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by Rita Dutta

The Bengal Renaissance depicts a tale of a bygone era—a period that symbolizes Bengal’s encounter with a cultural revolution that redefined the course of history. Known as the cultural capital of India, Bengal cemented this status during this transformative time. Highlighting its engagement with liberalism and modernity, this intellectual and nationalist movement gave rise to a cultural elite that shaped the social and political landscape of Bengal and Kolkata (formerly Calcutta).

Within the Bengal Renaissance, one of the most significant phenomena was the emergence of bhadramahilas (educated women of the middle class). While striving to establish the supremacy of the bhadralok (educated male gentry), these women also created space for their own emancipation, both within the household and in the public sphere. Modern working women in the city draw inspiration from these pioneers. Among contemporary cultural icons, Aparna Sen stands as a living legend who...

As we have mentioned many times before, the documentary is currently experiencing one of its golden periods, with the fact that reality goes beyond any script becoming quite obvious throughout the plethora of entries we have been seeing during that last few years. Furthermore, as a number of courageous filmmakers shed light to issues that are dangerous to depict (to say the least) or even hard to watch, the quality of the category continues to improve. Add to that the biographical ones, the ones that present real but relatively unknown sides of each country’s society and you have the majority of reasons for what we mentioned in the beginning.

Without further ado, here are the 15 Best Asian Documentaries of 2024, in reverse order. Some may have premiered in 2023, but since they mostly circulated in 2024, we decided to include them.

15. Parama: A Journey With Aparna Sen Aparna Sen © Mayaleela Films

“When actors become mainstream stars,...

Indian cinema icon Sharmila Tagore embraces a challenging role in Suman Ghosh’s “The Ancient” (Puratawn), which has its India premiere at the Mami Mumbai Film Festival. The veteran actor portrays a woman grappling with memory loss in director Suman Ghosh’s Bengali-language drama.

In “The Ancient,” Ritika (Rituparna Sengupta) and her husband Rajeev (Indraneil Sengupta) return to her ancestral home in West Bengal to celebrate her mother’s (Tagore) 80th birthday. Upon arrival, Ritika discovers her mother’s cognitive decline, forcing her to confront a new reality. As Ritika grapples with this revelation, she embarks on a journey of acceptance, coming to terms with her mother’s irreversible condition.

Ghosh is a festival veteran with 2011’s “Nobel Thief,” 2012’s “Uncle Shyamal Turns off the Lights,” 2015’s “Peace Haven,” 2016’s “Mi Amor,” 2019’s “Aadhaar” and 2023’s “Scavenger of Dreams” all premiering at Busan and 2024 documentary “Parama: A Journey with Aparna Sen” at Rotterdam.

Mumbai Film Festival has announced the 11 titles selected for its South Asia competition, the main competitive section of the festival, which includes the UK’s Oscars submission, Sandhya Suri’s Santosh, making its South Asian premiere.

The line-up also includes Nepal’s Oscars submission, Min Bahadur Bham’s Shambhala, along with one other Nepali title – Deepak Rauniyar’s Pooja, Sir – and Bhutanese title Agent Of Happiness, directed by Arun Bhattarai and Dorottya Zurbo.

Indian titles in the competition include Rima Das’ Village Rockstars 2, which recently won a Jiseok award at Busan International Film Festival; multiple award-winner Girls Will Be Girls, by Shuchi Talati; Raam Reddy’s The Fable and Midhun Murali’s Kiss Wagon (see full line-up below).

The non competitive Focus South Asia section is screening ten features and 13 shorts, including a title from Afghanistan – Roya Sadat’s The Sharp Edge Of Peace – and a short film from Myanmar,...

Payal Kapadia’s Cannes Grand Prix winner “All We Imagine as Light” will kick off the Mami Mumbai Film Festival’s 2024 edition, while Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or recipient “Anora” will close the festival.

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Jio is no longer the title sponsor and, consequently, this year’s edition is a shortened version running from Oct. 19-24. The festival is led this year by renowned archivist and filmmaker Shivendra Singh Dungarpur.

The festival issued an open letter stating: “This year marks a period of transition for us, where Mami has no title sponsor. While we have had to adjust to the challenges that come with such a shift, we are proud to announce that we’ve put together an exciting edition of the festival.”

“Now more than ever, we need the goodwill and encouragement of our audience. We ask for your patience and understanding as we bring...

Veteran Indian director and actor Aparna Sen’s new project “Her Indian Summer” is set to be developed as an Indo-u.K. co-production, it was revealed during a recent London retrospective of her work.

The film, a mixed-race love story set against the backdrop of the 1947 partition of the subcontinent into India and Pakistan, is being produced by Kolkata-based Indian producer-director Aritra Sen and Los Angeles-based British writer-director Alex Harvey’s Big Bazaar Films.

Sen came to notice as an actor with the “Samapti” segment in Oscar winner Satyajit Ray’s “Three Daughters” (1961). She acted in several more films by Ray and also worked with Indian cinema greats Mrinal Sen, Tapan Sinha and Rituparno Ghosh. Her acting credits also include Merchant-Ivory films “The Guru” (1969) and “Bombay Talkie” (1970).

“36 Chowringhee Lane” (1981), Sen’s directorial debut, won her best director at India’s National Film Awards. She has directed several acclaimed films since,...

Tarsem Singh Dhandwar’s “Dear Jassi” and Arati Kadav’s “Mrs” will open and close this year’s New York Indian Film Festival.

Punjabi and English-language “Dear Jassi,” a tale of star-crossed lovers based on a true story, arrives in New York after a glittering festival run that began in 2023, at Toronto, where it won the Platform Prize. That was followed by outings in London, Goa, the Red Sea, Goteborg and Hong Kong festivals. The film is produced by powerhouse Indian studio T-Series alongside Wakaoo Films and Creative Strokes Group.

Hindi-language “Mrs,” a portrait of domestic hell based on acclaimed 2021 Malayalam-language film “The Great Indian Kitchen,” previously played at the Palm Springs International Film Festival and Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. It is produced by Jio Studios and Baweja Studios.

The centerpiece of the festival is an event celebrating 50 years of thespian Shabana Azmi’s career where a screening of...

Prolific filmmaker Suman Ghosh has unveiled the first look for his new film “Puratawn” (“Ancient”), starring veteran Indian actor Sharmila Tagore.

Tagore takes on the role of a matriarch grappling with the challenges of aging. As her 80th birthday is celebrated by her daughter and son-in-law at the ancestral house, the unfolding events over the next week become the focal point of the narrative, delving into the complexities that shape their collective journey.

Rituparna Sengupta’s Bhavna Aaj O Kal (“Datta”) is producing the film, which is seeking a sales agent at the Berlin Film Festival’s European Film Market.

Ghosh is a festival veteran with 2011’s “Nobel Thief,” 2012’s “Uncle Shyamal Turns off the Lights,” 2015’s “Peace Haven,” 2016’s “Mi Amor,” 2019’s “Aadhaar” and 2023’s “Scavenger of Dreams” all premiering at Busan and 2024 documentary “Parama: A Journey with Aparna Sen” at Rotterdam. He scored a major commercial hit with “Kabuliwala,...

Revered Indian actor and filmmaker Aparna Sen is the subject of Suman Ghosh’s documentary “Parama: A Journey with Aparna Sen,” which has its world premiere at International Film Festival Rotterdam‘s Cinema Regained strand.

Sen came to notice as an actor with the “Samapti” segment in Oscar winner Satyajit Ray’s “Three Daughters” (1961). She acted in several more films by Ray and also worked with Indian cinema greats Mrinal Sen, Tapan Sinha and Rituparno Ghosh. Her acting credits also include Merchant-Ivory films “The Guru” (1969) and “Bombay Talkie” (1970).

“36 Chowringhee Lane” (1981), Sen’s directorial debut, won her best director at India’s National Film Awards. She has directed several acclaimed films since, including “Paroma” (1984), “Sati” (1989), “Paromitar Ek Din” (2000), “Mr. and Mrs. Iyer” (2002), “Goynar Baksho” (2013) and “The Rapist,” which won the Kim Jiseok prize at Busan in 2021.

Sen starred in Ghosh’s “The Bose Family” (2019). Ghosh is a prolific filmmaker who is...

Versatile singer Arijit Singh’s soulful rendition of the track ‘Bhaabo Jodi’ from the movie ‘Kabuliwala’ is not only a melodious, but also an emotionally resonant song, making it a must-listen for the music enthusiasts.

Veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty helmed the role of ‘Rahmat’ in ‘Kabuliwala’, a cinematic marvel from the depths of history, penned by the legendary Rabindranath Tagore.

Mithun’s character Rahmat from Tagore’s masterpiece, deeply connects with audiences of all ages. ‘Kabuliwala’ is the timeless tale of Rahmat, a story of a middle-aged Afghan man, whose heart overflows with fatherly love for a little girl, Mini, in the bustling city of Kolkata set in the year of 1965.

The end credit song ‘Bhaabo Jodi’ composed by Indraadip Das Gupta, ‘features actors Mithun, Anumegha Kahali, Abir Chatterjee, and Sohini Sarkar. It beautifully encapsulates the heartwarming tale of Rahmat and the endearing idiosyncrasies shared between Mini and him.

For the unversed,...

The trailer of the upcoming Bengali film ‘Kabuliwala’, which stars veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty, has been unveiled, and it presents a rich tapestry of the past penned by Rabindranath Tagore.

Mithun essays the role of Rahmat in the film. The tale of Rahmat, set against the bustling cityscape of Kolkata in 1965, unfolds as an Afghan man’s paternal love overflows for a little girl named Mini — portrayed by the talented child actor Anumegha Kahali.

The film explores the universal themes of love that knows no boundaries, transcending both geographical borders and cultural divides.

Abir Chatterjee and Sohini Sarkar step into the roles of Mini’s parents, enriching the narrative with their compelling performances.

Mithun Chakraborty shared, “In stepping into Rahmat’s shoes in ‘Kabuliwala,’ I find myself traversing the timeless corridors of Tagore’s narrative. It’s not just a role; it’s a profound connection with a story that transcends eras,...

The trailer of the upcoming Bengali film ‘Kabuliwala’, which stars veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty, has been unveiled, and it presents a rich tapestry of the past penned by Rabindranath Tagore.

Mithun essays the role of Rahmat in the film. The tale of Rahmat, set against the bustling cityscape of Kolkata in 1965, unfolds as an Afghan man’s paternal love overflows for a little girl named Mini — portrayed by the talented child actor Anumegha Kahali.

The film explores the universal themes of love that knows no boundaries, transcending both geographical borders and cultural divides.

Abir Chatterjee and Sohini Sarkar step into the roles of Mini’s parents, enriching the narrative with their compelling performances.

Mithun Chakraborty shared, “In stepping into Rahmat’s shoes in ‘Kabuliwala,’ I find myself traversing the timeless corridors of Tagore’s narrative. It’s not just a role; it’s a profound connection with a story that transcends eras,...

The first poster of the upcoming film ‘Kabuliwala’, which stars veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty, was unveiled on the occasion of Children’s Day on Tuesday. The poster shows the veteran actor in his role of ‘Kabuliwala’ walking down a street as a sweet little girl by his side.

Behind them one can see the old world architecture of a city and banners with Bangla language and a few people sitting in the background. The foreground has handpump out of focus.

The film is based on a short story by Rabindranath Tagore, and 60 per cent of its story unfolds in Kolkata with the rest in Afghanistan.

The cast of the film comprises Mithun Chakraborty in the role of Rahmat, and Anumegha portraying the lovable Mini. Accompanying them are Abir Chatterjee and Sohini Sarkar, depicting the parents of Mini.

This film follows the story of Rahmat, a middle-aged Afghan man, whose paternal...

The first poster of the upcoming film ‘Kabuliwala’, which stars veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty, was unveiled on the occasion of Children’s Day on Tuesday. The poster shows the veteran actor in his role of ‘Kabuliwala’ walking down a street as a sweet little girl by his side.

Behind them one can see the old world architecture of a city and banners with Bangla language and a few people sitting in the background. The foreground has handpump out of focus.

The film is based on a short story by Rabindranath Tagore, and 60 per cent of its story unfolds in Kolkata with the rest in Afghanistan.

The cast of the film comprises Mithun Chakraborty in the role of Rahmat, and Anumegha portraying the lovable Mini. Accompanying them are Abir Chatterjee and Sohini Sarkar, depicting the parents of Mini.

This film follows the story of Rahmat, a middle-aged Afghan man, whose paternal...

It was a weird year for Busan in terms of selection, particularly because this time, there were no definite masterpieces particularly among the Korean and Japanese titles, who are usually the source of this kind of films. At the same time, though, the industry seems to gradually pick up once more after the Covid impact, as one could find a really significant number of good and very good films in the selection, highlighting the progress of Asian cinema this year. Furthermore, the choice to focus on Indonesian cinema was an ideal one, considering that the future of Asian movies seems to lie, currently, somewhere among the Asean countries, particularly story-wise. Furthermore, the South Asian entries also were particularly strong this year, cementing what we just mentioned. Lastly, and in a trend that seems to be picking up during the last few years, the short selection seems even more interesting on occasion that the features…...

On the occasion of their film, Scavenger of Dreams, screening at Busan International Film Festival, director Suman Ghosh and protagonist Shardul Bhardwaj talk to Panos Kotzathanasis about shooting a movie about garbage pickers, the way they approached their subject, acting alongside people who actually do this job, the cinematography of the film, the Hindi movie industry their future projects and other topics...

Living in the West, it occasionally becomes easy to forget that in various corners of the world, people are living very different and essentially much worse lives. Suman Ghosh focuses on a family that survives by picking up garbage in “The Scavenger of Dreams”, highlighting this rather ignored type of life in India.

The Scavenger of Dreams is screening at Busan International Film Festival

Birju and Shona live in the slums with their daughter Muni. Together they navigate Kolkata’s affluent neighborhoods every morning, collecting trash from the rich houses, on a handcart. Expectedly, they make a meager living, and the lockdown that was imposed the previous years did not make anyone’s life easier, also due to Muni not being able to attend school. Their only leisure seems to be making up stories out of the discarded materials they bring home every night, along with their daughter. Things get...

After 2011’s “Nobel Thief,” 2012’s “Uncle Shyamal Turns off the Lights,” 2015’s “Peace Haven,” 2016’s “Mi Amor” and 2019’s “Aadhaar,” Indian filmmaker Suman Ghosh returns again to the Busan International Film Festival.

“The Scavenger of Dreams” has its world premiere in the ‘A Window On Asian Cinema’ strand. A treatise on social inequality, the film follows Birju and Shona, trash collectors who live in a Kolkata slum with their young daughter. They scour the city’s affluent areas by day for garbage and their experiences become the grist of stories for their daughter by night.

Like “Aadhaar,” “The Scavenger of Dreams,” then called “The Waste Collector,” was also at Busan’s Asian Project Market, where it gained significant exposure. The germ of the film was from a New York Times article about waste collectors that Ghosh read years ago that stayed with him.

“The reason I wanted to make the...

Jio Studios and Svf Entertainment take immense pride in presenting the first look of Bengali film “Kabuliwala,” a cinematic marvel from the depths of history penned by the legendary Rabindranath Tagore.

Mithun Chakraborty will helm the role of Rahmat in Tagore’s masterpiece, a character that deeply connects with audiences of all ages. This production, helmed by Svf Entertainment and produced by the visionaries Jyoti Deshpande, Shrikant Mohta, and Mahendra Soni, promises to rekindle the warmth and emotions that touched hearts years ago.

‘Kabuliwala’- the timeless tale of Rahmat is a story of a middle-aged Afghan man, whose heart overflows with fatherly love for a little girl-Mini, in the bustling city of Kolkata set in the year of 1965.The film captures the period that encapsulates the essence of heartwarming connections and the deep significance of love that knows no boundaries, transcending both borders and cultures.

In the year 1957, the trailblazing director,...

Award

Zurich Film Festival will honor the chief executive of German film and TV company Leonine Studios, Fred Kogel, with its Game Changer Award, which is presented to a leading personality from the film industry whose “extraordinary efforts serve to advance the sector.”

Kogel set up Leonine four years ago, and it has grown rapidly to become Germany’s leading independent film company, as well as a major TV producer. Its successes as a film distributor have included the release of “The School of Magical Animals,” “Knives Out” and the “John Wick” franchise. This autumn, Leonine will release in-house productions like “Weekend Rebels” and “Girl You Know It’s True.”

“Fred Kogel has built Leonine from the ground up, a new entertainment company for the digital age that brings together the most exciting artists and successful producers, allowing them to focus on their core strengths while the studio takes care of services such as Hr,...

New Delhi, Aug 1 (Ians) Veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty will helm the role of ‘Rahmat’ in ‘Kabuliwala’, a cinematic marvel from the depths of history, penned by the legendary Rabindranath Tagore.

The first look shows Mithun as an Afghan man, wearing a grey pathani suit, with a matching headgear. He is holding a blue coloured jhola bag on his one shoulder. The look is completed with a thin layer of Kajal, beard and a moustache.

Mithun’s character Rahmat from Tagore’s masterpiece, deeply connects with audiences of all ages.

Talking about his role, Mithun said: “Regarding my portrayal of Rahmat in ‘Kabuliwala,’ I anticipate a deeply emotional journey. The character’s unwavering affection and strong bond with Mini evoke profound nostalgia and resonate with audiences universally.”

‘Kabuliwala’ is the timeless tale of Rahmat, a story of a middle-aged Afghan man, whose heart overflows with fatherly love for a little girl-Mini,...

Distribution

“The Song of Scorpions,” starring Irrfan Khan, Golshifteh Farahani and Waheeda Rehman, written and directed by Anup Singh, will be released in India by Panorama Films and 70mm Talkies on April 28. The film’s release in India was withheld due to the pandemic in 2021.

“The Song of Scorpions” is a story of twisted love, revenge and the redemptive power of a song. Nooran, carefree and defiantly independent, is a tribal woman learning the ancient art of healing from her grandmother, a revered scorpion-singer. When Aadam, a camel trader in the Rajasthan desert, hears her sing, he falls desperately in love. But even before they can get to know each other better, Nooran is poisoned by a treachery that sets her on a perilous journey to avenge herself and find her song.

The film had its world premiere at Locarno in 2017 and had festival play at Rotterdam, London, Singapore and Dubai among many others.

Mumbai, April 12 (Ians) Actor Nana Patekar is set to make his Ott debut with the upcoming series titled ‘Laal Batti’, a political thriller helmed by Prakash Jha.

The project was unveiled on Wednesday as a part of the content slate of Jio Studios. The star-studded event was held at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai. Over 100+ stories in multiple languages, including Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Bhojpuri and southern languages, across genres of films and original web series are lined up for release.

Some of the biggest directors of Hindi cinema, including Raj Kumar Hirani, Sooraj Barjatya, Ali Abbas Zafar, Aditya Dhar, Prakash Jha, Amar Kaushik and Laxman Utekar, will be releasing their projects as a part of the slate.

The film line-up in the slate includes ‘Dunki’, ‘Bloody Daddy’, ‘Bhediya 2’, ‘Bhul Chuk Maaf’, an untitled film starring Shahid Kapoor and Kriti Sanon, ‘Stree 2’, ‘Section 84’, ‘Hisaab Barabar’, ‘Zara Hatke Zara...

“Agra” by Kanu Behl, “Joram” by Devashish Makhija and “Sultana’s Dream” by Isabel Herguera (San Sebastian selection “Kalebegiak”) are among the selections at India’s Film Bazaar Recommends (Fbr) strand.

The strand is a part of Film Bazaar, the South Asia film project market operated by India’s National Film Development Corporation. The Fbr selections, comprising 20 features, two mid-length films and eight shorts are chosen from 247 films in the market’s Viewing Room that presents films from India and South Asia, which are recently completed or still in post-production. The films are available for film festival selection, world sales, distribution partners or finishing funds. All the selections are awaiting their world premieres.

The 30 selected films will have the opportunity to pitch to Bazaar delegates during the market.

The Bazaar has also chosen five projects for its Work-In-Progress Lab, which provides the selected filmmakers an opportunity to screen the rough...

Mumbai, Jan 24 (Ians) Actor Vineet Kumar Singh says he hopes people go to watch his upcoming film, Aadhaar, in the theatres because that would give him strength to experiment.

"I am hopeful that people will go to the theatres to watch 'Aadhaar'. The vaccine has also come and people know that if they take all the necessary precautions, there is nothing to worry about," Vineet said.

"People are stepping out for work, everyone is taking all precautionary measures. I would like to tell everyone go to the theatres and watch my film because when you go to watch my film, I get the strength to do more films and experiment. This film will make you laugh and cry. And this is the kind of film that one can watch with the entire family," he added.

Directed by Suman Ghosh, Aadhaar tells the story of the protagonist (played by Singh) in Jamua,...

Mumbai, Jan 15 (Ians) Actor Vineet Kumar Singh says he learnt pottery for his upcoming film Aadhaar, adding that he has now become a pro at the art of making pots.

"I spent a lot of time learning the art of pottery. It started six months before the shoot when I visited the same village in Deoghar, Jharkhand, with my director Suman Ghosh," Vineet said.

"We shot a few things at the potter's house, who taught me the art. He told me that to make pots, you will have to rotate the wheel yourself and there is no other way to do it. I did that the first time and realised that it is not an easy thing to do. So I kept learning," he added.

Vineet added: "Because I have scenes in the film while doing pottery. So I tried my best to learn the basics of this beautiful craft.

Jio Studios and Drishyam Films' Aadhaar is all set to release in cinemas on February 5th, 2021. The film marks the second collaboration between Jio and Drishyam after the release of the well appreciated Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi recently.

Directed by award-winning filmmaker Suman Ghosh, the Vineet Kumar Singh starrer is a social dramedy that tells the journey of the first person in Jamua, Jharkhand to obtain his Aadhaar number. The film also features an eclectic star cast of Saurabh Shukla, Sanjay Mishra and Raghubir Yadav among others.

Talking about the film, director Suman Ghosh, who makes his Hindi film debut says, “I am looking forward to the theatrical release of Aadhaar. I have been extremely intrigued by the idea of Aadhaar, a wonderful concept. We have used humor to address certain aspects that people will definitely relate to.” - Suman Ghosh

Actor Vineet Kumar Singh adds, "Aadhaar showcases the journey of...

Actor Vineet Kumar Singh says his upcoming social dramedy, Aadhaar, will narrate the story of what a common man from a small village goes through in order to get his Aadhaar card made. The film has been slated to release theatrically on February 5.

"‘Aadhaar' showcases the journey of a common man from a small village while getting his Aadhaar card when introduced initially. It was such a learning for me and an interesting experience shooting for this film and I am looking forward to its release," Vineet said.

Directed by Suman Ghosh, the film tells the story of the first person (played by Singh) in Jamua, Jharkhand, to obtain his Aadhaar number.

"I am looking forward to the theatrical release of ‘Aadhaar'. I have been extremely intrigued by the idea of Aadhaar, a wonderful concept. We have used humour to address certain aspects that people will definitely relate to," said Ghosh.

By Vinayak Chakravorty

He was the alt superstar of Bangla cinema in its glory years, the affable Bhadralok icon who crafted a towering stature ironically banking on down-to-earth, believable characters that represented middle-class Bengal. The brand of stardom was in stark contrast to the other shining luminary of contemporary cinema in the state -- Uttam Kumar -- whose position as Mahanayak in the Bengali psyche was primarily cemented in idol worship and mass hysteria.

Soumitra Chattopadhyay -- Chatterjee to anglicised India -- answers to the term ‘phenomenon' as absolutely as few actors do, for the sheer ease with which he defied the cliches of image. His stardom was sensational, and yet born out of realism. He was the mascot of the peerless Satyajit Ray's oeuvre, having worked with the maestro in 14 films, and yet he scored with the same assuredness in works of contemporary commercial powerhouses as Ajoy Kar and Tarun Mazumdar.

Indian actor Soumitra Chatterjee, best known internationally for his long association with Oscar-winning filmmaker Satyajit Ray, died on Sunday in Kolkata after contracting coronavirus. He was 85.

Chatterjee was born in Calcutta in 1935. While at university he developed an interest in theater and was subsequently mentored by Sisir Bhaduri, a doyen in the field. He pursued an acting career in cinema while working as an announcer with All India Radio.

Chatterjee’s film debut, “The World of Apu,” (1959) was the third part of Ray’s celebrated Apu Trilogy that began with Cannes-winner “Pather Panchali” in 1955 and continued with Venice-winner “Aparajito” in 1956. The film began a fruitful association with Ray over the years that included “The Goddess” (1960), “Three Daughters” (1961), “The Expedition” (1962), “Charulata” (1964), “Days and Nights in the Forest” (1970), “Distant Thunder” (1973), “The Golden Fortress” (1974), “The Elephant God” (1979), “The Home and the World” (1984) and “Branches of the Tree” (1990).

Chatterjee also worked with the other greats of Bengali-language cinema,...

For every viewer there are forms of storytelling, visual expression that are more familiar than others. The references, codes, cinematic language of foreign films can sometimes create a barrier that renders them all but inaccessible. But in luckier instances they can also play with your expectations in such curious ways you feel compelled to reconsider everything you see.

Indian director Suman Ghosh’s Aadhaar is set against the backdrop of the country’s nationwide campaign to register its 1.3 billion citizens via a biometric ID card introduced in 2009. The story begins in a remote village where most of the inhabitants have never ventured out of town and don’t even understand the idea of IDs. It takes the traveling officials a lot of work to find a willing volunteer – Pharsua the thirty-something village potter (Vineet Kumar Singh). As the first recipient of the Aadhaar (meaning “foundation”) Card in the region, Pharsua...

Marathi drama The Trap (Ghaath) is one of three films co-produced by Drishyam and Mukesh Ambani’s Jio.

Manish Mundra’s indie powerhouse Drishyam Films is moving into regional-language film with Marathi mystery drama The Trap (Ghaath), the third project under a three-picture deal with Jio Studios.

Directed by Chhatrapal Ninawe, the film is set on the fringes of India’s Maoist-affected tribal areas and revolves around the tense interplay between Maoist guerrillas and the police.

The cast includes acclaimed Marathi actors such as Milind Shinde (Babu Band Baja) and Jitendra Joshi, who starred in Netflix web series Sacred Games.

After 2011’s “Nobel Thief,” 2012’s “Uncle Shyamal Turns off the Lights,” 2015’s “Peace Haven” and 2016’s “Mi Amor,” Indian filmmaker Suman Ghosh returns to the Busan International Film Festival with a brace of projects.

His “Aadhaar,” a satire on India’s contentious identity card of the same name, has its world premiere at the ‘A Window On Asian Cinema’ strand, while “The Waste Collector” is participating in the Asian Project Market. “Aadhaar” too began life as an Apm project in 2016.

“As a country, India is at a very interesting juncture currently,” says Ghosh. “The ambiguities, the contradictions and the dilemmas of the ‘idea of India’ is what I find fascinating. India’s aspirations are to join the elite nations while there is a large part of India which is still in extreme deprivation. The aspiring ‘digital India’ exists concomitantly with a ‘superstitious India’. Though I hate to characterize the country...

19th annual New York Indian Film Festival (Nyiff) special focus on new Bengali CinemaBengali is the language of Bangladesh. In fact, its 1971 war of Independence from Pakistan was based upon the language which they favored rather than upon the religion (Muslim) they happened to share with Pakistan.May 7–12, 2019 at the Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave @ 12th Street, NYC.This year 19th annual New York Indian Film Festival (Nyiff) has a special focus on the new Bengali Cinema, reflecting a resurgence in films coming out of West Bengal. With seven new films, including works by the Bengali masters Buddhadev Dasgupta, Suman Ghosh and other first time filmmakers, it is a reflection on Nyiff’s commitment to young emerging filmmakers from India. Here is a listing of the films (with English subtitles)With seven new films, including works by the Bengali masters Buddhadev Dasgupta, Suman Ghosh and other first time filmmakers, it...

DocumentaryWhat comes across in the hour-long documentary is the Nobel laureate's tenacity and obstinacy. Ianspti/ file imageBy Subhash K Jha It is a miracle that this vital documentary throwing light on one of India's brightest minds, ever made into theatres. Miracle, because the film's architect and director Suman Ghosh (whose feature film "Nobel Chor" fictionalising the real-life theft of Rabindranath Tagore's Nobel prize) had to fight a long and hard battle with the Indian censor board to stop some hard-hitting comments on India's politics from being cut. It is also a miracle to see Amartya Sen reach the age of 84 when 66 years ago, the doctors had given him only five years to live after he was detected with mouth cancer. We hear Sen's mother speak of that miracle -- of her son surviving a serious death to become one of India's most perspicuous minds. We also hear Sen describe the self-diagnosis that he undertook and which probably saved his life. What comes across in the hour-long documentary is the Nobel laureate's tenacity and obstinacy. He does bend but you won't catch him tripping over his thoughts or contradiction his own views. He is not immovable in his opinions either. The documentary is essentially a two-part interview conducted by the famed economist Kaushik Basu, conducted with a 15-year gap between the two conversations. Although the conversations per se are illuminating and deeply reflective of Sen's intellect, I craved for more insight into his heart rather than focusing almost entirely on the mind. Sen's mother comes forward with her cursory thoughts and she is specially disarming as she recalls her son's phone call about winning the Nobel prize. We see Sen receiving the Nobel prize early in the narrative. Just why vital events from his life occupy a particular place in the documentary is not explained. But where are Sen's two daughters? We would have loved to see them speak on their father. While the documentary sheds illuminating light on the Nobel laureate's academic pursuits, there isn't enough on his other roles in life. This perhaps is a conscious omission indicative of the lacuna that all intellectual minds are familiar with. A life so devoted to the pursuit of knowledge tends to preclude domestic duties. What we see in the documentary is the academician, the teacher, the philosopher and the intellectual, but seldom the man in his domestic environment. Towards the end, the discourse veers towards, what else, mortality. But Sen seems uncomfortable discussing that subject. He is far more expansive talking on his growing up years in Dhaka, and on Mahatma Gandhi. "I am not a nationalist. But I am still quite proud of my country," Sen says at one point of his conversation. It is a defining moment in the discourse that tells us why a mind as sorted as Amartya Sen needs to be stubborn on national issues. You can only aspire to greatness if you shun mundane roles. "The Argumentative Indian" is a documentation of a life careening towards immortality. Not to be missed by any Indian.

Amartya Sen, the great Indian economist and Nobel laureate, is all set to have a documentary inspired by his lifelong works. The documentary, directed by Suman Ghosh, will release on March 9 after the Central Board of Film Certification (Cbfc) approves it but the Cbfc has ordered to mute the word ‘Gujarat’ from it. Recently the Kolkata office of Cbfc raised a major controversy regarding this documentary titled ‘The Argumentative Indian’. They suggested the makers mute as many as 9 words or phrases in the film but the Cbfc, Mumbai has confirmed only one word that has to be beeped and it’s ‘Gujarat’. Back in mid-July 2017 the Cbfc, Kolkata asked the director to cut or mute 6 word or phrases - ‘Gujarat’, ‘In India’, ‘Hindu’, ‘Cow’, ‘These days’ and ‘Hindutva’ - from the documentary if he wants to get a ‘U’ certification. Interestingly, the director started shooting for the film back in...

He used to be the blue-eyed boy of almost every urban filmmaker, but seems to have lost the hot seat to some of his contemporaries. Now, after bagging the most coveted copyright in the Bengali film industry, Parambrata Chatterjee is back in business with Feluda. In a freewheeling chat with us, the actor-director-producer spoke about his journey from Topshe to Feluda, the copyright tiff with Sandip Ray and things that he no longer finds interesting in Tollywood. Excerpts: Anukul has released and everybody is praising your work… I was waiting to work with Sujoyda (Ghosh) again. In the five years since Kahaani, we’ve planned so many things — some never happened, some will happen in the coming years. But this came as a sudden opportunity and we pounced on it. Now that it’s receiving so much appreciation, I feel ratified and satisfied to the hilt. In Tollywood, nobody rubs anybody the wrong way.

The Busan film fest’s Asian Project Market (Apm) has highlighted a “strong presence” of women filmmakers in this year’s line-up.

A total of 27 titles from 16 countries have been selected including projects from names including Yim Soon-rye, Tan Chui Mui and Laila Pakalnina.

In its 19th year, the Apm (formerly called the Pusan Promotion Plan or Ppp) said it tried to go back to its original mission of discovering up-and-coming talent with a selection that includes Pavle Vuckovic - who debuted last year in Cannes with Panama - bringing his Serbian thriller Mountain Eyes and Lei Lei with her debut feature animation Ningdu,which has Isabelle Glachant attached as a producer.

Apm stated it saw “an increased interest and more submissions by female directors and producers” this year. Yim is bringing Project Lee Jung-Seob, based on the legendary Korean artist’s life, while Tan has Malaysian coming-of-age drama All About Yuyu and Pakalnina has Latvia-Estonia...

The New York Indian Film Festival (Nyiff) announced the full lineup last night for their 16th year of celebrating independent, art house, alternate, and diaspora films from/about/connected to the Indian subcontinent (May 7 – May 14). Dedicated to bringing these films to a New York audience, the festival will feature 40 screenings (35 narrative, 5 documentary) –all seen for the first time in New York City. In addition, the festival will also feature five programs of short films.

The festival highlights various cinemas of India’s different regions. All the films are subtitled in English and some of the languages this year include Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Telegu, Assamese, Haryanavi and Urdu. This year’s festival will feature a couple of sidebars –Nfdc restored first films of filmmakers and a three-generations sidebar, films of Bimal Roy, Basu Bhattacharya and Aditya Bhattacharya.

The festival’s film lineup includes 2016 National Award winners A Far Afternoon,...

Exclusive: Caper comedy by Pia Sukanya is scheduled for release in first half of 2016.

Bombairiya, starring Radhika Apte, Akshay Oberoi and Siddhanth Kapoor, is set to start its third and final schedule of the shoot in mid-December after it was interrupted by an industry strike and a non-film-related injury that Kapoor suffered at home last month.

Set in modern-day Mumbai, the film is shooting on location, with 70% outdoor locations. The final leg will start on December 11 for 12 days, bringing the total shoot to 46 days. The domestic release is scheduled for the first half of 2016.

The Hindi and English-language caper comedy is the latest Bollywood film featuring a female director and female lead. Produced by UK and Mumbai-based Beautiful Bay Entertainment, it is the first feature film of director Pia Sukanya.

“Hero kaun hai? (Who’s the hero?) was the standard Bollywood question asked when a new film was being discussed,” says Beautiful...

Co-production Market to feature new projects from Kanu Behl, Aditya Vikram Sengupta and Nandita Das, along with Ritesh Batra’s first project as a producer.

Film Bazaar, hosted by India’s National Film Development Corporation (Nfdc), has unveiled the 19 South Asian projects selected for this year’s Co-production Market.

The line-up includes new projects from Kanu Behl, whose Titli premiered in Cannes Un Certain Regard 2014; Aditya Vikram Sengupta, director of Venice 2014 title Labor Of Love; acclaimed Sri Lankan filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage; and Fahad Mustafa, whose credits include award-winning documentary Katiyabaaz.

In addition, Ritesh Batra (The Lunchbox) is stepping into producing with Raj Rish More’s Pirates, which Batra will produce through his new outfit Poetic License Motion Pictures.

Drishyam Films’ Manish Mundra is bringing a new project from Amit V Masurkar (Sulemani Keeda), while acclaimed filmmaker Nandita Das will present her new project Manto at Film Bazaar.

The market is introducing a new feature this year – Open...

Nfdc has announced the selection for Film Bazaar recommends (Fbr) section of Film Bazaar 2014. Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s Labour of Love, Bikas Mishra’s Chauranga, Kamal Swaroop’s Dance of Democracy, Shlok Sharma’s Haraamkhor, Khushboo Ranka and Vinay Shukla’s Proposition for a Revolution feature among the list of 25 selected films.

Film Bazaar Recommends is a curated section of the market. The selected films are seeking finishing funds, world sales, distribution partners and film festivals.

Here is the complete list of Film Bazaar Recommends section:

12 Acres

Director – Rajesh Thind

Asha Jaoar Majhe

(Labour of Love)

Director – Aditya Vikram Sengupta

Bokul

Director – Reema Borah

Chauranga

(Four Colours)

Director – Bikas Ranjan Mishra

Crd

Director – Kranti Kanade

Dance of Democracy

Director – Kamal Swaroop

For the Love of a Man

Director – Rinku Kalsy

Foreign Puzzle

Director – Chithra Jeyaram

Gaalibeeja

(The Floating Seed)

Director – Babu Eshwar Prasad

Haraamkhor

(The Wretched)

Director – Shlok Sharma

Island...

A still from “Our Metropolis”

Two Indian projects have been selected for the Asian Cinema Fund of the Busan International Film Festival announced today. A total of 60 projects were submitted from India.

Peace Haven by Suman Ghosh (India-usa) is one of the 8 projects selected for the ACF2013 Script Development fund. Ghosh earlier made Shyamal Uncle Turns off the Lights that was screened at Busan International Film Festival in 2012.

There is no Indian project selected for post-production fund.

Our Metropolis by Gautam Sonti is one of the 14 projects selected for Asian Network of Documentary (And) Fund. The documentary captures the transformation of the cityscape of Bangalore over the period 2008-2013. It weaves together agents who are shaping change and those who are contesting it.

Asian Cinema Fund (Acf) is a unified body of production support programs for the worldwide development and promotion of Asian films. A total of 438 projects were considered...

10th Indian film festival Stuttgart has announced its selection. The festival will take place from July 17 to 21 in the German city of Stuttgart.

Here is the complete list of films to be screened at the festival:-

Ashok Rane’s doucmentay Being with Apu

Blood Brothers by Steve Hoover

Dancing Colours by Stuttgart Media University students

Liv & Ingmar by Dheeraj Akolkar

Much Ado about Knotting by Geetika Narang Abbasi and Anandana Kapur

No Problem! 6 Months with the Barefoot Grandmamas by Yasmin Kidwai

Powerless by Fahad Mustafa and Deepti Kakkar

Resonance of Mother’s Melody by Dip Bhuyan

Salma by Kim Longinotto

The Human Factor by Rudradeep Bhattacharjee

The World Before her by Nisha Pahuja

Bombay Talkies by Anurag Kashyap, Dibakar Banerjee, Karan Johar and Zoya Akhtar

Shahid by Hansal Mehta

Chokher Bali by Rituparno Ghosh

Bawdi – The Well by Viver Soni

Paroksh by Kuldip Patel

Thaambadhyam by Yugandhara Muthukrishnan

Umbartha by...

Bengali film Shyamal Uncle Turns off the Lights won the award for Outstanding International Feature at the recently concluded ReelWorld Film Festival in Toronto.

Written and directed by Suman Ghosh and produced by Arindam Ghosh; the film, based on a true incident, traces the journey of Shyamal Uncle, an eighty-year old retiree, as he wades through an apathetic system with a seemingly trivial goal – turn off the street lights near his home which are left on even during the day.

The film had its World Premiere at Busan and North American Premiere at the Musuem of Modern Arts (MoMA) in New York.

The film’s upcoming screenings will be held at the Green Film Festival in Seoul and the Freiburger Film Forum in Germany.

Marathi film Aayna ka Bayna was the closing film of the ReelWorld Film Festival.

Still from Aayna Ka Bayna

Samit Kakkad’s Marathi feature Aayna Ka Bayna will close the 13th ReelWorld Film Festival to be held from April 10 – 14, 2013 in Toronto.

Suman Ghosh’s Shyamal Uncle Turns Off the Lights and Vikram Dasgupta’s Calcutta Taxi will also be presented under the Free Family Screening.

Aayna Ka Bayna narrates the story of nine juvenile delinquents in a detention centre under a tyrant warden. They dance for passion, for hope and for their dreams to come true. The film released in India in November 2012.

Shyamal Uncle Turns Off the Lights is about an eighty year old pensioner who wants the street lights switched off during the day to save waste and fights bureaucracy. The film has traveled to the Busan International Film Festival 2012 where it was picked up by the Global Film Initiative for North American distribution. The film premiered in India at the Mumbai...

"A visually playful biopic on Mexico's Ed Wood." -Variety

The accolades continue to roll in as Global Lens 2013 puts a spotlight on  The Fantastic Wrld of Juan Orol, which recently played at the San Diego Latino Film Festival.

The story: Move over Ed Wood! Mexico's half-forgotten B-movie master, "involuntary surrealist" Juan Orol, receives a pitch-perfect tribute in this irresistible love letter to a self-made man of showbiz, whose career spanned nearly sixty films. In a glorious black-and-white flashback mingling movie-tainted memories of his Galician childhood, forced exile to Cuba and arrival in Mexico.  The intrepid "Juanito" pursues failed careers as baseball player, boxer, bullfighter and gangster before landing in the movies-where failure kind of works for him. As Orol, Roberto Sosa exudes droll underdog charm, anchoring a fast-moving comedy and a homage to a golden age of cinema.

"A clever camp homage to Orol, this film playfully explores the filmmaker's cult legacy, including visuals that deftly evoke the vintage stock of bygone eras, and the budget aesthetic of its subject." -AFI Silver

Through Global Lens, fans are invited to bring this film to local theaters or community centers. Preview this and the rest of the Global Lens 2013 lineup now on Festival Scope and email bookings [at] globalfilm.org. 

Other Global Lens 2013 films now available for booking:

 About 111 Girls (Darbare 111 Dokhtar), dir. Nahid Ghobadi and Bijan Bijan Zamanpira, Iraq, 2012, 79 minutes 

An Iranian state official, his driver and a young guide race across a troubled but magnificent landscape to stop 111 young Kurdish women from committing suicide in protest against conditions that have left them spinsters. Official Selection, 2012 Busan Iff.

Beijing FlICKERS (You-zhong), dir. Zhang Yuan, China, 2012, 96 minutes

A young man left behind by Beijing's fabulous new wealth experiences moments of euphoria amid despair as he roams the city with other misfit dreamers in this darkly funny, gorgeously gritty portrait of disaffected youth. Official Selection, 2012 Toronto Iff; Official Selection, 2012 Busan.

Cairo 678, dir. Mohamed Diab, Egypt, 2010, 100 minutes

Three Cairene women from different backgrounds warily unite to combat the sexual harassment that has impacted each of their lives-and become a citywide plague-but their unconventional response provokes a dogged police hunt. Official Selection, 2011 New Directors/New Films; Official Selection, 2011 Seattle Iff; Muhr Arab Feature Best Actress and Best Actor, 2010 Dubai Iff. 

The Fantastic World Of Juan Orol (El FANÁSTICO Mundo De Juan Orol) , dir. Sebastían del Amo, Mexico, 2012, 90 minutes

Move over Ed Wood! The story of Mexico's half-forgotten B-movie master, "involuntary surrealist" Juan Orol, receives a pitch-perfect tribute in this deft, irresistible love letter to life, the movies and a self-made man of showbiz. Best First Feature Film, 2012 Guadalajara Iff.

Life Kills Me (La Vida Me Mata), dir. Sebastían Silva, Chile, 2007, 92 minutes

Death come wrapped in a mutual embrace, absurd and poignant at once, in celebrated director Sebastián Silva's debut film about the unlikely friendship between a grieving, young cinematographer and a morbidly obsessed drifter. Best First Feature Film, 2008 International Latino Ff; Best Chilean Film of 2007, Chilean Art Critics Circle.

Modest Reception (Paziraie Sadeh), dir. Mani Haghighi, Iran, 2012, 100 minutes

Two sibling-sophisticates from Tehran travel the mountainous northern countryside, maniacally pushing bags of money on locals-a hilarious and alarming exercise that unfurls with unexpected force amid subtle themes of power and corruption. Netpac Prize, 2012 Berlin Iff; Official Selection, 2012 Chicago Iff.

The Parade (Parada), dir. Srdjan Dragojevic, Serbia, 2011, 115 minutes

In exchange for some wedding-planning expertise, a macho Serbian crime boss recruits a ragtag group of Balkan war-buddies to provide protection for a Pride march in this rollicking yet poignant comedy inspired by real events. Panorama Audience Award, 2012 Berlin Iff; Fipresci Serbia Award for Best Serbian Film 2011. 

Shyamal Uncle Turns Off The Lights, dir. Suman Ghosh, India, 2012, 65 minutes

An 80-year-old Kolkata retiree is determined to get the streetlights turned off after sunrise, but finding someone to take him seriously proves a battle against an indifferent bureaucracy and a complacent status quo. Official Selection, 2012 Busan Iff.

 

Southwest (Sudoeste) dir. Eduardo Nunes, Brazil, 2011, 128 minutes

A young woman gives birth on her deathbed to a child who, spirited away to a remote lakeside village, lives her lifetime in a single day, in this hauntingly dreamlike tale of incommensurable life. Special Jury Prize, Fipresci Best Latin American Film and Best Photography, 2011 Rio Iff; Official Selection, 2012 Iff Rotterdam.

Student, dir. Darezhan Omirbayev, Kazakhstan, 2012, 90 minutes

A solitary philosophy student commits a calculated violent crime against the backdrop of Kazakhstan's growing inequality, institutional corruption and a ruthless ethic of eat-or-be-eaten in this broodingly contemporary adaptation of Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment. Un Certain Regard, 2012 Cannes Ff; Official Selection, 2012 Toronto Iff; Official Selection, 2012 Venice If.    

The Global Lens film series is an annual, curated program of narrative feature films from Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Films from the series are screened in more than fifty cities nationwide, are featured exclusively on Virgin America airlines, and include top festival picks and official submissions to the Oscars. All proceeds received from Global Lens are reinvested in the Global Film Initiative's Granting Program, and other philanthropic programs of the Initiative.

About The Global Film Initiative

The Global Film Initiative was founded in 2002 to create global understanding, empathy and connectivity through film. Since its establishment, the Initiative has supported hundreds of filmmakers with grants and networking opportunities, and has presented its signature film series, Global Lens, in the U.S. and select international locations via a diverse network of artistic, educational, cultural and diplomatic partners. For more information about the Global Lens film series and Global Film Initiative programs, readers are invited to http://globalfilm.org/programs.htm

Change the Way You See the World.

The Global Film Initiative is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. All proceeds from the Global Lens film series support international filmmaker grants, educational programming and resources, touring film exhibitions and other philanthropic initiatives and programs sponsored by the Global Film Initiative.

The 28th Santa Barbara International Film Festival to be held from January 24-February 3 will screen a host of Indian films. Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur has been selected for Competition section. Manjeet Singh’s Mumbai Cha Raja and Suman Ghosh’s Shyamal Uncle Turns Off the Lights will be screened in Pan Asia section.

Blood Brother (India, USA) by Steve Hoover will compete in Documentary section. It chronicles the story of a man-dissatisfied with his life in America-who decides to move to India and restart his life among children living at an orphanage for those infected with HIV.

One Track Heart: The Story of Krishna Das by Jeremy Frindel will be showcased under Cinesonic section. The film tells the story of Jeffrey Kagel who sold all of his possessions and moved from suburban Long Island halfway across the world to India, where he studied under Neem Karoli Baba. He...

Suman Ghosh’s Shyamal Uncle Turns Off The Lights, which was picked up by Global Film Initiative (Gfi) at Busan Film Festival recently, will be part of Global Lens 2013 film series. A total of ten award winning films have been chosen in the line up for the tenth edition of the film series.

The Global Lens will run from 10th to 24th January, 2013 and will be followed by a year long tour to more than fifty cities in the United States and Canada.

Shyamal Uncle Turns Off The Lights, produced by Arindam Ghosh, is the story of an eighty year old pensioner who wants the street lights switched off during the day to save waste. The film premiered at the Busan International Film Festival and was screened at the Mumbai Film Festival 2012.

The Global Lens film series was launched in 2003 to support the distribution of unique and critically acclaimed cinematic works from around the world,...

After Nobel Chor in 2011 featuring stars like Mithun Chakraborty and Soumitra Chatterjee; director Suman Ghosh returns to Mumbai Film Festival 2012 with a small-budget Bengali film Shyamal Uncle Turns Off the Lights, which is the story of an eighty year old pensioner who wants the street lights switched off during the day to save waste .

The film recently premiered at Busan International Film Festival where it was picked up by Global Film Initiative for North American distribution.

Suman Ghosh, in a conversation with Nandita Dutta, ahead of the Indian premiere of his film on October 21:

Who or what was the inspiration for the character of Shyamal Uncle?

Shyamal uncle is a real character and is played by Shyamal Bhattacharya himself. And this film is based on a real incident which was experienced by Shyamal Uncle. You see, Shyamal Uncle represents an entire generation. The generation who has seen the country...