSWORTH
20 JULY | 19:30 | CINEWORLD HAYMARKET

BRAHMAN NAMAN
English | 95 min | UK / India 2016 | Dir. Q. | with: Shashank Arora, Tanmay Dhanania, Chaitanya Varad.
ENGLISH PREMIERE
Festival favourite director ‘Q’ (Gandu, Tasher Desh) returns with this In-Betweeners style coming-of-age comedy backed by a rock anthem score. Set in 1980s Bangalore, know-it all teenager Naman (Shashank Arora), and his fellow nerdy mates Ajay and Ramu win every local quiz competition and get hammered on the prize money. Then their big chance comes the All-India Quiz Final in Calcutta is announced. The three quiz musketeers set out on a chaotic train ride north, but on the journey Naman has a mighty crush on the super-quiz heroine Naina. Naman and his mate’s quest for glory by outsmarting their rivals gets confused with exploding testosterone levels and the trio slide into a mad-cap adventure with hilarious consequences.
(Contains some explicit sexual scenes).
Q&A with writer Naman Ramachandran and other guests at the BFI screening.

15 JULY | 20:40 | BFI SOUTHBANK
18 JULY | 20:30 | CINEWORLD HAYMARKET

KALO POTHI (THE BLACK HEN)
Nepali with English subtitles | 90 min | Nepal 2015 | Dir. Min Bahadur Bham | with: Khadka Raj Nepali, Sukra Raj Rokaya, Jit Bahadur Malla.
UK PREMIERE

LIFF’s first Nepali screening is directed by new hot-property director Min Bahadur Bham and has been delighting audiences around Europe. In 2001, in a remote Nepalese village, we find Prakash and Kiran, two 12-year-olds, who despite belonging to different castes, are inseparable best mates. They decide on a plan to raise a hen to earn some money by selling its eggs. Their new business venture seems to be working, but as times get hard, Prakash’s father sells off all his chickens including the boy’s hen. Prakash and Kiran find out that their hen has been sold to an old man many villages away and set out on an adventure to liberate their prized fowl. However, in their single-minded obsession, the youngsters are oblivious to the growing civil war brewing in the region and they soon find themselves travelling through some very dangerous territory, where their friendship will be put to the test.

16 JULY | 15:00 | CROUCH END PICTUREHOUSE
17 JULY | 15:00 | ICA

RINGAN (THE QUEST)
Marathi with English subtitles | 105 min | India 2015 | Dir. Makarand Mane | with: Shashank Shende, Saahil Joshi, Suhas Sirsat, Kalyanee Mulay.
UK PREMIERE

This moving father and son drama is set against the backdrop of farmer suicides in the drought-stricken state of Maharashtra. Arjun, the father develops suicidal tendencies due to debts caused by drought. But his love and concern for his stubborn son, Abhimanyu, motivates him to earn the money needed to buy back his ancestral land. He reluctantly takes his son with him when he leaves the village in search of work. They travel across the state and reach the holy town of Pandharpur, where Arjun finds work and Abhimanyu goes in obsessive search of his mother, who has been told, has gone to the Abode of God, which is Pandharpur. The film is a touching, stirring story of unbridled paternal love and fighting against trying circumstances to overcome the odds. It is also a clarion call to that greatest of human emotions – hope.

16 JULY | 16:00 | ICA
17 JULY | 17:00 | CINEWORLD O2

CINEMAWALA
Bengali with English subtitles | 105 min | India 2016 | Dir. Kaushik Ganguly | with: Paran Bandopadhay, Parambrata Chatterjee, Arun Guha Thakurta.
EUROPEAN PREMIERE

The new tale by Kaushik Ganguly, one of West Bengal’s most accomplished directors, depicts a love-torn nostalgia for the passing age of film. Pranabendu Das is a semi-retired cinema owner from a small town in West Bengal. He owns a movie theatre ‘Kamalini’ named after his former wife. He and his ageing projectionist lovingly tend their film stock and wonderfully ancient movie projector, but the audience doesn’t come any more and the cinema is falling into disrepair. Meanwhile for Pranabendu’s opportunist son Prakash, who has no idealist aspirations, business comes first, he stashes pirated DVDs of new films in the family home and sells them in town. As Pranabendu faces the heart-breaking closure of his beloved cinema and the police come to call about Prakash’s bootleg activities, father and son both purveyors of cinema in their own ways, come to loggerheads.

16 JULY | 18:00 | ICA
17 JULY | 18:00 | CINEWORLD WEMBLEY

FOR THE LOVE OF A MAN
Tamil / English with English subtitles | 85 min | India / Netherlands 2015 | Dir. Rinku Kalsy | with: K. Hariharan, Uma Vangal, G. Mani.
UK PREMIERE

Actor, Leader, Hero, God. For his fans, the superstar Rajinikanth is all of these. Men from various generations alter their lives, sell their belongings, and place fandom above their families in devotion to the iconic actor, a man who has inspired a fanatic cult following across the world ranging from India to Japan. This riveting documentary explores how fandom is expressed through enormous posters, elaborate public rituals, and the frenzied atmosphere inside theatres has deep social, political, and devotional foundations in South India. Fandom is about more than cinema – it is about brotherhood, identity, or even social aspiration. The film follows various stories – performers seeking a shot at fame by mimicking the star, families managing the consequences of the fans’ spending on movies, theatre owners worrying about fans running wild.
Q&A with Director Rinku Palsy

16 JULY | 18:00 | BOLEYN
17 JULY | 18:00 | ICA

ARSHINAGAR (MIRRORSVILLE)
Bengali with English subtitles | 134 min | India 2015 | Dir. Aparna Sen | with: Dev, Rittika Sen, Waheeda Rehman, Jishu Sengupta.
EUROPEAN PREMIERE

This breathtaking musical adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet ties in with the Bard’s 400th anniversary celebrations globally. Arshinagar is a fictitious slum that the warring Khan and Mitra clans want to acquire to redevelop as malls and apartments. While the Khan and Mitra goons continue to engage in violent battles to seize the slum by fair means or foul, Bishwananath Mitra’s son Ronojoy and Sabir Khan’s daughter Zulekha happen to meet and fall in love at first sight. Aware of the consequences if their families come to know of their relationship, Rono and Julie conduct their love affair in secret. India’s best-known female director Aparna Sen deliciously re-imagines Shakespeare as a taboo Hindu-Muslim love story. Entirely told in rhyming verse, the musical set pieces are energetic, inventive and blend Indian and Western choreography to rapturous effect. And it is always a pleasure to see the reclusive legend Waheeda Rahman make a rare on-screen appearance.

16 JULY | 20:00 | CROUCH END PICTUREHOUSE
17 JULY | 17:30 | BFI SOUTHBANK

NAANU AVANALLA AVALU (I AM NOT HE…SHE)
Kannada with English subtitles | 115 min | India 2014 | Dir. B S Lingadevaru | with: Sanchari Vijay, Sharada Nani, Kunal Punekar.
EUROPEAN PREMIERE

Based on an empowering true story, Madesha is a fearless young boy from rural Karnataka who cherishes his female persona and gorgeous saris. His sister enjoys his natural flamboyance and zest for life, but his father is ashamed of him and throws him out. Madesha picks himself up and sets out on a journey that will change his life forever as he decides to become a woman. In big-city Bangalore he seeks the support of local queens and the Hijra community (Eunuchs and Transgender people), but after a perilous surgery at a backstreet sex change clinic and name change to Vidya, she decides the traditional begging and prostitute life of a Hijra is not for her. Vidya wants something better.
At the 16 July screening there will be a Q&A with Director B S Lingadevaru with other special guests expected.
Followed by a Queer Rules! After Party for LGBTQ+ Friends at BFI Benugos Bar with Bollywood & World sounds supported by DJ’s from Club Kali, Urban Desi and Urban World.
Best Dressed Person on the night receives a VIP Goody-Bag of MAC cosmetics. So don’t miss this one!
Supported by: Club Kali | Urban Desi | Urban World | M.A.C Cosmetics

16 JULY | 20:30 | BFI SOUTHBANK
17 JULY | 18:00 | CROUCH END PICTUREHOUSE

ZEAL FOR UNITY PRESENTS PAKISTAN DOUBLE BILL

KHAEMAE MEIN MATT JHANKAIN (DON’T PEEK INTO THE TENT)
Punjabi / Urdu with English subtitles | 45 min | Pakistan / India 2016 | Dir. Shahbaz Sumar | with: Sara Haider, Zia Khan, Mahtab Murad.
WORLD PREMIERE

JEEWAN HATHI (ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM)
Urdu with English subtitles | 60 min | Pakistan / India 2016 | Dirs. Meenu Gaur, Farjad Nabi | with: Naseeruddin Shah, Hina Dilpazeer, Samiya Mumtaz.
WORLD PREMIERE

Made under the Zeal for Unity India-Pakistan filmmaking initiative, these films explore different facets of life in Pakistan. In Khaemae Mein Matt Jhankain, life in a remote village becomes exciting when a travelling circus pitches up in town. The men and boys of the village cannot get enough of the ravishingly beautiful trapeze artist and visit every night to catch a glimpse of her. But, there is a secret. Acclaimed Indian actor Naseeruddin Shah headlines Jeewan Hathi as a channel owner who will do anything for higher ratings. This riotously funny satire on Pakistan’s media industry explores the dark underbelly of a reality show that has the nation enthralled.

17 JULY | 17:00 | PICTUREHOUSE CENTRAL
19 JULY | 20:00 | CINEWORLD O2
Supported by: Zeal for Unity

FIREFLIES IN THE ABYSS
Nepali / Hindi / English with English subtitles | 88 min | India / UK 2015 | Dir. Chandrasekhar Reddy | with: Nishant Rai, Raj Rai, Suraj Subba.
UK PREMIERE

This absorbing documentary follows Suraj a 11-year-old boy who works in the ‘rat-hole’ mines in the Jaintia Hills of North East India. There are narrow strips of coal requiring children to descend steep, sheer chutes and burrow into narrow horizontal tunnels to scratch coal out of hard rock, armed with nothing more than a pickaxe and a head torch. In these hostile pits, every day is a game of death. With Suraj’s story as the primary narrative, the life in the mining camp and the intertwining fates of the miners are explored. Most of the events characterise the choices made under the difficult circumstances that they experience, see around them and have to continually resolve – both internally and externally. Contrasting the various responses elicits drama, irony and humour, while gradually building up a composite picture of lives under unusual and extraordinary circumstances.

18 JULY | 18:30 | CINEWORLD HAYMARKET
19 JULY | 20:00 | CROUCH END PICTUREHOUSE

DOUBLE BILL

We offer a double bill by South Asia’s only double Oscar winning director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. Based in Karachi, her documentaries capture key social issues and great moments of contemporary Pakistani culture.

A GIRL IN THE RIVER: THE PRICE OF FORGIVENESS
Punjabi with English subtitles | 40 min | Pakistan 2015 | Dir. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.
A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness is an honest and at times disturbing documentary about one young woman’s journey. After narrowly surviving an attempted honour killing she must maintain the status quo in her village by making peace with her attempted murderers – her own family. Winner of the Best Short Documentary Oscar in 2016.

SONG OF LAHORE
English / Punjabi / Urdu with English subtitles | 82 min | Pakistan / USA 2015 | Dir. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.
LONDON PREMIERE

Lahore has always been world-renowned for its music. With the increased Islamisation of Pakistan in the 1970s, many of the city’s celebrated musicians have struggled, but this film spotlights one group who have kept on playing. When their unique mix of traditional music with Western flare gets the attention of jazz supremo Wynton Marsalis they are invited to New York.
After this Double Bill is a Q&A with Director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.

18 JULY | 18:30 | PICTUREHOUSE CENTRAL

ISLAND CITY
Hindi with English subtitles | 111 min | India 2015 | Dir. Ruchika Oberoi | with: Vinay Pathak, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Chandan Roy Sanyal.
UK PREMIERE

Winner of the best directing debut at the Venice Film Festival, the film tells three stories. In the first one, a drone employee at a soulless corporation wins an office competition entitling him to a whole day of fun at the mall. However, he doesn’t have much fun at all. The second story follows a domineering head of a family who suffers a stroke and is on life support. His newly-liberated family buy a TV and are hooked on to a popular soap when they learn to their dismay that the family head is on the road to recovery. And in the last story, a woman who is leading a mechanical existence blossoms when she gets a series of anonymous love letters. These stories explore the different facets of life and society in the maddening city of Mumbai.

19 JULY | 18:30 | ICA
20 JULY | 20:30 | CINEWORLD WEMBLEY

PREMAYA NAM (DIRTY, YELLOW, DARKNESS)
Sinhala with English subtitles | 96 min | Sri Lanka 2014 | Dirs. Kalpana & Vindana Ariyawansa | with: Shyam Fernando, Samanalee Fonseka, Suranga Ranawaka.
EUROPEAN PREMIERE

Well educated Vishwa has a successful career in advertising and a beautiful wife, Samadi. But he suffers from severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), which he conceals from the world on a daily basis. He fears that his own urine is contaminating everything around him. Unable to endure his eccentric and strange behaviour, Samadi leaves him and moves in with her parents. Lonely Vishwa loses his job and descends into a life of prescription drug abuse. His illness and addiction escalate, leaving him with no choice but to admit himself to a mental hospital for treatment to overcome his fear and win his wife back, knowing there will be heavy social consequences in a culture that greatly stigmatises mental illness. Told with heart and humour, this beautiful true story is based on co-director Vindana Ariyawansa’s own experience of suffering from OCD and shows that sometimes love is the prescription.

19 JULY | 18:30 | PICTUREHOUSE CENTRAL
20 JULY | 18:30 | CINEWORLD WEMBLEY

JALALER GOLPO (JALAL’S STORY)
Bangla with English subtitles | 121 min | Bangladesh 2014 | Dir. Abu Shahed Emon | with: Mohammod Emon, Arafat Rahman, Mosharraf Karim.
UK PREMIERE

This entrancing film follows three chapters in the life of an infant, a child and teen named Jalal. Abandoned as a baby in the river, he is rescued and raised by Miraj. After a series of misfortunes, the villagers consider the baby to be a curse on their village and Miraj has to abandon the baby back in the river. Karim, a landowner, is bringing up Jalal, now nine. Bizarrely, Jalal is considered the cause of Karim’s wife’s infertility and he is cast back into the river. The 19-year-old Jalal now works for a gang leader and aspiring politician Sajib. This time, a different baby is to be thrown into the river, ahead of the upcoming elections, thanks to Sajib’s nefarious antics. Abu Shahed Emon tackles several social issues in Bangladesh including superstition, politically motivated corruption and women’s rights.
Supported by DESIblitz.com

19 JULY | 18:30 | CINEWORLD HAYMARKET
20 JULY | 19:00 | CROUCH END PICTUREHOUSE

RAMSINGH CHARLIE
Hindi with English subtitles | 104 min | India 2016 | Dir. Nitin Kakkar | with: Kumud Mishra, Divya Dutta.
INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

In this tragi-comic tale, Ramsingh, a Charlie Chaplin impersonator, performs in a travelling circus. He is unexpectedly thrown into the bigger circus of life where he has to now juggle between his role as a father and that of a performer, all without a safety net. Facing a crisis of confidence as an artist, he must now brave the odds for one last shot at the sparkling lights of show business. He loses a little of himself in a world that has little space for dreams. Along the journey he realises that to do what he wants, he’ll do what he has to do. Kumud Mishra, known for his roles in Bollywood blockbusters like Rockstar and Airlift, delivers the performance of his life as Charlie, blending pathos and comedy into a bravura package. This is one of those rare films that will have you wiping a tear while at the same time grinning broadly.

19 JULY | 20:30 | BFI SOUTHBANK

CRD
Hindi and English with English subtitles | 108 min | India 2016 | Dir: Kranti Kanade | with: Mrinmayee Godbole, Saurabh Saraswat, Vinay Sharma, Abhay Mahajan.
EUROPEAN PREMIERE

Set in the world of college theatre, CRD probes fascism and fierce competition in the arts. The battleground is an inter-collegiate drama competition where an autocratic acting coach pushes his students to mental and physical extremes. One of his most gifted students rebels against his methods and forms a rival drama troupe to compete against his own college team. He must now delve deep to find his storytelling voice while at the same time trying to keep his anger in check and rein in his rampant sex drive. This astonishing film heralds the arrival of a bold new voice in world cinema where all limits are breached and boundaries crossed. Be prepared for a breathtaking journey, the likes of which you’ve never been on before.

20 JULY | 19:00 | PICTUREHOUSE CENTRAL

SATYAJIT RAY SHORT FILM COMPETITION
LIFF presents the prestigious annual Satyajit Ray Short Film Competition in association with the Bagri Foundation. Programme below:

MOCHI (THE COBBLER) – Dir. Saqib Pandor (19 min, INDIA).
Gopal, a Mumbai cobbler at a railway station, struggles to make ends meet in his minimum wage job. With a growing son, it takes a fine balance to manage the family finances. It just takes one careless mistake…

MARRIAGE BAZAAR – Dir. Vijay Kumar (12 min, INDIA).
The consequences of female infanticide in Haryana has caused a growing gender imbalance. Increasingly, prospective grooms need to look further afield when choosing a wife who, like Rekha, may be from a different culture and caste. Often these women, far from home, have to deal with racism and suspicion from within their new family units.

CHARIOT RIDERS – Dir. Kate Jessop (5 min, UK).
13 year old Ash doesn’t like anything Indian: the food, the clothes, the films. What he does like is spending time with his best friend Kuldeep.

ANGELUS NOVUS – Dir. Aboozar Amini (22 min, UK).
Afghani refugee Ali and his brother have just arrived in Turkey where, surrounded by many other refugees, his family tries to build a new life. The boys earn their living shining shoes. When one day their spot has been taken, their fragile existence and dreams of a better future hang by a thread.

CHHAYA – Dir. Debanjan Nandy (10 min UK/ INDIA).
An old man trapped in a mundane senior centre is living the memory of his beloved wife through his own shadow. But as his past sets in threatening his present, Prakash finds himself facing a difficult question: is he living a mesmerizing but unreal dream or life itself?

PLAYGROUNDS – Dirs. Pallavi MD, Shamik Sen Gupta (18 min, INDIA).
During a game of hide ‘n’ seek, 3 year old Murli hides in an auto rickshaw and falls asleep. He wakes up in a different neighbourhood with an angry man shouting at him in a language he doesn’t understand.

The winner will be announced on 21st July at the Closing Night Gala. Further details of the shortlisted films are available on our website.
2016 Short Film JURY: Alka Bagri (Bagri Foundation), Aleem Khan (Film maker), Aditi Khanna (Senior Correspondent, Press Trust of India), Menelik Shabazz (Film maker) & Satwant Gill (LIFF, Jury Chair).

20 JULY | 20:30 | ICA
AN EVENING WITH SHARMILA TAGORE

The luminous Sharmila Tagore’s precocious talent was discovered by the great Satyajit Ray and he cast her in the internationally acclaimed The World of Apu (1959) and again in Devi (1960), Nayak: The Hero (1966), Days and Nights in the Forest (1970) and Company Limited (1971). Her glittering career in Hindi cinema began with Kashmir Ki Kali (1964). She won the Filmfare award for best actress for Aradhana (1970) and India’s national film award for best actress for Mausam (1975) and best supporting actress for In the Forest… Again (2003). Other memorable performances include Amar Prem (1972), Daag (1973), Namkeen (1982), Shubho Mahurat (2003) and Life Goes On (2009). She was on the Cannes jury in 2009 and in 2013 the Indian government awarded her the Padma Bhushan. Filmfare and the IIFA have also accorded her lifetime achievement honours.
Sharmila Tagore will share her grace and wisdom with LIFF audiences in conversation with Life Goes On director Sangeeta Datta.

15 JULY | 20:30 | CINEWORLD HAYMARKET
SHEKHAR KAPUR: A LIFE WITH ELIZABETH

A rare opportunity to hear the erudite views of Shekhar Kapur, best known globally for Oscar nominated Elizabeth and Elizabeth: The Golden Age with Cate Blanchett, with the third film in the series being planned. Shekhar Kapur trained as a chartered accountant in London at the behest of his parents, but later bucked middle-class tradition by becoming an actor in Mumbai with the film Jaan Hazir Hai (1975). Switching to a directorial role, Shekhar came to prominence with films like Masoom (1983) and his greatest Indian hit Mr India (1987), one of the most-loved Bollywood films of all time, with Amrish Puri as the timeless villain Mogambo! Unlike most other successful Indian directors who have remained fixed within the Bollywood canon, Shekhar jumped into the global frame with Channel Four’s hit film Bandit Queen (1994), introducing Seema Biswas to the world as a groundbreaking female desperado. Kapur continues to work tirelessly in film and television from Bollywood to LA.
Shekhar Kapur will be presented with the Sun Mark Ltd LIFF Icon Award© for his outstanding contribution to cinema.

16 JULY | 18:20 | BFI SOUTHBANK
KAMAL HAASAN SCREEN TALK

Join us for a rare on-stage interview with one of India’s greatest film personalities. A President’s Medal for his first screen performance at the age of four heralded his arrival as a child prodigy. From that moment, a remarkable and distinguished career spanning more than fifty years and over 200 films in six Indian languages, has cemented Kamal Haasan’s unique standing in the Indian film firmament. An actor, director, producer, writer, singer, dancer/choreographer and lyricist par excellence, Haasan stands as a true Indian icon whose legions of fans and admirers have obliterated all barriers of language, community and creed from between themselves. He has spearheaded the early adoption of digital filmmaking technologies and business methodologies in an effort to maximize the tremendous potential of the Indian Media/Entertainment Industry.
Kamal Haasan. Writer. Poet. Filmmaker. Actor. Rationalist. Social activist.
Kamal Haasan will be presented with the Sun Mark Ltd LIFF Icon Award© for his outstanding contribution to cinema.

17 JULY | 14:00 | BFI SOUTHBANK
WOMEN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA: A LIFE LESS ORDINARY
SOUTH ASIAN FILMMAKERS DEBATE

This year’s Bagri Foundation London Film Festival has aggregated some of the best South Asian films. We are delighted that many of these happen to be by leading women filmmakers. We present a rare opportunity to hear filmmakers like double Oscar winner Pakistan’s Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Mumbai’s multi-award winning Leena Yadav, documentary filmmaker Rinku Kalsy and other special guests talk about their unique careers and experiences and explore commonalities of experience with women filmmakers around the world.
The debate is preceded by a screening of Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s 2016 Oscar winning short A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness (40 min Pakistan).
Supported by: Women in Film & Television

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